A Prayer for the Devil Read Online Free Page B

newspapers off the seat. Deborah hesitated, then climbed in while Luke held the door. Jumping into the driver’s seat, he attempted to start the truck. After several futile tries, Luke saw Deb glance at her watch. “Luke, let’s take one of the other cars. I don’t want to be late.” He tried the ignition a few more times and then surrendered to her request.
    They went back into the house and down the hallway toward the garage. She opened the door and Luke followed her inside, where four cars were parked side by side on the black-and-white tiled floor. Deb pressed a button and one of the arched doors opened. She reached up to a small metal box affixed to the wall and handed Luke a set of keys. He followed her down the steps toward a sleek black Mercedes. After opening her door, he proceeded to the driver’s side. Looking at the back of the beautiful car, he noticed the model number: CL550. He made a mental note to look it up on the Internet when he had time. As he backed out of the garage, he saw two other Mercedes and a car that looked like a Ferrari or Lamborghini. He was amazed at the amount of wealth his brother had amassed.
    Even though Aaron was a well-respected lawyer with a thriving business, what most people didn’t know was that he was also a silent partner in a hedge fund. Aaron and two classmates from Harvard had developed the idea for this business while attending school. Once Aaron’s law practice became successful, he convinced several wealthy clients to invest in the startup, and the company became more successful than anyone had ever imagined.
    Luke drove down the driveway and out through the security gatesto the street. Reporters jumped from their cars and attempted to take pictures, but the dark tinted side windows shielded the passengers safely inside. As Luke drove, Deborah noticed him squinting in the bright sunlight that entered through the clear windshield, the only window in the car that wasn’t tinted. Luke watched as she opened the glove box and handed him a pair of Aaron’s designer sunglasses.
    When they turned into Schroeder Plaza, Luke was relieved to see a parking spot not far from the front of the old brick building. After parking the car, he pulled on the pair of Aaron’s leather gloves that were lying on the console in order to hide his swollen hands. They quickly headed into the building unnoticed. Once inside, one of the duty officers recognized them and quickly shuffled them into a conference room on the first floor. A few minutes later, Detective Romo entered. “I’m sorry to keep you waiting.” Looking at Deborah while extending his hand, he continued, “I’m so sorry for your loss, Mrs. Miller.” She acknowledged him by shaking his hand but said nothing. Turning to Luke, he said, “Thank you for agreeing to see me, Father.”
    “Thank you for agreeing to leave my parents and the children out of this,” Luke replied.
    Romo sat at the head of the table, with Luke next to him and Deborah next to Luke. The detective had a long list of prepared questions, general questions that anyone would have expected. “Did your husband have any enemies?” “Did your husband seem upset or uneasy that morning?” “Did you or your husband receive any strange phone calls over the past few weeks?” As far as Luke was concerned, he could have saved everyone a lot of time and done this over the phone. Once Romo finished with Deborah, he began questioning Luke. After he realized that the brothers hadn’t talked for more than a year, he limitedhis interrogation to just a few questions. Luke assumed that the detective didn’t consider him a suspect. Forty-five minutes later, Romo thanked both of them, and they were escorted to the front door.
    Before leaving, Luke and Deborah donned their sunglasses. Luke walked out first and held the door for her. As they reached the curb, he extended his hand and helped her over a large pothole in the old road. At that moment, several paparazzi