by Winnie Reed
“And where would that be?”
“Burlington, Vermont. I’m sure you’ll find some record of me making complaints against him. But what could they do? I didn’t know where he lived. I didn’t know his real name, just his handle online. BookLover69.” She snorted. “Great name, huh?”
I thought one corner of Joe’s mouth might have pulled upward, but I could’ve been imagining things. “I’ll look into that. But no, I can’t imagine there would be much for the police to do.”
At least she could prove she’d tried to do something about the harassment. Still, that sort of made things look worse for her, at least from what I could see. She had already gone on record saying he was harassing her. And now, he was dead after accosting her in person.
“Please, Detective. I didn’t kill him. I didn’t kill anybody. I only came to town this weekend for the conference, my first signing. That’s all I wanted. I didn’t know he’d be here. And I can’t believe he’s ruining my life like this. It was bad enough when all he could do was call me or follow me around online.”
Joe took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Gosh, I knew that look all too well, his brows drawing together until they made a single line over eyes that looked darker than usual. “I have to tell you, Ms. Steel. It doesn’t look good for you. Ms. Harmon here will tell you I don’t make statements like that for no reason. There’s a history of stalking here. If I or someone on my team were to go online and do a little looking around, I can only imagine how much more we’ll find.”
“I wasn’t the only person he harassed, though,” she pointed out in the trembling voice that sounded like it was full of tears. “It wasn’t just me.”
“But you are the one he repeatedly called yesterday. You are the one he harassed in plain sight. And now, he’s dead. All signs point to you at this moment. Frankly, the only reason I’m not arresting you is because I have no proof that you did it; only a growing pile of evidence that suggests you’re the most likely suspect.”
He pushed back from the table. “I would suggest you don’t consider leaving the conference early. I will most likely want to speak to you again.”
Georgia was shaking too hard to get up. I shot Joe a look of apology before getting up and going to her.
“It’s okay. Everything is going to be okay.” I rubbed her shoulders, hoping she wouldn’t mind. We didn’t really know each other.
When she looked up at me, her eyes were wide and wild. “How do you know? How can you say that? Everything is falling apart around me, nothing is ever going to be okay again.”
How was I supposed to turn away from her stricken face? I would have to be a heartless monster.
I crouched in front of her, trying my best to smile. “Everything’s going to be fine. I’m sure of it. If you’re innocent of this, the person who did it is going to be found. The best you can do is cooperate with the police and tell them everything they need to know.”
She opened her mouth, wincing when she did. But she then just as quickly closed her mouth, her eyes lowered. “If?”
Bad choice of words. “You know what I meant. The guilty person will be found.” I helped her to her feet and got her to the door while trying to catch Joe’s eye the entire time.
But he wouldn’t look at me. I couldn’t exactly pretend I enjoyed that, either.
All I could do was take Georgia to the car waiting outside to take us back to the resort. She didn’t say a word the entire way.
Chapter Twelve
I examined the room for probably the dozenth time while on the phone with Raina, opening and closing drawers I’d already looked into. I felt so helpless, and so useless.
“So here I am, wishing there was a way to help this girl. I feel so sorry for her. If only you could’ve seen how upset she was at the police station.” The nightstand drawer held exactly the same things it held the last time. Phone charger, tablet, lotion, business cards just in case. I slid it shut.
“I don’t blame her. I’d be upset, too, if I was the only suspect the cops were looking at in a murder investigation. And we’ve both seen how Detective Sullivan can act when he’s convinced he has a suspect on the hook.”
“Oh, believe me. That was nothing. What I saw today makes the way he talked to me look like child’s play. He was downright hostile toward her. I’m pretty sure he thinks she’s the one who did it.” I sat on the bed with a sigh. “Raina, I think I might be wrong about this.”
“What? You think she did it, too?”
“There’s a certain point where a person has asked herself if the most obvious answer is the truth. And the most obvious answer here is that this dude, whose name I still don’t know by the way, harassed her one time too many. Maybe she agreed to meet him by the pool because it was closed, and they would have a little privacy. Maybe he got a little too carried away. Maybe she was only trying to defend herself. I don’t know. He was pretty threatening when I saw them together, so I wouldn’t put it past him.”
“Then why wouldn’t she just say that?” Raina asked.
“I don’t know that, either. Maybe she’s afraid nobody will believe her. I was this close to suggesting she get a lawyer. I might still text her and suggest it. Though it would probably only upset her.”
“Maybe she can’t afford one.”
“Oh, that would make this so much worse. This is just awful. I feel so sorry for her.”
“You already said that.”
“Well, because I mean it. It isn’t her fault this guy decided to make her his enemy or whatever. Even if she did it, I doubt it was malicious. Spur of the moment at worst. Self-defense. A reaction to something he was doing. I’d bet anything it wasn’t premeditated, no matter what happened.”
“Did Joe say anything about there being other numbers in the phone?”
“You mean, was he harassing anybody else? No, he didn’t say anything about that. Maybe if I give him some time to cool off and ask nicely, he’ll give me a clue.”
