Deadly Intent Read Online Free Page A

life.”
    His vision had been right on the money, because within a month Arturo was making a thousand dollars a week, tax free, and living the good life. Business was so good in Toledo that he had taken a partner, a man by the name of Ian McGregor.
    Two years later, during a sting operation, McGregor was
    arrested, then later released when he had handed Arturo to the D.A. on a silver platter.
    Although Arturo had sworn to get even with McGregor someday, Tony had prayed his brother would forget his former partner’s betrayal and go on with his life. No such luck. As soon as Arturo had learned from the prison grapevine that McGregor was out, he had started packing.
    Cursing under his breath, Tony walked into his room, took out his own duffel bag from the closet and threw it on the bed. Keeping Arturo from killing McGregor wasn’t a job he looked forward to, but if he didn’t do it, who the hell would?
    Abbie called Campagne’s kitchen the restaurant’s nerve center, and anyone who had ever been there would agree. It was a busy, noisy place where the frantic pace was enough to make first-time visitors count their blessings they hadn’t chosen the restaurant business.
    Abbie felt exactly the opposite. No matter how many hours a day she spent in this kitchen, or how worn-out she was at the end of the day, she never tired of the sights, sounds and challenges that had become such an integral part of her daily life.
    Glad to see that the kitchen was running with the efficiency and precision of a well-oiled machine, she took her apron from a hook and smiled as Brady walked over to her.
    “How did it go?” he asked eagerly.
    Her sous-chef was a personable young man with movie star good looks, short, spiky blond hair a la Brad Pitt and an engaging smile. A broken elbow had ended a promising baseball career and forced Brady to examine new options. On a dare from his buddies, who loved his cooking, he had enrolled in a local cooking school, and upon his graduation
    had landed the job of second assistant to the chef de cuisine in a Philadelphia restaurant. Three years ago, when Abbie had opened Campagne and was looking for a sous-chef, she had come upon his resume and had immediately set up an interview. After the first ten minutes together, Abbie knew she had found her man. Their compatibility was such that they quickly broke the barrier of employer/employee relationship, and became good friends.
    Brady had spent hours with Ben, helping him with his batting, so Abbie gave him a detailed replay of the game, knowing he expected nothing less. When she told him about Ben’s spectacular triple in the final inning, and the three RBIs, Brady beamed.
    “He’s a shoo-in for the all-star team,” he said with a confident nod.
    Abbie tied the apron around her waist. “Don’t tell him that, okay, Brady? I don’t want him to be disappointed if he’s not picked.”
    “If he’s not picked, I’ll have a little heart-to-heart with his coach.”
    Abbie let out a groan. “Oh, no. You’re turning into one of those Little League fathers who thinks his kid is so much better than the others.”
    Brady laughed. “All right, all right, I’ll shut up.”
    The young man by her side, Abbie started walking around the large room filled with stainless-steel appliances, glancing at the order slips clipped to a rotating rack, lifting lids, smelling, tasting, peeking in the oven where four individual cassoulets bubbled gently in their little clay pots.
    “Anything unusual happen while I was gone?” She moved to the shoulder-high swinging doors and glanced into the crowded dining room.
    “The president of the university and his wife are at table
    three. They’re celebrating their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary.”
    Abbie recognized the silver-haired academic. Both he and his wife were regular customers and generous sponsors of the yearly food festival, the proceeds of which went to a local women’s shelter. “Send them a bottle of champagne,