Partnerships Can Kill: The Third Charlie Parker Mystery Read Online Free

New Mexico has fairly lenient
no-fault divorce laws, I could only guess that her reason for
wanting the whole nasty little story in pictures was to facilitate
some kind of blackmail, either monetary or emotional. I hate those
kind of things, and I've told Ron I'd rather we didn't take them.
But, with Ron, income is income. I've been fortunate enough with my
investments that the agency is more of a side-line for me. Ron
needs every penny he gets just to manage rent and child
support.
    We rehashed all of this over plates of pasta,
salad, and garlic bread, all of which I must admit I threw together
from packages and jars. Although I can cook when the need arises, I
challenge myself to produce acceptable food in fifteen minutes or
less, using nothing more than the microwave or toaster oven. We had
stacked the dishes in the sink, and moved into the living room with
glasses of red wine.
    "You never did explain that little railroad
track of stitches you have across the back of your skull," he
reminded.
    "Let's just say it turned out to be a working
vacation," I told him.
    "And how did you get talked into working on
your vacation?"
    This time, it was my turn to blush.
    "A guy, huh?" he teased.
    "Well..." I told him a little about Drake,
and sketched an outline of the case, which had taken me from Kauai
to San Francisco and back, and had given some revealing insights
into the helicopter tour business in Hawaii.
    "Look, Vicky and I are driving up to Angel
Fire tomorrow morning for the weekend. Why don't you join us? It
would give you a nice breather."
    I could think of better ways to breathe than
in the company of cute Vicky, but I didn't want to hurt his
feelings by saying so. After all, I didn't know the girl, and to be
fair, I should reserve judgment.
    "I have a two bedroom condo reserved. It's
two story, and you can have the lower floor all to yourself. You
and Rusty."
    I felt myself wavering. Angel Fire is one of
the prettiest places in the entire state. Tucked into one corner of
the wide green Moreno Valley, the little alpine village perches at
the base of eleven thousand foot Agua Fria Peak, looking like
something right out of a Swiss travel brochure. I'd been there a
couple of other times with friends, and loved it. During the winter
months, it's a bustling ski resort, but in the summer the pace
slows down considerably. The summer season kicks off Memorial Day
weekend, another week away. Right now, it should be quiet and
peaceful. I felt myself giving in to the idea. Ron could tell what
I was thinking.
    "Okay, then," he said, getting up to carry
his glass to the kitchen. "We'll stop by and pick you up at
eight."
    "We better take my Jeep," I said. "I can't
see three people and a dog jammed into that convertible of
yours."
    "You sure?"
    "As long as you'll still do the driving."
    He agreed, set his wine glass in the sink,
and squeezed my shoulder as he left. I switched on the TV but
couldn’t get interested in anything. Dialed Drake Langston’s number
on Kauai. When the answering machine came on I remembered the
four-hour time difference and figured he wouldn’t even be home from
work yet. I left a brief message, saying that I was thinking about
him, then wondered if I shouldn’t be observing the old boy-girl
ritual where girl waits for boy to call first. Too late now.
    I puttered around the kitchen, washed the
dishes, put the leftover salad in the fridge and went around the
house emptying waste baskets into a black plastic garbage bag.
Tomorrow would be trash day. I carried my one sack out to the curb.
That done and Rusty fed, I decided I was ready for a shower.
    Twenty minutes later, I stood in front of my
closet deciding on what clothes to take to Angel Fire. Mountain
weather is always cooler, and sometimes more unsettled, than in the
city. I tossed an extra pair of jeans, some boots and two sweaters
into a bag. The unfinished Clancy novel was in the living room. I
went to retrieve it and that’s when I noted the call on