The Perfect Neighbor
Read The Perfect Neighbor Online
Authors: Nora Roberts
Nora Roberts
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Montana Sky
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The Reef
River’s End
Carolina Moon
The Villa
Midnight Bayou
Three Fates
Birthright
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Blue Smoke
Angels Fall
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Tribute
Black Hills
The Search
Chasing Fire
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Irish Born Trilogy
Born in Fire
Born in Ice
Born in Shame
Dream Trilogy
Daring to Dream
Holding the Dream
Finding the Dream
Chesapeake Bay Saga
Sea Swept
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Inner Harbor
Chesapeake Blue
Gallaghers of Ardmore Trilogy
Jewels of the Sun
Tears of the Moon
Heart of the Sea
Three Sisters Island Trilogy
Dance Upon the Air
Heaven and Earth
Face the Fire
Key Trilogy
Key of Light
Key of Knowledge
Key of Valor
In the Garden Trilogy
Blue Dahlia
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Valley of Silence
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Affaire Royale
Command Performance
The Playboy Prince
Cordina’s Crown Jewel
The MacGregors
Playing the Odds
Tempting Fate
All the Possibilities
One Man’s Art
The MacGregor Brides
The Winning Hand
The MacGregor Grooms
The Perfect Neighbor
Rebellion & In from the Cold
Night Tales
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Remember When
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Naked in Death
Glory in Death
Immortal in Death
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Ceremony in Death
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Holiday in Death
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Loyalty in Death
Witness in Death
Judgment in Death
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Seduction in Death
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New York to Dallas
Anthologies
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A Little Magic
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Moon Shadows
(with Jill Gregory, Ruth Ryan Langan, and Marianne Willman)
The Once Upon Series
(with Jill Gregory, Ruth Ryan Langan, and Marianne Willman)
Once Upon a Castle
Once Upon a Star
Once Upon a Dream
Once Upon a Rose
Once Upon a Kiss
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Silent Night
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Out of This World
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Dead of Night
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Three in Death
Suite 606
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In Death
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The Unquiet
(with Mary Blayney, Patricia Gaffney, Ruth Ryan Langan, and Mary Kay McComas)
Also available…
The Official Nora Roberts Companion
(edited by Denise Little and Laura Hayden)
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have control over and does not have any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR
An InterMix Book / published by arrangement with the author
PUBLISHING HISTORY
Harlequin Books edition / February 1999
InterMix eBook edition / April 2012
Copyright © 1999 by Nora Roberts.
Excerpt from
The Witness
copyright © 2012 by Nora Roberts.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
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a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
ISBN: 978-1-101-56938-2
INTERMIX
InterMix Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
INTERMIX and the “IM” design are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
For all my cyberpals
who’ve touched my heart with so many smiles
Chapter 1
“So … have you talked to him yet?”
“Hmm?” Cybil Campbell continued to work at her drawing board, diligently sectioning off the paper with the skill of long habit. “Who am I talking to?”
There was a long and gusty sigh—one that had Cybil fighting to keep her lips from twitching. She knew her first-floor neighbor Jody Myers well—and understood exactly what
him
she was referring to.
“The gorgeous Mr. Mysterious in 3B, Cyb. Come on, he moved in a week ago and hasn’t said a word to anyone. But you’re right across the hall. We need some details here.”
“I’ve been pretty busy.” Cybil flicked a glance up, watching Jody, with her expressive brown eyes and mop of dusky-blond hair, energetically pace around the studio. “Hardly noticed him.”
Jody’s first response was a snort. “Get real. You notice everything.”
Jody wandered to the drawing board, hung over Cybil’s shoulder, then wrinkled her nose. Nothing much interesting about a bunch of blue lines. She liked it better when Cybil started sketching in the sections.
“He doesn’t even have a name on the mailbox yet. And nobody ever sees him leave the building during the day. Not even Mrs. Wolinsky, and nobody gets by her.”
“Maybe he’s a vampire.”
“Wow.” Intrigued with the idea, Jody pursed her pretty lips. “Would that be cool or what?”
“Too cool,” Cybil agreed, and continued to prep her drawing, as Jody danced around the studio and chattered like a magpie.
It never bothered Cybil to have company while she worked. The fact was, she enjoyed it. She’d never been one for isolation and quiet. It was the reason she was happy living in New York, happy to be settled into a small building with a handful of unapologetically nosy neighbors.
Such things not only satisfied her on a personal level, they were grist for her professional mill.
And of all the occupants of the old, converted warehouse, Jody Myers was Cybil’s favorite. Three years earlier when Cybil had moved in, Jody had been an energetic newlywed who fervently believed that everyone should be as blissfully happy as she herself was.
Meaning, Cybil mused, married.
Now the mother of the seriously adorable eight-month-old Charlie, Jody was only more committed to her cause. And Cybil knew she herself was Jody’s primary objective.
“Haven’t you even run into him in the hall?” Jody wanted to know.
“Not yet.” Idly, Cybil picked up a pencil, tapped it against her full-to-pouty bottom lip. Her long-lidded eyes were the green of a clear sea at twilight, and might have been exotic or sultry if they weren’t almost always shimmering with humor.
“Actually, Mrs. Wolinsky’s losing her touch. I have seen him leave the building during the day—which rules out vampire status.”