Free Cynthia Hamilton - Madeline Dawkins 02 - A High Price to Pay by Cynthia Hamilton Page A

few of my things so I can get out of here,” he heard her say.
    “We haven’t finished in this room yet, ma’am.”
    “Quit calling me “ma’am” and get out of my way. I have a very busy schedule the next few days and I need a change of clothing. I can’t go running around in my karate clothes indefinitely,” she said trying to get past the agent. Mike intervened before she got herself arrested.
    “Let’s go, Maddie. We can come back in the morning,” Mike said, gently leading her down the hallway. She gathered together the items she’d dropped when she came in and led the way out to Mike’s car. At that point, she didn’t care if she ever saw her house again. A change of scenery did sound very appealing, like Tahiti or Bora Bora.
    She huffed mockingly at her indulgent fantasy. She was stuck in Santa Barbara in the middle of the biggest event she’d ever overseen and taken on her first case, which at this point seemed like just one more headache.
    That she couldn’t even hide away in her own home to fortify herself for the coming days was a fitting insult in an already gloomy scenario. She was on Lionel Usherwood’s hit list and had to babysit a hot mess for a three-day narcissistic wallow. To top it off, she had to find out if an illegal alien had stolen valuable heirlooms from a famous director’s mother. For the life of her, she couldn’t remember why she thought being an event coordinator and a private investigator were such good career moves.

NINE
    Madeline sat back as Mike slid a plate of scrambled eggs and hot buttered toast in front of her. She smiled wanly at him and picked up a piece of toast and brought it to her mouth, but it hung there as if she had either forgotten how to eat or couldn’t quite stomach food yet. She set it back on the plate and placed her elbows on either side of it. Mike set a mug of steaming tea next to her and sat down.
    “Maddie, try to eat something before it gets cold,” he said softly, rubbing her knee under the table. “I know what I forgot,” he said as he got up to retrieve a jar of expensive cherry preserves. He cracked the seal and ladled a dollop of the bright red jam onto a slice of toast.
    “Now doesn’t that look good?” he said, his features animated as if he were speaking to a child. Madeline laughed, though in her condition it sounded more like a sputter. “Please…one bite?” Mike negotiated.
    Madeline moistened her lips and took the slice of toast Mike held in front of her. She took a bite and chewed mechanically, her head lowered. Once she had dispatched that bite to her stomach, her natural instincts for self-preservation kicked in. She ate two more bites and then went at the eggs in large forkfuls.
    “Good?” Mike asked.
    Madeline nodded, managing a shy smile. “Do you have any cream?” she asked, taking the tea bag out of the mug. Mike was out of his chair like a shot. “And some sugar,” she said through a mouthful of food.
    Once she had pierced the knotted barrier in her stomach, she realized how ravenously hungry she was. She had been famished when she ordered the pizza three hours earlier. Now that she was wiping up the last traces of egg with her toast, she already felt more like a human being.
    “Want some more?” Mike asked as Madeline dipped the last corner of toast in the jam.
    “Okay.”
    Mike beamed as he plopped another slice in the toaster.
    “What about you?” she asked, turning around in the chair to face him.
    “I was just finishing my carnitas tacos when you called.” He sat down next to her, taking one of her hands in his. Madeline knew he was worried about her, but she didn’t feel like discussing it. She gave his hand a squeeze and let it go. She ran both hands through her hair and pulled it back and tied it in a loose knot. She sat staring at her plate, unwilling to look at Mike. She let out an ironic laugh and sighed heavily.
    Mike sat watching her, his face so full of concern, it seemed almost