Intimate Relations, Rebecca Forster [best ereader for manga .txt] 📗

white and ran onto the sand. The sight of it was dazzling, mesmerizing...

"Miss?"

Cori smiled, when she came to her senses.

"Makes you believe in God, doesn't it?"

The maid didn't smile back. The woman was good, but she wasn't that good. She knew what Cori was talking about, but it wasn't her job to be impressed by, covetous of, or in any way seduced by her surroundings. It was also a hanging offense to engage with anyone who came through the door.

"Detective Anderson."  Cori did the wallet flip for her and showed her badge. "I'm here to see Ms. O'Brien."

"She's expecting you."

The woman fell back. Cori stepped inside and moved to her right as the maid shut the door. That thing was even more impressive from the back side. The vines seemed to have grown through the copper. The outcroppings on the front were matched by indentations on the back.  From this angle, the castings of the children were all spindly legs and little butts. It was as if they were crawling through the door, playing instead of trying to escape.

The maid walked on with Cori trailing behind.  While the front of the house was stucco, the back of the house was glass. The interior was a minimalist's dream. Cool and inviting, the great room was furnished with couches and chairs upholstered in ice blue and pale yellow. The floor was marble, warmed by white throw carpets. Those rugs were so big it would have taken ten men to 'throw' them. There were no family pictures on the walls or tables, nothing to give Cori a clue about the inhabitants. There were no paintings which didn't surprise her. Why bother with a Picasso or Renoir when Mother Nature put on such a spectacular display?

"This way, miss."

The maid was standing on a patio. Cori chuckled as she joined her. Don't let the rabble linger. But the detective couldn't resist pausing to look at the structure. The huge glass doors retracted into the walls so that outside was in and inside out. Cori walked inside and out again.

"Nice," she said.

"Yes, miss."

They crossed the terrace and walked down a wide, curving staircase. The mansions on either side of the property were evident, but not intrusive. Cori was being led to the lower patio. There an infinity pool and a Jacuzzi. An outdoor kitchen shared space with couches, a cabana, chairs, lounges, tables and umbrellas. Everything was tasteful, peaceful, and pricey. Below that was the beach where there were more lounges, umbrellas, and kayaks.

Cori heard the maid say 'miss' once more, and knew it was a command to get a move on. No one lingered here without permission. That was one way to keep a house clean. Don't let anyone use it. Cori went on her way, rotating her shoulders under her polyester blazer. It was getting hot. She would give anything to have a beer and a dip in that pool.

She caught up with the maid who had stopped and was raising her hand at waist level.  The woman was a master of understatement. Cori hoped that she let loose once she got off because working in this place had to be soul crushing. As if on cue, an offshore breeze lifted one of the white linen panels that surrounded the cabana. There was Beverly O'Brien, naked as a jaybird, resting on a round day bed.

"Ms. O'Brien," the maid said.

"I'd recognize her anywhere," Cori answered. "Thanks."

The maid smiled—genuinely this time. Thank you wasn't something she often heard. Cori waited until the woman was well out of earshot before crossing the pool deck. She stopped in front of the cabana.

"Knock, knock," she said.

Bev rolled over and pulled back the curtain. The good news was that she wasn't stark naked. She wore the bottom of a swimsuit so small that Cori wouldn't insult a postage stamp by comparison. The bad news was pretty much the same as the good news.

"Well, well." Bev raised one arm above her head, showing off her beautiful breasts.

"Nice," Cori said.

"Thanks. All natural."

"I know. I've got two of my own, they just take up a little more space than the ones you've got," Cori said. "Not that anyone seems to mind. Do you want to scoot over so we can girl talk here, or shall we find someplace less comfortable."

"You are so quick with that tongue, Cori. I can see why Finn appreciates you."

Cori, bit her lip. If they were on even ground, she would have knocked Bev's pretty teeth clear down her throat for the innuendo. But they weren't on the same footing. Cori had the upper hand. Bev just didn't know it yet.

Bev swung her legs over the edge of the day bed, pushed through the curtains, walked past Cori, and dove into the pool. She came up for air half way down, and went under again. When she finished showing off, Bev got out of the pool and grabbed a fluffy white towel. She draped it over her shoulders and then sat at a table under an umbrella. There was a tall glass filled with something cold waiting for her. It was fresh. The ice hadn't even begun to melt, unlike the maid who had evaporated.

Cori would have laughed if Bev's little show wasn't so pathetic. Keeping a pleasant look on her face, she walked the length of the pool.

"I'd have Katrina bring you something to drink, but you probably want to get right down to business. Sit."

"Don't mind if I do." Cori pulled out a chair, looking around as she took a load off. She could get used to living like this if selling her soul was an option.

"Nice Digs. How'd you get the loan?"

"The owner is a very good friend," Bev said.

"With benefits?"

"Is that an official question?" Bev picked up her drink and took a sip. Then she waved away her own question. "Oh, forget it. Of course with benefits, as if it matters. Or did Finn send you here to find that out."

"No," Cori said. "And he didn't