Blind

Blind by Francine Pascal

Book: Blind by Francine Pascal Read Free Book Online
Authors: Francine Pascal
of his funds and a large number of his operatives to be moved to this tropical oasis. Coming down to investigate had seemed essential. But after spending days chasing shadows around the islands, Tom wished he had stayed in New York. If he had stayed, at least he would be close to Gaia. And to Natasha. Tom gave a quick, silent prayer that the two of them were getting along. If Gaia would only give Natasha half a chance, he was sure that they would get along great. On the other hand, his daughter had reason not to rely on random acts of kindness.
    Headlights appeared on the narrow strip of blacktop that separated The Rip from the more modern buildings of Red Bay. Tom held himself tight against a palm tree as the lights moved past his hiding place and on to the parking lot. The car was a little Mazda Miata. Black, shiny, and new.
    Out of the tiny car stepped a woman so tall that Tom had to wonder how she ever fit inside. She was at least six-foot-two. Broad shouldered. Short-cropped hair dyed a screaming orange-red, and she wore a sleeveless blouse so sheer that even the moonlightshone straight through. She gave herself a quick onceover in the side-view mirror of her car, then headed into The Rip with a long, purposeful stride.
    Tom waited in the trees a few minutes longer. The quarter moon was standing well above the waves, turning the ocean black and silver. A breeze began to send the palm trees swaying and drove away the warmth of the day.
    He had a very bad feeling about this. Tom reached into his pocket and touched the cool metal weight of the small .32-caliber revolver. He knew that this woman was part of Loki’s organization, and she was his only lead to what Loki was doing down here in the islands. Just getting her name had taken him the better part of a week. There was no choice except to go after her. But Tom had no illusions. Whatever happened inside this little bar, it wasn’t going to go down clean and it wasn’t going to be easy.
    Broken seashells crunched under his feet along the path to the entrance. There was no door really, only a door-sized hole with nothing at all to stop anyone from moving in and out. A small sign taped to the concrete indicated the bar had rated an
A
from the department of health. Tom wondered for a moment how large a bribe it had taken to earn that
A.
    Inside, the windowless room was almost completely dark. There were a few lights behind the bar itself, enough that the bartender could tell whiskeyfrom rum. Some of the men turned to look as Tom stepped in between the clusters of small tables. Most didn’t bother.
    It took a few seconds for Tom’s eyes to adjust to the room well enough to let him navigate between the irregular rows of tables and past the knots of standing men. He did one quick sweep of the place, stopped near the back wall, and turned around. The woman wasn’t there. Another look around the room showed that there was another open door to the outside at the back and a third door on the left. Unlike the empty frames leading out, this last door was made of wood and was solidly closed. Unless the woman had walked straight through the front of the bar and right out the back—which was entirely possible—she had to be behind the door.
    Tom walked across the room and reached for the doorknob. Before he could touch it, there was a soft click from behind his head. He turned and saw a barrel-chested man in a yellowed T-shirt. In the man’s hand was a gun so small, it almost looked like a toy.
    â€œHey, my friend,” the man said. “You don’t have any business in there.”
    â€œI’m here to see a woman named Noel.”
    â€œEverybody loves our Noel. Right now she’s busy, and I don’t think… I don’t…” The gun came down a couple of inches. “Hey, don’t I know you?”
    Tom turned slightly so he could get a better look at the man. The guy was short, but he was wide across the shoulders and

Similar Books

His Obsession

Ann B. Keller

Days of Heaven

Declan Lynch

Wicked Widow

Amanda Quick