“Don’t press him too hard,” Raina warned. “From what you’ve already said, he’s in a bad position and you only made him mad. Not that I blame you. I would’ve done the same thing. She didn’t deserve to be alone. But still, I don’t want him taking anything out on you.”
“You’re not giving me a lot of confidence right now.”
“Well, you’re not giving me much confidence, honestly. I know you like to take chances.”
“You sound like my mom. And Nell. And Trixie. I don’t like it much.”
“Too bad, because you insist on aging us all way faster than we should age,” she scolded with laughter in her voice. “Seriously, though. Take it easy, step back, take care of yourself.”
I couldn’t help but ask. “You sound really concerned. Why? What aren’t you saying?”
There was worry in her sigh. “I’m worried. If Georgia didn’t kill this guy, that means the person who killed him is still out there somewhere. Maybe they’re not attending the conference. Maybe they never were. Maybe whoever they are left right away, as soon as they realized what they’d done. Honestly, that’s what I would do. I wouldn’t hang around.” Then, “Or maybe they’re still there, at the conference. Maybe they’re smart enough to know how suspicious it would look if they left. If I were them, I’d wanna keep my head down. I’d go about my business. And I’d be pretty upset if I saw you trying to help the girl who might take the fall for this in my place.”
“You make them sound like a criminal mastermind.” Even though I tried to keep it light, there was no suppressing the shiver that went up my spine at the thought of somebody being aware of me and wanting to shut me up.
“Who knows? People do wild things when they’re desperate. You can’t trust a person when they feel pressured. So please, I’m begging you to take it easy. Think about your safety. Okay?”
“Okay,” I breathed. I’d never heard her sound that way before.
“Otherwise… have fun?”
I burst out laughing. “Sure, yeah, no pr
oblem.” I felt worse than I had before when I got off the phone. There I was, thinking a conversation with my best friend would make things better.
My sigh was loud in the otherwise empty room. There I was, feeling sorry for myself when Georgia was the one with real problems.
The thought of her made me remember her book. Maybe if I at least started on it, that would give me an organic reason to reach out. She could use some encouragement, most likely.
It sat on the nightstand, along with Deidre’s book and a handful of others which I’d already snagged. I had my summer reading all planned out. Now, I had to find time to read all of it.
“Here’s hoping this is any good,” I muttered to myself, fishing Georgia’s book from the pile. It was one of those romance-with-nobility sort of books which I didn’t make a habit of reading but wouldn’t turn up my nose at, either. Writing an engaging blog post or article was challenging enough; I respected the work, no matter the genre.
Maybe it would help take my mind off things, too. I settled in, leaning back on the bed.
And was hooked after the first few pages. I chuckled when the feisty heroine faced off with the duke who’d almost run her down with his carriage, and swooned a little when he insisted on lifting her into the carriage to see her home, though she only had a twisted ankle.
Their dialogue was fast-paced and intelligent. Insightful. The picture Georgia painted of the lives of these two people—hers, poor and threadbare and coarse, his wealthy and luxurious and boring—drew me in. I wanted to know more about them. While their happy ending was as good as guaranteed, I wanted to know how they got there and how they managed to overcome everything standing in their way.
If it hadn’t been for my rumbling stomach, I might’ve kept reading until I reached the last page. Only when an audible gurgle sounded did I notice two hours had passed, and I was a third of the way through the book.
“Wow,” I breathed, letting the book fall against my chest. It was so good. So, so good.
And to think, this poor girl should’ve been celebrating.
I couldn’t find it in me to believe somebody capable of writing such breathtaking romance with ups and downs and twists and emotional revelation—the duke had an icy heart thanks to a betrayal in his youth which naturally the heroine managed to melt over the course of many chapters—could be capable of murder. Premeditated or not.
Staring up at the ceiling, I wondered whether Nell and Trixie would mind if I skipped our planned dinner in favor of ordering room service and reading until my eyes hurt. It had been a long time since I’d found a book that hooked me so completely.
My stomach rumbled again, like it heard my thoughts. Maybe it did. “Fine, fine,” I sighed, sitting up. My body had gone stiff from lying in the same position for so long. It could’ve snowed outside and I wouldn’t have known.
When my phone buzzed, I was sure it would be one of my aunties, wondering where I was. Only the fact that I refused to tell them my room number kept them away from the door.
I wouldn’t put anything past them.
It wasn’t Nell or Trixie. Even though I had the feeling he wouldn’t have many nice things to say, I couldn’t help the anxious little flutter in my chest when I saw Joe’s name on the screen. The sort of anxious flutter that usually meant I liked somebody.
Why did Deke’s face flash before my eyes when I answered?
“Yes, Detective?” I asked, soft and sweet. “What can I do for you?”
“For one thing, you can cut it with the sweet talk.” He chortled. “This is me you’re talking to. Not some poor sap.”
“Hmm, I’d disagree.” I went to the window, looking out over the parking lot. It was a rainy, miserable sort of day. “It’s so gross outside. I like rain, but not when it’s hot and steamy.”
“I wasn’t calling for the weather report,” he informed me. “But I agree.”
“What’s up?” I asked. “Get it over with. Yell at me if you want to.”
