Read Online 1 Sunshine Hunter by Maddie Cochere - Free Book Online
Authors: Maddie Cochere
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clapped my hand over my mouth so I wouldn’t call out, and I nearly fell I was backing up so fast. It was Skinny Guy! He must be after Darby!
My heart was pounding. I stood still in the middle of room, not daring to breathe. I didn’t see the handle of the door move, but I heard it as it was turned back and forth. It didn’t open; he obviously didn’t have a key. I waited, still afraid to move. I stood there for what felt like an eternity, but was surely only a few minutes. There was no more rapping, no more turning of the handle.
I looked out the peephole again. He was gone. I ran over to my room and looked out the peephole there as well. No Skinny Guy. But what I had seen surprised me. Because of his hair and build, I surmised he was going to have a face like Weird Al Yankovic. Instead, he had a handsome, rugged face like a young Marlon Brando. And worse, he looked familiar.
Had I ever seen him before? Had we ever met? Maybe I had actually seen him since we arrived in Florida, and I simply didn’t realize it. Even though he had a nice face, I was sure there was something sinister about him. Edgar Allan Poe sinister.
I looked around the room as though to assure myself no one was there and I was safe. I saw my phone was fully charged now. I flipped it open. There were two messages from Samantha, but none from Mick. I was surprised at how disappointed I was he hadn’t called again. I punched Samantha’s speed dial number, and she answered on the first ring.
“Susan! You’re not going to believe what’s going on here!” she said without waiting for me to say hello. Her voice sounded excited, but it was a distressed excited. This wasn’t like her. She was usually so calm and was always the person to take charge when things went wrong.
“What’s going on? I have things to tell you, too,” I told her. I wanted to fill her in on Skinny Guy.
“Me first,” she said. “The police have been all over the club. Jerry’s uncle asked the coroner to do an autopsy, and you’ll never guess what they found.”
“Steroids!” I burst out. “I knew it!”
“Well, yes, they did find steroids. But that’s not what killed Jerry. He was poisoned!” she said dramatically.
“What! You’re kidding. How was he poisoned? Who would poison Jerry?” I knew he didn’t seem to have any friends, but why would anyone want to kill Jerry?
“The detective that’s been at the club won’t give out any details. I only know this because Larry keeps hounding his cousin, Dick, for information.”
“Sam, did you and Larry discuss the Thursday night man? ” I asked. “Did you ask Larry to tell Dick about him? I really think he might have something to do with this, or at least he might know something.”
“We did talk about it,” she said. “Everyone who spends time at the club has seen the man, but no one knows who he is because Jerry never talked to anybody about his personal life. Larry said the police know about him, but they haven’t located him yet.”
“Ok,” I said. “You said they found steroids in his system, too?”
“Yes, but they’ve already searc hed his apartment and found his steroid prescription was legally prescribed. I’ll let you know if Larry finds out exactly what type of poison killed him, but that’s all I know for now.” She paused. “Tell me your news.”
“Well, for starters, Darby is gay!” I exclaimed with an incredulous edge to my voice.
“Knew it.” she said calmly.
“You did not!” I practically squealed at her. “How could you tell?”
“I don’t know, it’s a gift,” she said laughing. “I’ve seen him at your place enough times, and it was just subtle things he did or said. I’ve thought all along he was gay.”
“Sam, I have no gaydar at all ,” I whined. “I’ve had other gay friends, but unless someone is over-the-top with their speech or mannerisms, I never have a clue.”
“Don’t worry about it ,” she said still laughing. “It doesn’t matter
My heart was pounding. I stood still in the middle of room, not daring to breathe. I didn’t see the handle of the door move, but I heard it as it was turned back and forth. It didn’t open; he obviously didn’t have a key. I waited, still afraid to move. I stood there for what felt like an eternity, but was surely only a few minutes. There was no more rapping, no more turning of the handle.
I looked out the peephole again. He was gone. I ran over to my room and looked out the peephole there as well. No Skinny Guy. But what I had seen surprised me. Because of his hair and build, I surmised he was going to have a face like Weird Al Yankovic. Instead, he had a handsome, rugged face like a young Marlon Brando. And worse, he looked familiar.
Had I ever seen him before? Had we ever met? Maybe I had actually seen him since we arrived in Florida, and I simply didn’t realize it. Even though he had a nice face, I was sure there was something sinister about him. Edgar Allan Poe sinister.
I looked around the room as though to assure myself no one was there and I was safe. I saw my phone was fully charged now. I flipped it open. There were two messages from Samantha, but none from Mick. I was surprised at how disappointed I was he hadn’t called again. I punched Samantha’s speed dial number, and she answered on the first ring.
“Susan! You’re not going to believe what’s going on here!” she said without waiting for me to say hello. Her voice sounded excited, but it was a distressed excited. This wasn’t like her. She was usually so calm and was always the person to take charge when things went wrong.
“What’s going on? I have things to tell you, too,” I told her. I wanted to fill her in on Skinny Guy.
“Me first,” she said. “The police have been all over the club. Jerry’s uncle asked the coroner to do an autopsy, and you’ll never guess what they found.”
“Steroids!” I burst out. “I knew it!”
“Well, yes, they did find steroids. But that’s not what killed Jerry. He was poisoned!” she said dramatically.
“What! You’re kidding. How was he poisoned? Who would poison Jerry?” I knew he didn’t seem to have any friends, but why would anyone want to kill Jerry?
“The detective that’s been at the club won’t give out any details. I only know this because Larry keeps hounding his cousin, Dick, for information.”
“Sam, did you and Larry discuss the Thursday night man? ” I asked. “Did you ask Larry to tell Dick about him? I really think he might have something to do with this, or at least he might know something.”
“We did talk about it,” she said. “Everyone who spends time at the club has seen the man, but no one knows who he is because Jerry never talked to anybody about his personal life. Larry said the police know about him, but they haven’t located him yet.”
“Ok,” I said. “You said they found steroids in his system, too?”
“Yes, but they’ve already searc hed his apartment and found his steroid prescription was legally prescribed. I’ll let you know if Larry finds out exactly what type of poison killed him, but that’s all I know for now.” She paused. “Tell me your news.”
“Well, for starters, Darby is gay!” I exclaimed with an incredulous edge to my voice.
“Knew it.” she said calmly.
“You did not!” I practically squealed at her. “How could you tell?”
“I don’t know, it’s a gift,” she said laughing. “I’ve seen him at your place enough times, and it was just subtle things he did or said. I’ve thought all along he was gay.”
“Sam, I have no gaydar at all ,” I whined. “I’ve had other gay friends, but unless someone is over-the-top with their speech or mannerisms, I never have a clue.”
“Don’t worry about it ,” she said still laughing. “It doesn’t matter
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