Read Online 1 Hairspray and Homicide by Cindy Bell - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Cindy Bell
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did it? If it wasn't for me she would still be alive!” he groaned and struggled not to let the tears fall from his eyes.
“Because you killed her?” Bekki prompted him. “Because she wouldn't leave her husband?”
“No! No! No!” Pete slammed his hands down on either side of the counter, his body still blocking hers. "It wasn't me!" Pete hissed as the sirens drew closer. He had Bekki pinned between the counter and the front door and he did not show any sign of moving away from her. "You have to believe me," his eyes widened. "I have an alibi, I can prove it."
"Well, then you can tell Nick all about it," Bekki said breathlessly. She wanted to subdue him, but she knew that she had already gotten herself into enough trouble with Nick. She didn't want to feel handcuffs around her wrists again.
"Nick won't listen to me Bekki," Pete's eyes were filling with panic as the police sirens pulled up in front of his store. "Listen, I had no choice. You have to believe me. It was you or it was me, he didn't give me any choice!"
Bekki stared hard at Pete, unable to fathom a single word of what he was saying. Before she could ask him to clarify, the door to the shop burst open and Nick, along with two uniformed officers and Nick's partner, Detective Williams rushed in with their weapons drawn. The moment Nick saw Bekki, she noted a flash of emotion across his expression, but to her surprise it was not the anger she expected.
"Back away from her now," Nick commanded as the other two officers continued to train their weapons on Pete. Pete raised his hands into the air and backed away slowly.
"Please Bekki, you have to believe me," he whispered as one of the officers pulled his hands firmly behind his back and cuffed him.
"Are you okay?" Nick asked as he holstered his gun and moved quickly to her side. "Did he hurt you?"
"No," Bekki replied, still trying to figure out Pete's words. "He says he's innocent," she murmured as she watched Pete led out of the shop.
"Of course he does," Nick sighed and ran his fingers across his forehead. "You know Bekki..."
"I know, I should have stayed out of it," she said, hoping to speed up the lecture.
"Yes, of course you should have," Nick all but growled. "He could be a killer Bekki, and you were here alone with him. When I got the call, you can't even imagine the things that went through my mind."
Bekki looked up into his passionate eyes with surprise. She realized the expression she had witnessed was relief. He had been worried about finding her the same way that Daisy had ended up.
"I'm sorry," she uttered gently and reached out to lightly touch his forearm. "I didn't mean to scare you."
"Didn't you?" he asked with a light chuckle. "Why else would you be running directly into danger?" he shook his head as he turned away from her. "Well, at least not much has changed. It's always me chasing you."
"Excuse me?" Bekki laughed. "I don't recall any chasing."
"Well, then you weren't paying attention," he replied casually and opened the door to the shop. Bekki stared at his back as he stepped out and onto the sidewalk. She had to gather herself for a moment before she followed after him.
"I was paying attention," she said sternly and tried to get him to turn to look at her. "What do you mean by that?"
Detective Williams shot a look of displeasure in their direction, which Nick received loud and clear.
"Now's not the time," Nick smiled tensely. "As you said before, it's all in the past."
Bekki nodded slowly. His words were the reminder she needed to keep herself on track. It was true. It was all in the past.
"You know what bugs me?" Bekki asked in a soft voice.
"What?" Nick asked without turning back.
"If Pete is the killer, then why did he plant the voicemail? I mean, why me?" she frowned.
"What do you mean?" Nick asked as he turned back to look at her.
"Well, Pete doesn't know anything about me. I'd assume he didn't know I'd returned to town, it would be a stretch to think that he
“Because you killed her?” Bekki prompted him. “Because she wouldn't leave her husband?”
“No! No! No!” Pete slammed his hands down on either side of the counter, his body still blocking hers. "It wasn't me!" Pete hissed as the sirens drew closer. He had Bekki pinned between the counter and the front door and he did not show any sign of moving away from her. "You have to believe me," his eyes widened. "I have an alibi, I can prove it."
"Well, then you can tell Nick all about it," Bekki said breathlessly. She wanted to subdue him, but she knew that she had already gotten herself into enough trouble with Nick. She didn't want to feel handcuffs around her wrists again.
"Nick won't listen to me Bekki," Pete's eyes were filling with panic as the police sirens pulled up in front of his store. "Listen, I had no choice. You have to believe me. It was you or it was me, he didn't give me any choice!"
Bekki stared hard at Pete, unable to fathom a single word of what he was saying. Before she could ask him to clarify, the door to the shop burst open and Nick, along with two uniformed officers and Nick's partner, Detective Williams rushed in with their weapons drawn. The moment Nick saw Bekki, she noted a flash of emotion across his expression, but to her surprise it was not the anger she expected.
"Back away from her now," Nick commanded as the other two officers continued to train their weapons on Pete. Pete raised his hands into the air and backed away slowly.
"Please Bekki, you have to believe me," he whispered as one of the officers pulled his hands firmly behind his back and cuffed him.
"Are you okay?" Nick asked as he holstered his gun and moved quickly to her side. "Did he hurt you?"
"No," Bekki replied, still trying to figure out Pete's words. "He says he's innocent," she murmured as she watched Pete led out of the shop.
"Of course he does," Nick sighed and ran his fingers across his forehead. "You know Bekki..."
"I know, I should have stayed out of it," she said, hoping to speed up the lecture.
"Yes, of course you should have," Nick all but growled. "He could be a killer Bekki, and you were here alone with him. When I got the call, you can't even imagine the things that went through my mind."
Bekki looked up into his passionate eyes with surprise. She realized the expression she had witnessed was relief. He had been worried about finding her the same way that Daisy had ended up.
"I'm sorry," she uttered gently and reached out to lightly touch his forearm. "I didn't mean to scare you."
"Didn't you?" he asked with a light chuckle. "Why else would you be running directly into danger?" he shook his head as he turned away from her. "Well, at least not much has changed. It's always me chasing you."
"Excuse me?" Bekki laughed. "I don't recall any chasing."
"Well, then you weren't paying attention," he replied casually and opened the door to the shop. Bekki stared at his back as he stepped out and onto the sidewalk. She had to gather herself for a moment before she followed after him.
"I was paying attention," she said sternly and tried to get him to turn to look at her. "What do you mean by that?"
Detective Williams shot a look of displeasure in their direction, which Nick received loud and clear.
"Now's not the time," Nick smiled tensely. "As you said before, it's all in the past."
Bekki nodded slowly. His words were the reminder she needed to keep herself on track. It was true. It was all in the past.
"You know what bugs me?" Bekki asked in a soft voice.
"What?" Nick asked without turning back.
"If Pete is the killer, then why did he plant the voicemail? I mean, why me?" she frowned.
"What do you mean?" Nick asked as he turned back to look at her.
"Well, Pete doesn't know anything about me. I'd assume he didn't know I'd returned to town, it would be a stretch to think that he
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