“I don’t want to.”
“So you won’t?”
“Oh, no, I probably will. But I don’t want to.”
“You sound like a parent. Next, you’ll tell me this hurts you way worse than it hurts me.”
“It doesn’t hurt me one bit. What hurts is when you insist on inserting yourself into situations that don’t concern you.”
“I felt sorry for her.”
“Good for you, but there’s no room for emotion here. I don’t get to decide who did or didn’t commit a crime based on my personal feelings. And no amount of trying to convince me she’s worthy of pity will change the fact that she had motive and opportunity to kill this guy.”
“Why would she kill him?” I challenged, glaring at the dark clouds which piled on top of each other as the storm moved in from the west. I could identify with them for sure.
“She probably felt like there was no other choice if she wanted the harassment to end.”
“Maybe he threatened her physically,” I suggested, crossing my fingers.
“Maybe he did, but I’m not falling into the trap you just set for me. I know the difference between premeditated murder and self-defense. Either way, she needs to be arrested. I can’t let her walk just because he threatened her.”
“But you could go a little easier on her, right?”
“No! Emma, you should know better than this. All joking about your college minor aside, you’re a detective’s daughter. You know I can’t go easy just because she might’ve done this out of self-preservation. The man had a gash on the back of his head that spanned his ears. If she pushed him, he hit his head hard enough to nearly split his skull. That’s anger, not self-defense. Even so, it doesn’t matter if she won’t talk to me. If she would explain that she felt trapped, cornered, like her life was in danger, I could work with that. A lawyer could work with that. Yet she refuses to speak, telling me there’s things she can’t say. There’s a protocol in situations like this. I can’t give her a break just because she seems like a nice girl.”
“A talented girl. Her book is amazing.”
“That’s nice. Maybe I’ll pick it up.”
I couldn’t hold back a giggle. “I don’t think it would be your cup of tea.”
“I don’t have time to read, anyway. Not for fun.”
“I doubt somebody with that sort of talent and sensitivity—”
“Once again, that has nothing to do with anything. Damn it, Emma. Stop trying to do my work for me.”
“Why did you even call, then?”
“I wanted to check on you. All right? Suitable answer? I wanted to make sure you weren’t, you know. Upset over this afternoon.”
His words were like a pin popping a balloon. Just like that, I settled down. My knees went weak. “Oh.”
“And now I know. You’re still hopelessly optimistic about what people are capable of. I’ve seen how bad things can get, on the other hand, and I know what people are capable of when they feel they have no choice. That’s why I can’t discount her, in spite of her tears and her talent.”
“I understand.”
He’d called to check on me. Not to bawl me out. Not to give me the angry parent attitude. He was concerned for me. That plus the memory of how nice it had felt to be held by him left me all mixed-up inside.
Neither of us said anything for a while. “I’m fine, by the way,” I murmured. “And I’d better get going. I’m meeting Nell and Trixie downstairs for dinner. The buffet’s supposed to be great.”
“Take it easy on the sweets,” he said with a chuckle. “It’s not worth it. Nothing they have there can be anywhere close to as good as what you’re used to baking. You’ll only be disappointed.”
“Thank you for the compliment.” Though it irked me that everybody assumed I’d dive face-first into a pan of bread pudding just because I had a thing for sugar. How was I supposed to fight it? I’d been raised with it.
“If you see Georgia, give her some space,” he suggested. “Unless she approach
es you, wanting to talk, leave her be.”
“Why?”
“Because if she really did this, she’ll be in a highly emotional state. You might only remind her of what she did.”
I didn’t bother asking why he thought that would be a problem.
He thought she might try to attack me. While I couldn’t imagine Georgia doing anything like that, I decided not to argue. Sometimes it was easier to agree and move on.
Especially when my aunties were waiting and would probably require all my patience.
Chapter Thirteen
“I just don’t know how they make any money around here.” Trixie returned to our table with a plate so overloaded, I was surprised she could move without dropping lo mein and eggrolls all over the floor.
“What do you mean?” Nell asked, clearing space for Trixie to sit.
“All this food for so cheap! And it’s such good quality. I wouldn’t expect it to be this tasty.”
“They make up their money in the casino,” I explained. “They can afford to let you gorge yourself sick so long as you keep dumping quarters into the slots.”
Nell fixed me with a stern look. “It isn’t like you to sound so jaded.”
“It’s the truth,” I shrugged before cutting into a slice of roast turkey. It was delicious, no doubt. Especially with lots of cranberry sauce.
“Maybe if you stopped spending so much time and energy concerned with dark things, you wouldn’t be in such a dark mood.” Trixie fumbled with her chopsticks while trying to dig into fried rice.
“Here.” Nell thrust a fork her way before rolling her eyes in my direction. “I never could understand how people eat with those things.”
“It’s a scooping action when you’re eating rice,” I explained, though neither of them seemed to notice as they bickered about eating utensils.
We sat at a table bigger than we needed, as it was the only table available when we arrived. There were three extra seats to my left which I noticed more than one group of people eyeing as they passed. Normally, they didn’t want to split up to eat with us.
