The Borgia Dagger Read Online Free

Callie, don't you see? It doesn't matter!" They sank into the car's bucket seats, and Frank leaned over to Callie with a glowing smile. 'This man has eyes for only one ravishing beauty — you!" Callie started to put the key in the steering column, but stopped when Frank brought his face closer and gave her a kiss. At that moment, Tessa Carpenter faded from memory. "I'm sorry, Frank," Callie said. "I guess I'm just upset that our day together had to be spoiled like this."
    "I'll make it up to you, Callie, I promise. Next saturday we'll — "
    "I was thinking of something sooner than next saturday," Callie said eagerly. "Why don't we see a movie tonight?"
    Frank looked at her blankly. "Tonight? Well — I can't." "Why not?"
    "Did you forget? We've been invited to a party."
    "Party?" Callie had no idea what he meant, when it dawned on her. "You mean at Tessa's?" 'Well, yeah!" Frank said with a shrug. "I uh, we agreed. It might be fun — "
    Callie's face clouded over. She started the car and pushed her foot down on the accelerator. Frank fell back in his seat.
    "Fine," she said, glaring straight ahead. "You go ahead. I have other plans."
    ***
     
    "Why so glum, chum? This party's going to be the hottest ticket in town!" Joe called out from the bathroom as he stood in front of the mirror, combing his hair.
    Frank yanked on good black socks and stared at the bedroom carpet. "I don't know, Joe, I just am not excited about it." He plopped himself down on the bed and flipped through a copy of Personality magazine that Joe had left lying open.
    · "Well, you won't believe her house." Joe leaned into the room and gestured with his comb. "When I drove her home she told me to go up this narrow road through the woods—only it turned out not to be a road, but her driveway! At the end there was this enormous brick mansion — a lawn the size of a football field, servants' cottage, in-ground pool — "
    "Hmm. There's a picture of it here in the magazine."
    "Right. And that's not even the best part - read the section about the Borgia Dagger," Joe said, walking into the bedroom.
    "The what?" Frank flipped through the pages and saw the headline: heiress inherits carpenter collection—including deadly borgia dagger!
    "Part of that museum collection," explained Joe, "is a jeweled knife that once belonged to this sinister Italian family about four hundred years ago. They were all religious and military leaders, but they were also cold-blooded murderers! Legend has it that the dagger Tessa has is cursed." " "What kind of curse?" Joe continued in a low, creepy voice. "The fowner of the dagger will die within a few months of having touched it." He opened his eyes and let out a deep, diabolical laugh. "Yaaaa - haaa - haaa - haa — "
    Abruptly Joe ducked and just missed being hit by the rolled-up copy of Personality that Frank had hurled at him.
    Approaching the mansion in the dark, even Frank was impressed. Four pointed spires rose from the roof like the towers of a castle. A porch, shrubbery and flower beds surrounded it, and a rolling lawn stretched far into woods in all directions. There were no other houses visible. Loud music echoed through the night air and lights glared from four bay windows on the first floor.
    They parked the van and walked inside. Immediately Joe felt that his blue suit wasn't right. There seemed to be two types of guests: One type wore expensive tuxedos and evening gowns. The other type wore more casual clothing, but Joe could immediately tell it was just as expensive. Standing among them, a wiry man scribbled notes on a small yellow pad.
    "Probably society columnist," Joe whispered to Frank.
    "It's Frank and Joe! Come on in!" Tessa's voice floated toward them over the noise of the crowd. From behind a group of laughing people, she emerged.
    Frank thought Joe's jaw would drop off. Tessa wore a slinky, full-length gown with silver sequins and high-heeled silver shoes. She grabbed both of their hands and pulled them toward