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Bill Crider [Sheriff Dan Rhod Winning Can Be Murder (epub) id
Connie Shelton [Charlie Parke Legends Can Be Murder (epub) id
Cleo Coyle [Coffeehouse Myste Murder Most Frothy (v4.0) (epub
C S Challinor [Rex Graves 03] Phi Beta Murder (epub)
C S Challinor [Rex Graves 02] Murder in the Raw (epub)
Anne Rutherford [Restoration The Scottish Play Murder (epub)
Anne George [Southern Sisters Murder gets A Life (epub)
Carolyn Arnold [McKinley Myst Money is Murder (epub)
Boris Akunin [Erast Fandorin Murder on the Leviathan (epub)
Bernadette Pajer [Professor B Capacity for Murder (epub)

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.“It was a man.He said I needn’t think I was in the clear because Robert was dead.I asked him what he meant by that, and he just laughed and said I’d find out soon enough.I told him I didn’t understand, and after he called Robert every awful name in the book, he said Robert ruined him, owed him more than anyone would ever believe.He said he was going to make sure he’d collect, and that having Robert’s baby wasn’t going to protect me.”“That’s a serious threat.You should call the cops and give them the details.”“All I have is what I’m telling you.You think the police would investigate on just a phone call?”“They might regard it as a crank call, but after what went down last night I know Detective McKenna—he was the one in charge last night, remember him? Good looking African American dude?”“Yes, I remember him.”“Well, I think he’d be inclined to treat the call seriously.”“The man also threatened my brother.”“In what way?”“Uh…” She seemed to hesitate, her voice unsteady.“He’s gay, and still in the closet at work.The man said he’d out him.”“So he threatens your life, and only wants to out your brother?”“You don’t understand, Nick.” There were sounds of more sobbing.“Shaun is very sensitive.He tried to commit suicide a few months ago after… Well, he was pretty broken up after his boyfriend left him.I’m afraid that if this man follows through with his threats, Shaun might just try again.”“You must love your brother an awful lot to be more concerned for him than for your own safety.So what is it exactly you want me to do?”“I’m going home to Santa Barbara until I’ve had the baby—get away from all this madness with the press and everything, but I worry about Shaun.”Nick felt a twinge of impatience.“How old is your brother, Shelley?”“Uh, he’s twenty-eight.”“Older than you.”“Yes.”“Well, don’t you think he’s old enough to look after himself, and not have you worry about him? You’ve got enough on your plate right now, without worrying about your older brother.”“I just thought maybe I could hire you to look after him, you know, be his bodyguard—”“Whoa.” Nick bit back a laugh.“Have you actually suggested this to your brother?”“Well, no not exactly, Nick.I haven’t talked to him yet, but I would feel so much better if I thought someone like you was there for him.Mom always says he needs someone strong in his life—like you.You were so wonderful last night, so in control of everything.Shaun needs that.”Nick couldn’t quite believe what he was hearing.Was she trying to set him up with her brother? After a brief connection last night and now this phone conversation she thinks I’m Sir Galahad?“Shelley, listen to me.Go home to your mother, and let your brother deal with things the way he wants to.He’s a grown man, and even if someone outed him, which incidentally shouldn’t be the end of the world for him, he’ll get over it.”“Oh, Nick—please say you’ll watch out for him.Detective McKenna gave me your phone number and I saw your advertisement with the rainbow logo, that’s why I called you.I thought you would be sympathetic.I’d be more at ease if I thought he had someone looking after him.”“Shelley, I’m a private detective, not a baby sitter, and your brother is not a baby, so—” The sound of sobbing once again assailed Nick’s ears and he groaned.Why am I always such an easy touch? “Oh, okay.Here’s what I’ll do.Give him my phone numbers, and if he feels he’s in any kind of danger, tell him to call me and I’ll check it out.That’s the best I can do.”Shelley sniffled for a moment or two then said, “Thank you, Nick.”“Now, get on the road and go home, okay?”“Okay.”“But before you go, call Detective McKenna and fill him in on the threat you’ve received.I know he won’t just brush it off.”“Will do.’Bye, Nick.”“’Bye.” Nick put the phone down and heaved a deep sigh of relief mixed with exasperation.Why in hell would that lady with all her own problems be more concerned about her older brother who to Nick’s mind already sounded like some wimpy-ass whiner.Not that I’m being judgmental or anything…“That sounded heavy,” Monica remarked, walking into Nick’s office with a mug of coffee.Nick quirked an eyebrow.“You always eavesdrop on client privileged conversations?”“Always.” She laid the coffee mug on his desk.“Thought you could use this.”“Thanks.She’s been threatened,” Nick told her, “and she’s more worried about her gay brother being outed.”“What’s that about?”“My thoughts exactly.Anyway, as you probably gathered, she’s going home to mama ’til all the hoopla dies down.”Monica smirked.“So you gonna hold big brother’s hand?”“Not if I can help it.He probably won’t call.” Nick rolled his eyes.“He can’t be that much of a wuss.”§ § § §Shelley sat for some time on the edge of her bed, the phone still clutched in her hand.God, but hasn’t life just gone to shit in the past few weeks? And now, this, last night—Robert shot dead.He looked so…so surprised, as if he couldn’t believe that someone would actually do this to him—and yet he’d joked about it now and then, hadn’t he?‘I bet there’s a bunch of people out there who’d like to pop me one, Shelley, including that bitch of a wife of mine.’And now what he had joked about had happened.She wondered if Cissy, his wife, or if any of the many people who’d sucked up to Robert would care now he was gone.No point in getting in touch with Dan—he’d still be dealing with the sense of betrayal he said she’d instilled in him.Perhaps he was right.Frank… Thank God for him.He’s rock solid, and he loves me.Loves me enough to take me away from all this.Not to tell anyone where we’re going.He’d take care of everything, he said.God, I was a fool to ever have let him go.I thought he was being overly possessive, and instead turns out it was because he loves me so much.He’d do anything for me, he said, anything at all.If only Robert hadn’t turned out to be such a swine, such a reckless user, not caring who he took down—not really caring what he did to me or the life we could’ve had together…She shuddered, thinking of what lay ahead.She had to let Shaun know what she was doing or he’d worry.Shaun… My sweet if overly sensitive brother.He’ll always be there for me no matter how many times I screw up.If only he’d man up to what he was, what he really wanted in life—the love of another man.And he’d had that with Colin…I just hope he’ll forgive me for what I told Mr.Fallon, but I had to.I have to make sure he’ll be okay after I’ve gone…The phone, still in her hand, shrilled, interrupting her thoughts.Glancing at the caller ID she said, “Hi, Shaun.”“Hi, Sis…” Her brother’s light tenor voice was subdued.“I’m really sorry to hear about what happened to Robert last night.”“No, you’re not, Shaun.You couldn’t stand Robert—we both know that.”“Well, I’m sorry that you were there to see it.It must have been awful.”“It was.I still can hardly believe it.I just wish I felt more, you know—sad.Maybe I’m just numb.I don’t know [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]