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Niyol. It fit the aquiline profile and the long, sleek hair that
hung in a tail down his back.
He had to tamp down the flare of sudden jealousy and tuck it
away in a tight little ball, where he wouldn t wish to know what it
was like to have Lucas pressed against him like that.
Ian wasn t awake for the second stop. All he knew was that it
took place in Pueblo, Colorado, and the package had been
addressed to an M. Prochaska at Buell Children s Museum. He
didn t know if M. Prochaska was male or female, young or old. He
didn t ask, and Lucas didn t say.
Stop number three was in Shreveport, Louisiana. They had
been comparing London eateries to those in other parts of the
world when Lucas fell silent, reaching between the seats for a map
he d bought at their last petrol stop.
 Help me navigate to North Park Estates, he said, tossing the
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ARIES: RIDDLE ME WICKED
map onto Ian s lap.
Ian opened it to discover an address already written along the
edge in Lucas s sharp penmanship.  Haven t you been here
before?
 No. I never wanted to put Don and Maggie in an awkward
situation.
 Until now.
No answer.
Any hints on who Don and Maggie might be came only
through their home. It was a five thousand square foot, sprawling
brick two-story tucked nearly out of sight from the road. Not a
single light was on. Lucas parked outside the four-car garage, and,
after a cursory glance over the front of the house, went around to
the boot where he d stowed the duffel bag. After closing it, he
knocked on the window and gestured for Ian to get out.
 Feel like a shower?
Ian looked from the house back to Lucas again.  I m not sure
anyone s home.
 Probably not. They have a tendency to travel this time of
year.
If he owned a house like this, he d never leave. But that still
didn t mean he was comfortable taking advantage of their
amenities if they weren t present.
Lucas trotted along a side path that wound around a group of
flourishing bushes to a tall wooden fence, forcing Ian to follow as
quickly as he could, though his ankle still twinged with every step.
 You re not going to break in, are you?
Lucas reached over the top of the fence and undid a latch. A
door swung open, revealing a greenhouse on a covered terrace that
opened up onto the lavish back garden.
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ARIES: RIDDLE ME WICKED
 It s not breaking in when I have a key.
Ian tried not to gape at the obvious luxury. As well as the
massive house, the mysterious Don and Maggie owned a pool that
could have easily held fifty, with a long, curving slide at the far
end. After two days of being stuck in the car, the idea of jumping
in and cooling off was tempting, but Lucas had mentioned
showers, and the fact that he went straight to a stone Dalmatian
and pulled a key out of its mouth that fit perfectly in the back door
helped to mitigate some of Ian s unease.
So did seeing him punch in a code and disarm the security
system.
 How do you know where everything is if you ve never been
here? he asked.
Lucas dropped the duffel onto a marble-topped island that
somehow managed not to consume the gourmet kitchen, but his
gaze was everywhere else. Flitting over the stainless steel
appliances. Pensive when it settled on an electronic receiver of
some sort tucked in the corner of the counters. Not his usual brash
self at all.  Don and Maggie got that Dalmatian as a wedding gift.
They ve always used it to hide an extra key.
 And the security code?
 Their son s birthday. He paused in his exploration and
offered a wan smile.  There s probably a boatload of bathrooms to
choose from. Use whatever you want. I m going to find the photos,
then shower. We should be back on the road in an hour.
Ian hesitated at the edge of the hard wood flooring that graced
the rest of the house. He was reluctant to walk away when
something was obviously unsettling Lucas.  Are you all right?
He thought for a moment that Lucas might actually answer
truthfully. His smile faded, and his haunted gaze flickered to the
86
ARIES: RIDDLE ME WICKED
window, the rear garden hazy and unformed through the sheer
curtains. Ian took a step forward, but the sound of his hard heel
against the floor snapped Lucas out of the spell.
 I m just tired. He made a shooing motion with his hand.  Go
on. Before the cops crash our party. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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