"Crombie, Deborah - A Share in Death" - читать интересную книгу автора (Crombie Deborah)

He studied Cassie Whitlake with interest. Hard-pressed,
he'd judge her around thirty, but she had the sort of looks
that make age difficult to assess. She was tall, as elegant
as the curved lines of her desk, and striking in a monochromatic
way. Her hair and eyes were the color of fallen
oak leaves, her skin a pale cream, her simple wool dress
a slightly more intense shade than her hair. It occurred to
him that she must have chosen the mums in the hallway--
they would complement her perfectly.

Throughout the exchange her companion had kept his
casual stance, following the conversation with quick birdlike
motions of his head. Now he removed his right hand
from his pocket and came toward Kincaid.

"I'm Sebastian Wade, assistant manager, or lackey to
Lady Di here, depending on your point of view," he said,
offering his hand. He glanced quickly at Cassie, gauging the
effect of his barb, then grinned at Kincaid as he shook his
hand. There seemed to be genuine warmth in his greeting,
and Kincaid found himself more drawn to Wade's engaging
maliciousness than to Cassie Whitlake's polished cordiality.
A slightly built man in his late twenties, Wade had
butter-yellow hair, fashionably cut, and pockmarked skin
over thin and rather delicate features. His eyes were unexpectedly
dark.

Cassie moved quickly around her desk and disengaged
Kincaid with a touch of cool fingers on his arm. "I'll show
you to your suite. Then when you' /e had a chance to settle
in, I'll give you a tour and answer any questions you might
have." Sebastian Wade lifted a hand to him in mock salute
as Cassie led him from the room.

As Kincaid followed her into the hall he admired the
way the soft fabric of her dress clung to the outline of her

A share in death 7


body. A hint of some sharp, musky perfume drifted back
to him, not the sort of scent he would have expected from
one so elegantly groomed. But he had been right about her
height--her head was almost level with his own.


She turned back to him as she started up the stairs. "I
think your suite is the best in the house. Such a shame for
your cousin and his wife to have to cancel their holiday at
the last minute. Fortunate for you, though," she added, and