Free Expectation (Ghost Targets, #2) by Aaron Pogue Page B

on the stove."
    Just inside the door, Katie let out a contended sigh at the mixed aromas of cut wood and freshly baked cinnamon rolls. A fire crackled on an open hearth, welcome glow of warmth on the chilly morning. The walls were paneled in stained oak, the floors thickly carpeted with a deep blue pile. A stairway in the left-hand wall climbed to the living quarters, while the wall opposite the door was given entirely to dark-tinted picture windows that gave a shadowy panorama of the Rockies climbing into the sky.
    Katie followed Theresa to the right, up a step into the open dining room, and beyond that into a sprawling kitchen. Here the walls were painted sky blue, and the tile was white ceramic. Following Mrs. Barnes into the kitchen was like stepping back out into the brilliant spring morning after the rich, dark tones of the sitting room.
    Mrs. Barnes went straight to the stove, snapping the burner and the broiler off with two sharp twists of the wrist. She moved a frying pan full of scrambled eggs off the hot stovetop, then pulled a tray of cinnamon rolls out to cool. She took two china plates from the upper cabinet and turned to Katie with a smile.
    "Can I tempt you?"
    Katie smiled. "I really shouldn't. Besides, I ate at the hotel."
    "Oh, pshaw!" She waved dismissively and started preparing both plates. "That fake stuff? No. It was probably grown in a vat. You need to have a good meal in you."
    Before Katie could object further, Mrs. Barnes scooped up both plates and directed her with a nod toward a cozy breakfast nook at the far end of the kitchen, sunlight pouring in through three windows.
    "So," she said, sinking into a spindle-backed chair and pushing Katie's plate across the table. She raised an eyebrow, almost demanding, and Katie finally sank down across from her.
    The other woman continued in a pleasant voice. "I understand you wish to press forward with my husband's investigation." She raised her eyebrow again. "Eat! Eat!" Again Katie relented, more to her own stomach than to the woman's urging. She took a bite of the sticky bun and rolled her eyes in delight.
    "Oh," she said. "So good!"
    "Thank you," Mrs. Barnes said, matter-of-fact. "Try the eggs. That's cayenne and just a drizzle of maple syrup. You'll love it." She watched until Katie took a bite then nodded once, satisfied. "Good," she said. "Now, Agent Pratt, as you can see, I'm a gracious hostess. I would love for you to spend some time here this morning, learning everything you can about my amazing husband. But if you've come here to get medical access to his body..." She leaned forward, hands clasped on the table, and her eyes flashed. "Then you've wasted your time."
    Katie wiped her mouth with a silk napkin and set it aside, then she met the woman's eyes. She smiled. She had a clever answer ready, but she set that aside, too. Instead, she said simply, "Why?"
    "Eric is a hero," she said, the answer ready on her lips. "He's a superstar. He's famous." She stopped, considering her hands, and shrugged. "He's famous, Agent Pratt, because he changed the world. He cured aging , and now he's languishing in a coma, living on a machine." She sighed. "If I gave access to him, if I took him out of the clinic, that story would be all over the news. I can't bear that. I can't let his whole legacy collapse to a statement of irony."
    Katie placed a comforting hand on the other woman's, sympathy in her eyes. "I understand your concern, Mrs. Barnes. It's noble of you." Theresa nodded with a sniffle, and Katie pressed on. "But there's a question of justice here. The police are confident some amount of foul play was involved in your husband's attack, and no matter how painful it would be to see him on TV—"
    "No," she said, and her voice was firm.
    Katie waited a moment, but Mrs. Barnes remained quiet, her eyes locked on her hands. Katie cleared her throat. "I'm not sure you've fully considered the implications of your stance."
    "Oh, I have," Theresa said, her eyes