Once Cold (A Riley Paige Mystery-Book 8)

PROLOGUE

The man walked into the Patom Lounge and found himself surrounded by a thick haze of cigarette smoke. The lights were dim, an old heavy metal tune blared over the speakers, and already he could feel his impatience.

The place was too hot, too crowded. He flinched as beside him a short cheer arose; he turned to see a dart game being played by five drunks. Beside them there was a lively pool game going on. The sooner he got out of here, the better.

He looked around the room for only a few seconds before his eyes lighted upon a young woman sitting at the bar.

She had a cute face and a boyish haircut. She was just a little too well dressed for a dive like this.

She'll do just fine, the man thought.

He walked over to the bar, sat on the stool beside her, and smiled.

"What's your name?" he asked.

He realized that he couldn't hear his own voice over the general din.

She looked at him, smiled back, pointed to her ears, and shook her head.

He repeated his question louder, moving his lips in an exaggerated manner.

She leaned close to him. Nearly yelling, she said, "Tilda. What's yours?"

"Michael," he said, not very loudly.

It wasn't his real name, of course, but that probably didn't even matter. He doubted that she could hear him. She didn't seem to care.

He looked at her drink, which was almost empty. It looked like a margarita. He pointed to the glass and said very loudly, "Care for another?"

Still smiling, the woman named Tilda shook her head no.

But she wasn't brushing him off. He felt sure of that. Was it time for a bold move?

He reached for a cocktail napkin and took a pen out of his shirt pocket.

He wrote on the cocktail napkin ...

Care to go somewhere else?

She looked at the message. Her smile broadened. She hesitated for a moment, but he sensed that she was here looking for a thrill. And she seemed pleased to have found one.

Finally, to his delight, she nodded.

Before they left, he picked up a matchbook with the name of the bar.

He would need it later.

He helped her into her coat and they walked outside. The cool spring air and sudden quiet was startling after the noise and heat.

"Wow," she said as she walked along with him. "I almost went deaf in there."

"I take it you don't hang out there a lot," he said.

"No," she said.

She didn't elaborate, but he was sure that this was the first time she'd ever been to the Patom Lounge.

"Me neither," he said. "What a dive."

"You can say that again."

"What a dive," he said.

They both laughed.

"That's my car over there," he said, pointing. "Where would you like to go?"

She hesitated again.

Then, with an impish twinkle in her eye, she said, "Surprise me."

Now he knew that his earlier guess was correct. She really had come here looking for a thrill.