Read Online Dark Passing (The Ella Reynolds Series) by Liz Schulte - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Liz Schulte
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be home.”
“Um, I don’t know exactly when I’ll be back. I have a meeting tonight, and I should really head back to the police station. I’ll probably grab something while I’m out.”
“Oh…” The disappointment was heavy in her voice.
I hesitated. Was I being ungrateful? “But tomorrow night I should be home. Would that work?”
A wide smile spread over her face. “Of course. I should’ve asked. You’re very busy. Are you making any progress?”
“Too soon to tell. I’ll see you later.” I waved over my shoulder as I headed down the porch steps. It took about twenty minutes to find William Laurie’s office. He greeted me with a smile and a firm handshake.
“If it isn’t our author in residence. Ella, how are you enjoying our fair city? I hear you’re doing a signing at the bookstore.”
I smiled. “Mr. Laurie, it’s great to see you."
“Please, call me William.” Once we were settled in his office, he held out a bowl of candy. “Tootsie Roll?”
“Um, no. Thanks.”
“So to what do I owe this pleasure?” He folded his hands in front of him.
“I was talking to some people today, and they mentioned that Alfie Laurie was a friend of Mary Nelson. It dawned on me that your son’s name is Alfie. Then it all clicked together. I wanted to see if I could talk to him about Mary.”
“Ah… well… I don’t—”
“I just want to get some quotes from all her friends and family for the book.” William looked like he was considering it. “It puts a human element to the story. You understand, right?”
“I don’t see how talking to him could hurt. I’ll have Alfie call you tomorrow.”
“I’m really hoping to speak with him in person.”
“You can arrange that with him. I’m not sure about his class schedule.”
“Thanks.”
“Ella, I don’t know if you know this, but Alfie’s had some, well, problems. He’s straightening out his life. I’d hate for this to set him back.”
“I’m not trying to hurt Alfie, I promise. I just want to know about Mary.”
William nodded and shook my hand once more as I left. On the bitterly cold walk to the police station, I couldn’t help but wonder what sort of trouble Alfie Laurie had been in and if it was bad enough to get one of his friends killed. I knew one person who could tell me, but what would Sheriff Fagan make me do to find out?
****
Fagan’s eyes were glued to me as I walked through the office back to my hole in the wall. Before I could even pull a box back up on the table, he was leaning against the doorframe.
“You ran out of here pretty quick.”
“Yep.”
“You know the terms of our agreement.”
I looked up, not following. Our agreement didn’t say I had to tell him everywhere I was going. “What?”
“You’re supposed to give me daily reports, in person. I’m ready and waiting.” He tapped a foot while I stared.
There was no way in hell I was going to share anything with him. All he’d done was fight me every step of the way. Why would I give him my evidence? For all I knew, he was the killer.
“Were you thinking we should do the report over dinner?” He raised an eyebrow and lowered his voice suggestively. “That can be arranged, Ella.”
I glared, but held on to the thin string of my temper. “I’d rather starve,” I said under my breath, then muttered at a more audible level, “I have plans and nothing to report.”
He stepped into the room and pressed his hands to the table, looming over me. “That isn’t what we agreed on.”
I made a loud, exasperated noise and crossed my arms. “I met Mary’s boyfriend today. He claims to not know anything. Everything he says agrees with the police report.”
“And that’s all?”
I nodded and imagined his head exploding as he talked down to me.
He straightened slowly, with a hint of a smug smile. I met his gaze with the bored, blank expression I perfected after Danny died. It would be a cold day in hell before I let this weaselly,
“Um, I don’t know exactly when I’ll be back. I have a meeting tonight, and I should really head back to the police station. I’ll probably grab something while I’m out.”
“Oh…” The disappointment was heavy in her voice.
I hesitated. Was I being ungrateful? “But tomorrow night I should be home. Would that work?”
A wide smile spread over her face. “Of course. I should’ve asked. You’re very busy. Are you making any progress?”
“Too soon to tell. I’ll see you later.” I waved over my shoulder as I headed down the porch steps. It took about twenty minutes to find William Laurie’s office. He greeted me with a smile and a firm handshake.
“If it isn’t our author in residence. Ella, how are you enjoying our fair city? I hear you’re doing a signing at the bookstore.”
I smiled. “Mr. Laurie, it’s great to see you."
“Please, call me William.” Once we were settled in his office, he held out a bowl of candy. “Tootsie Roll?”
“Um, no. Thanks.”
“So to what do I owe this pleasure?” He folded his hands in front of him.
“I was talking to some people today, and they mentioned that Alfie Laurie was a friend of Mary Nelson. It dawned on me that your son’s name is Alfie. Then it all clicked together. I wanted to see if I could talk to him about Mary.”
“Ah… well… I don’t—”
“I just want to get some quotes from all her friends and family for the book.” William looked like he was considering it. “It puts a human element to the story. You understand, right?”
“I don’t see how talking to him could hurt. I’ll have Alfie call you tomorrow.”
“I’m really hoping to speak with him in person.”
“You can arrange that with him. I’m not sure about his class schedule.”
“Thanks.”
“Ella, I don’t know if you know this, but Alfie’s had some, well, problems. He’s straightening out his life. I’d hate for this to set him back.”
“I’m not trying to hurt Alfie, I promise. I just want to know about Mary.”
William nodded and shook my hand once more as I left. On the bitterly cold walk to the police station, I couldn’t help but wonder what sort of trouble Alfie Laurie had been in and if it was bad enough to get one of his friends killed. I knew one person who could tell me, but what would Sheriff Fagan make me do to find out?
****
Fagan’s eyes were glued to me as I walked through the office back to my hole in the wall. Before I could even pull a box back up on the table, he was leaning against the doorframe.
“You ran out of here pretty quick.”
“Yep.”
“You know the terms of our agreement.”
I looked up, not following. Our agreement didn’t say I had to tell him everywhere I was going. “What?”
“You’re supposed to give me daily reports, in person. I’m ready and waiting.” He tapped a foot while I stared.
There was no way in hell I was going to share anything with him. All he’d done was fight me every step of the way. Why would I give him my evidence? For all I knew, he was the killer.
“Were you thinking we should do the report over dinner?” He raised an eyebrow and lowered his voice suggestively. “That can be arranged, Ella.”
I glared, but held on to the thin string of my temper. “I’d rather starve,” I said under my breath, then muttered at a more audible level, “I have plans and nothing to report.”
He stepped into the room and pressed his hands to the table, looming over me. “That isn’t what we agreed on.”
I made a loud, exasperated noise and crossed my arms. “I met Mary’s boyfriend today. He claims to not know anything. Everything he says agrees with the police report.”
“And that’s all?”
I nodded and imagined his head exploding as he talked down to me.
He straightened slowly, with a hint of a smug smile. I met his gaze with the bored, blank expression I perfected after Danny died. It would be a cold day in hell before I let this weaselly,
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