Five Alarm Lust by Elise Whyles (reading cloud ebooks .TXT) 📗

day. She didn’t need to rush through this, and if it paid off in the end, well, all the better. A hand patted her purse, the checkbook peeking out from the top. Oh yes, it would pay handsomely.

“Where are you off to?” Barbara turned the key, the engine of Lenny’s older car purring. Staying a few meters behind her daughter, she followed her to an upscale neighborhood where she parked at a smaller house. She glanced at her watch and smirked with a hint of glee. Stepping on the gas, she headed north, toward the Drumheller Prison.

When she arrived, humming a tune, she smoothed her skirt down and flashed a smile at the guard on duty. “Good morning.”

The guard glanced at her with an icy detachment. “Morning, ma’am. Which inmate are you here to see?” The slightly overweight guard looked at his computer screen with an unreadable expression.

“I’m here to see Michael Kilpatrick.” Barbara offered her driver’s license and a sweet, seductive smile.

“He’s in holding now, be about ten minutes. Leave your valuables here, fill out this card, and when you leave you can collect them.” He tossed a small white card on the countertop, along with a pen. “You’ll step through that doorway there, passing by the metal detector. As long as it’s clear, you can proceed. The officer on the other side will escort you to the visitation area.”

“Thank you.” Barbara sashayed down the corridor, winking at a younger, handsome guard before slipping past the doors and into the common visitor’s lounge. She took a seat at a table and crossed her legs, her skirt riding up a little to reveal muscled calves. She looked up to see Michael strolling in front of two guards toward her.

“No touching.” The male guard escorting him shot a look between both of them.

“Barbara, how delightful.” Slick, even, the rich baritone drew shivers down her spine as she rose to greet the man striding toward her. Dark eyes appraised her carefully, a hint of heat flaring before the guard escorting him ushered him none-too-gently into a seat. “What brings you by? I’ve missed our visits. Heard you got married again. Congratulations.”

“Just came to see how you were doing.” Barbara leaned forward, her blouse gaping enticingly. “Are you still interested in…”

“The bitch is mine. Besides, I hate to leave a loose end.” Mike’s charming persona wavered for a moment before his casual smile was back in place. “Has she been causing you grief?”

“When doesn’t she?” Barbara giggled. “Look, I think we need to reevaluate. I heard they’re looking at doing an audit of her account. If they find out it’s not her making the transactions…”

“They won’t. You’ve made sure there was no paper trail, baby. Relax. Even if they do one, what are they going to do? It’s her signature on the checks, isn’t it? As long as they think so, they’re not going to do anything.” Mike cast an assessing glance around. “And she’s so scared of her shadow she wouldn’t say anything anyway.”

“True. Still, I don’t think we want to take any risks. Remember, darling, with her out of the picture it’ll be just us. Do you think you could get some phone time?”

Mike stared at her cleavage, his tongue sliding out to lick at his lips. “What did you find out?”

“She’s been to the parole board twice. I don’t know what was said, and they won’t tell me anything. I think, perhaps, you should reach out to her. You’ve been such a good boy lately.”

“Got a phone number?”

Barbara giggled, her fingers stroking down his arm. “What’s in it for me, Michael?”

“Oh, I’m sure I can figure something out.”

“So am I. I’ll give you her number. Just remember, slow and easy, nothing too outrageous. I don’t want there to be any suspicion aroused beforehand.” Barbara pulled the slim pink slip of paper from her bra, slid it across the table, her gaze darting around carefully. “Don’t make it too often.”

“Time’s up,” the guard ordered, grabbing the back of Mike’s chair.

“I’ll see you next week?” Barbara coyly batted her lashes and rose, her fingers smoothing her clothes into place as she strolled out of the room. The door clicked behind her and she struggled to contain a smile of glee. It wouldn’t be long, of that she was certain. Not long at all before the bitch was out of the way.

* * * *

Tension settled in her shoulders as Gillian walked along the stone path before a non-descript gray and green house. She pushed the doorbell and waited for the door to open. A heavyset redhead opened the door and ushered her into the foyer.

“Good morning, Miss Hilliard. Doctor Reimer will be with you in a moment. Just have a seat. Can I get you a tea or coffee?”

“No, nothing for me, thank you.” Gillian clutched her purse and sank onto the edge of an overstuffed leather chair. Her eyes darted around the room, unease flowing like water through her. This was a bad idea, the thought echoed in her mind like a pingpong ball. Doctor Reimer would notice too much, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to uncover all the details just yet, least of all to someone who already saw too much. Her face heated with embarrassment at the thought of discussing something so personal, something so raw and untamed, with such a clinical person.

“Good morning, Gillian. Please come in.” Doctor Hillary Reimer held the door open. Her graying hair was pulled back into an elegant French twist, her simple suit cut perfectly. For a second, Gillian felt a flare of jealousy before she squelched it.

“How was the wedding?” Doctor Reimer gestured to a seat as she settled into her chair. “You’ve been back for two weeks now. I can’t imagine spending any length of time with your mother was anything you’d enjoy.”

“It was a wedding.” Gilli shrugged. “More to the point, it was Mother’s wedding. I went, I suffered, I came home. Highlight of my weekend.”

Doctor Reimer scribbled something