Thread of Fear by Laura Griffin

packed, then this was a premeditated visit.
    Her sister released a lock of hair from the iron and admired the way it fanned out, straight and shiny, across her shoulder.
    “I’m thinking of going for some color again. What about raspberry?”
    A classic evasion tactic. “Courtney? Are you moving in ?”
    She lifted a shoulder casually, never taking her eyes off the mirror.
    “Please don’t tell me you got evicted.”
    Her sister turned and planted a hand on her hip, as if this were totally implausible. “You’re such a drama queen. God.”
    Fiona tried not to bite a hole in her tongue. She walked over to the bathroom and took note of the three matching cosmetics bags sitting on the lid of her toilet. Courtney was here for an extended stay.
    Fiona took a deep, cleansing breath, and didn’t feel cleansed at all. “What happened?”
    Her sister leaned toward the mirror and darkened her golden lashes with mascara. “Fucking Texas Gas Service. They cut off my heat . Do you believe that? In the dead of winter .”
    Fiona absolutely believed it. They probably hadn’t received payment in months.
    “Anyway, it’s just for a few days. Just until this freeze lets up.” Courtney pulled open a drawer and helped herself to a pair of earrings. “Hey, can I borrow these? I’m having brunch with David.”
    “Who’s David?”
    She removed her gold dangles and replaced them with Fiona’s pearl studs. “You met him the other night. Trial attorney from Dallas?”
    “He was an attorney?” Fiona conjured up an image of the leather jacket–wearing heartthrob from the Continental Club. The only lawyerly thing about him had been his gold Rolex, which Fiona had assumed was fake.
    “His conference ends this morning. We’re having brunch at the Randolph Hotel.”
    “The Randolph.” Not Courtney’s usual stomping grounds.
    She breezed past Fiona into the bedroom corner of the loft. “You have anything conservative I can borrow? A sweater set or something?”
    Fiona watched as her sister rifled through her closet. She shrugged out of the black satin blouse and selected a gray cashmere cardigan.
    Fiona eyed her rumpled sheets, cringing inwardly. “Did you bring him back here last night?”
    “ No. He had to meet a client for drinks after dinner.” Courtney buttoned up the sweater, leaving open two more buttons than Fiona would have. Any man with a pulse would notice the sliver of red lace visible between Courtney’s breasts. She snagged her black miniskirt off the floor and shimmied it over her hips. Then she strode past Fiona into the living area.
    “You seen my shoes?” She snatched up the throw and tossed it over a chair. After retrieving a pair of black heels from beneath the coffee table, she turned to face Fiona.
    “I know you’re pissed,” she said. “But it’s just for a few days. I promise.”
    Fiona resigned herself to at least a week of chaos and distractions. She had three canvases to complete before her art show. And the tranquil mind-set she needed for painting would be impossible to achieve with Courtney kicking around.
    “Three days,” she said firmly. “That’s it, Court.”
    Courtney gave her a dazzling smile and pulled her into a hug. “Thanks. You won’t even know I’m here, I swear.”
    Fiona looked over her sister’s shoulder and counted the beer bottles on the coffee table.
    “Who was here with you last night?”
    Courtney pulled back and whirled around, avoiding eye contact. “Have you seen my purse?” She traipsed across theroom, showing off the legs that attracted men like David at bars. “It was just here. I saw it—”
    “Courtney?”
    She stepped into the kitchen and looked at Fiona across the counter. “Aaron was here for a little while.”
    “Courtney!”
    She rolled her eyes. “What was I supposed to do? Kick him to the curb?”
    “Yes! That’s exactly what you should have done!”
    “Well, I tried to, okay? But he’s persistent. He says he misses you and he wants to