Read Online Devil in the Deadline by Lyndee Walker - Free Book Online Page B

how was Agent Sexy last night?” Jenna. Her voice was playful, her flip flops slapping her feet with every step.
    Her timing sucked.
    â€œEven better than you expected? I’ve waited for you to dish the details all day and—” The words died on her lips when she rounded the corner, her eyes popping so wide I could see white all around the brown. “Oops.”
    I turned my head slowly back to Joey. Hurt plain in his dark eyes for a split second, he set his face to “stoic stare” as I clapped one hand over my mouth, shaking my head at them both. “No.”
    â€œOr maybe I was right.” Joey dropped my hand, standing and offering Jenna a polite nod before he grabbed his jacket, shot me an unreadable glance, and walked out.

6.
    Â Â 
    Four-one-one

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    â€œI’mso sorry, doll.” Jenna flopped onto the chaise next to me as the front door slammed.
    I peeked at her through splayed fingers, my head cradled in my hands.
    â€œI don’t know what the hell I’m doing, Jen. Except trying to help Aaron figure out this murder. It’s kinda sad, dead people being the only thing in my life that make any sort of sense at the moment, huh?”
    She leaned one shoulder against me and giggled. “I’m not sure I’d put it that way. Mostly because it is kinda sad. And I don’t believe there’s a soul who would feel sorry for you if they got a look at that dude. Was that him?”
    I nodded.
    â€œDamn, girl. Talk about a rock and a hard place.”
    â€œI’ll pass up the suggestive pun opportunity and just agree with the sentiment.” I leaned back and closed my eyes, the dog scratching at the front door making me sigh. “Me too, Darce.”
    â€œWhat happened? I thought you said he was incommunicado.”
    â€œHe has been. Then he was here when I got home. Claimed he was worried when he saw my story this morning.”
    â€œMe, too. But I’ll get there in a second,” Jenna said. “Y’all looked pretty cozy when I came in.”
    â€œWe were getting that way.”
    â€œAnd what about the other one?”
    â€œI didn’t sleep with Kyle last night. No matter how hard I try, I’m just not getting a spark with him. Of anything other than friendship, anyway. Pretty sure I hurt his feelings, but he was sweet about it. And now Joey’s feelings are hurt, too. I give up. Is there a convent around here?”
    Jenna laid one hand on my knee. “Could I have worse timing? I didn’t know you had company.”
    â€œHow could you? I haven’t heard from him in weeks. I’m kind of pissed at him, with his sexy jawline and magical smell having taken their leave so I can think straight. He just decided he wasn’t good for me and bailed without even saying goodbye, or giving me a chance to have an opinion? What kind of ass-backward, Donna Reed crap is that?”
    â€œMaybe he figured you’d talk him out of it?”
    â€œIf he really didn’t want to be here, I couldn’t, could I?”
    â€œDoll, from what I saw just now, the question is not whether he wants to be here. It’s whether he feels like he ought to be. And like it or not, those are very different things.”
    I nodded, leaning my head on her shoulder and focusing on the long, flat box in the center of the coffee table. Inside were five-thousand laser cut pieces of a Manet that would be easier to put together than my personal life.
    Joey. Kyle.
    Kyle. Joey.
    I’d almost swear they were in cahoots, trying to drive me bonkers.
    â€œI have more important things to worry about.” I sat up, retrieving my notes from the floor. “You want to talk about a murder?”
    â€œI’m not going to be any help. I gathered it wasn’t the typical dead coed. But I got the feeling you were being vague. Though not as vague as Charlie Lewis.”
    â€œI was vague on purpose. She was vague because it’s