Read Online Deception with Murder (A Rilynne Evans Mystery, Book Two) by Jenn Vakey - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jenn Vakey
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shirt?” he asked.
“No, I talked to Ben about it last night but he said that he wouldn’t have results until sometime today,” she explained. “All he knew so far was that it was tree sap with some kind of trace in it. That’s what left it looking black.”
An impish grin appeared on his face as he leaned even further back in his chair and crossed his arms. “So, I heard you and Ben had a nice, romantic dinner last night.”
“What, are we in high school?” she asked exasperatedly. “How on earth did you hear about it?”
He appeared to be downright giddy. “Well, Sherri Wilcome and my Katy have been friends for years, and meet every Thursday for a girls night out,” he explained cheerfully. “After their dinner last night, the ladies went out and Sherri told Katy how wonderful she thought it was that the department had changed the fraternization rules which allowed, let’s see, how did she put it,” he paused trying to recall. “Ah, ‘that sweetheart Ben to find such a quality young woman’. And, according to Sherri, you make a very cute couple.”
Rilynne felt her cheeks growing warm again and couldn’t seem to come up with a response.
“I thought we were partners, Evans,” he said sarcastically. “Partners share stuff like this. I’m pretty sure it’s in the partner rule book.”
“Ben and I are friends,” she said. “Just friends.” She couldn’t get anything else out, so instead just dropped her head down hard onto her desk.
“Personally, I never agreed with the no-fraternization rule,” he said more seriously. “It can be hard to find someone outside of this line of work who understands how demanding it is. The hours alone are enough to ruin a lot of relationships. And if you were to date anyone within the department, I couldn’t think of anyone better than Ben Davis. Despite some…” he trailed off trying to choose his words carefully.
“Youthful indiscretions,” Rilynne offered, looking back up at him.
“So he told you about that.” He sounded relieved. “Yes, despite his youthful indiscretions, he has grown into a very well rounded individual. And surprisingly modest given his circumstances.”
Rilynne looked at him quizzically, but when she opened her mouth to ask what he meant, he abruptly stood up. “But enough about that,” he said. He turned and hurried to the conference room, leaving Rilynne sitting at her desk, utterly befuddled.
“You look downright confused.” Ben walked in the door behind her and sat on the edge of her desk.
“I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t,” she said, peering up at him curiously.
“What did I do?” He looked almost scared as he stared down at her.
“I have no idea,” she said, only more curious then before. “What can I help you with?” she asked, changing the subject.
He gave her one last suspicious look before handing her a report. “The sap is from an American Smoketree,” he explained. “I’m still waiting for the results from the trace that was in it, but since the tree isn’t one of the most common in the area, I thought I would come tell you now instead of waiting. I can also tell you that the trace isn’t something that would be found in nature, so you’re looking for a tree within the city limits. With the amount of sap found, I would expect to see damage on the trunk.”
“Well that should make it easier to tie him to a scene when we find one,” she said, reading over the report. “This is great, thanks.”
“What happened to you?” he asked, sounding a little alarmed.
She reached up and pulled her hair back down over her jaw, only to find that his eyes were not focused on her face, but on her shoulder.
“Oh great,” she said, looking down to see a streak of red peeking through her pale blue shirt. She pulled the collar of her shirt aside to find her bandage had come un-taped. She quickly unbuttoning her shirt, slightly shocked that Ben didn’t even attempt to look away as she did
“No, I talked to Ben about it last night but he said that he wouldn’t have results until sometime today,” she explained. “All he knew so far was that it was tree sap with some kind of trace in it. That’s what left it looking black.”
An impish grin appeared on his face as he leaned even further back in his chair and crossed his arms. “So, I heard you and Ben had a nice, romantic dinner last night.”
“What, are we in high school?” she asked exasperatedly. “How on earth did you hear about it?”
He appeared to be downright giddy. “Well, Sherri Wilcome and my Katy have been friends for years, and meet every Thursday for a girls night out,” he explained cheerfully. “After their dinner last night, the ladies went out and Sherri told Katy how wonderful she thought it was that the department had changed the fraternization rules which allowed, let’s see, how did she put it,” he paused trying to recall. “Ah, ‘that sweetheart Ben to find such a quality young woman’. And, according to Sherri, you make a very cute couple.”
Rilynne felt her cheeks growing warm again and couldn’t seem to come up with a response.
“I thought we were partners, Evans,” he said sarcastically. “Partners share stuff like this. I’m pretty sure it’s in the partner rule book.”
“Ben and I are friends,” she said. “Just friends.” She couldn’t get anything else out, so instead just dropped her head down hard onto her desk.
“Personally, I never agreed with the no-fraternization rule,” he said more seriously. “It can be hard to find someone outside of this line of work who understands how demanding it is. The hours alone are enough to ruin a lot of relationships. And if you were to date anyone within the department, I couldn’t think of anyone better than Ben Davis. Despite some…” he trailed off trying to choose his words carefully.
“Youthful indiscretions,” Rilynne offered, looking back up at him.
“So he told you about that.” He sounded relieved. “Yes, despite his youthful indiscretions, he has grown into a very well rounded individual. And surprisingly modest given his circumstances.”
Rilynne looked at him quizzically, but when she opened her mouth to ask what he meant, he abruptly stood up. “But enough about that,” he said. He turned and hurried to the conference room, leaving Rilynne sitting at her desk, utterly befuddled.
“You look downright confused.” Ben walked in the door behind her and sat on the edge of her desk.
“I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t,” she said, peering up at him curiously.
“What did I do?” He looked almost scared as he stared down at her.
“I have no idea,” she said, only more curious then before. “What can I help you with?” she asked, changing the subject.
He gave her one last suspicious look before handing her a report. “The sap is from an American Smoketree,” he explained. “I’m still waiting for the results from the trace that was in it, but since the tree isn’t one of the most common in the area, I thought I would come tell you now instead of waiting. I can also tell you that the trace isn’t something that would be found in nature, so you’re looking for a tree within the city limits. With the amount of sap found, I would expect to see damage on the trunk.”
“Well that should make it easier to tie him to a scene when we find one,” she said, reading over the report. “This is great, thanks.”
“What happened to you?” he asked, sounding a little alarmed.
She reached up and pulled her hair back down over her jaw, only to find that his eyes were not focused on her face, but on her shoulder.
“Oh great,” she said, looking down to see a streak of red peeking through her pale blue shirt. She pulled the collar of her shirt aside to find her bandage had come un-taped. She quickly unbuttoning her shirt, slightly shocked that Ben didn’t even attempt to look away as she did
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