Free Light in Shadow by Unknown Page B

to get
    the raw end of this deal. My fees for redesigning an entire residence are quite high, Mr. Truax.
    There is no way that I would spend that much on your detecting services."
    "Okay, like I told you, I'm flexible. How about one room?"
    She hesitated and then shrugged. "Okay, one room."
    "Deal. But I get to pick the room."
    "Fine. Deal. Now tell me: how you plan to get into the Mason residence?"
    "That's the easy part." Ethan replied. "You're going to get me inside." "How?" "You can start
    by calling me Bob."

    * * *

    An hour laterEthan stood in the center of the master bedroom of the Mason house and tried
    to ignore the little tingle of adrenaline that was humming through him. He understood the
    source of the sensation. If he and Zoe were right about Jennifer Mason's fate, they were
    standing in the same room as a killer.
    At least he was standing in the same room with Mason, he thought. Zoe, on the other hand,
    still had both feet out in the hall. She hovered in the bedroom doorway, arms crossed tightly
    beneath her breasts. Until now she had been doing a very good job of acting but he had
    noticed a new level of tension in her when they had reached this bedroom.
    Davis Mason watched him from a short distance away. Zoe had reported that he'd sounded
    somewhat surprised when she'd phoned to say that she wanted to bring a contractor to his
    house. But he had not had a problem with the suggestion. In fact, he had offered to leave his
    office early to meet them.
    "What do you think about my lighting ideas for this space, Bob?" Zoe asked from the door.
    "No problem," Ethan said easily. "Plenty of room in here to drop the ceiling and put in recessed
    lighting. You want me to work up a detailed estimate?"
    "Not at this stage," she said. "I just wanted your opinion on whether or not you thought the
    concept was feasible."
    "Hell, yeah, it'll work. The lighting won't be a problem. Picture on the ceiling sounds weird,
    though."
    Davis looked at Zoe. "You're going to paint a picture on my ceiling?"
    "It's an option that interests me. There are some excellent mural artists here in town who
    could do something very special in this space. An evening sky scene, perhaps."
    Davis nodded thoughtfully. "I like the idea. Never would have thought of it myself."
    "Gonna be expensive," Ethan warned him. "The recessed lighting she wants to illuminate the
    ceiling doesn't come cheap, and Lord only knows what the artist will charge."
    Zoe fixed him with a steely look. "The cost is not your problem, Bob."
    "She's right," Davis said. "Price is no object for me. My wife and I recently parted ways. I
    want a whole new look for this bedroom."
    "Oh, man," Ethan whistled softly. "Been there, done that a few times myself. I know all about
    the bedroom thing."
    He caught Zoe's startled reaction to that comment, but he ignored it. He was more interested
    in Davis's frown.
    "The bedroom thing?" Davis stood unmoving. "I don't understand."
    Ethan shook his head. "This is the voice of experience talking. I've had three wives walk out
    on me and file for divorce. Just no pleasing some women, I guess."
    "No," Davis said evenly. "Women can be difficult." He did not look in Zoe's direction.
    "Difficult and damned expensive," Ethan said. "Especially when it comes to beds. Beds cost a
    lot of money, you know."
    "What does this have to do with beds?" Davis asked.
    Ethan shrugged. "The first thing you do, after you finish paying off your ex and the lawyers, is
    you start dating again, right? Hell, maybe you don't even wait until the paperwork is finished.
    Maybe you need some understanding companionship right away, know what I mean?"
    "No, Bob," Zoe said coldly from the hall. "I, for one, don't know what you mean."
    "No offense, Ms. Luce," he said, making a show of exaggerated patience, "but these are facts
    of life for a guy in this situation. Like I was saying, you want to start dating again so you
    bring a new lady friend home. You turn on the music, have a couple