Read Online Dying to Kill (Angel Delaney Mysteries Book #2) by Patricia H. Rushford - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Patricia H. Rushford
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Mutt’s collar and slipped outside.
She was not in the mood to run or play, and told the dog so. Mutt seemed to understand, doing his business then heading back to the house. Of course, his lack of ambition may have been due to the relentless mist. After feeding him, Angel collected her jacket and left Mutt to fend for himself. “I’ll be back later. Try to stay out of trouble.”
Mutt barked and ran to the window to watch her go. Nose against the pane, he whined, his big liquid eyes pleading with her not to leave him. “I’m sorry, Mutt, but I can’t hang around here all morning.” She felt guilty leaving him, but what could she do?
Back in her apartment, Angel took a long, hot shower. As she stepped out of the bathroom her phone rang. She ignored it untilthe answering machine beeped and she heard her mother’s frantic voice. “Angel, are you there? You are not going to believe what happened. Nick came by this morning and took Candace into custody. He read her her rights and cuffed her right in front of the children.”
“I want my mommy!” Dorothy wailed in the background.
“Angel.” The distress rose in Anna’s voice. “You have to do something.”
Angel picked up the phone. “I’m here, Ma. Calm down.” Angel figured Candace would be taken in, but not this soon or quite so dramatically. “He probably just wants to question her.”
“Angel Delaney. Your father was a police officer for thirty years. Don’t you think I know the difference? She’s been arrested like a common criminal.”
ELEVEN
T he children are upset,” Anna said, “and I don’t blame them. Gracie insists she has to go to school. Brian and Dorothy are . . . well, Brian is just sitting there trying to take it all in. And poor little Dorothy. That’s her you hear crying.”
While her mother lamented, Angel padded to the walk-in closet. She grabbed clean jeans, a white turtleneck, and a burgundy sweater from the shelf.
“Calm down, Ma. It’s going to be okay.” Angel felt odd comforting her mother. Anna was usually calm and collected. Angel wished she’d taken Candace and the children to the shelter instead of her parents’ home. “Take a deep breath. We’ll handle this together, okay? I’ll come over and take the kids to school. We’ll have to find a place for them to stay.”
“They can stay here. I told Candace I’d take care of them until she got out.”
“Ma, you can’t. You sound totally frazzled. And what about Dad?”
“I can manage. I don’t want them in foster care. They’d probably be split up. They’re darling children and . . . I want to do this, Angel. I need to.”
“A day or two, maybe, but Candace could be in jail for a while.”
“That woman is innocent. I can feel it in my bones. You’ve got to get her out of there.”
“I’ll do what I can. Which isn’t much, I’m afraid.”
“We can at least get her a lawyer.”
“Good thinking,” Angel agreed. “Maybe Rachael will represent her.”
“That’s exactly who I had in mind.”
Angel struggled into her jeans, not an easy task with one shoulder supporting the phone against her ear. “Okay, I’ll take Gracie to school, then go down to the station to see what I can find out.”
Anna released a heavy sigh. “Thank you.”
“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”
Angel finished getting ready while she mulled over the conversation. Taking the children on wasn’t a very good idea, but she wouldn’t argue the point. At least not today. When Anna Delaney made up her mind, nothing could change it. But maybe after a day or two, Anna would reconsider. Even the best-behaved children could be a handful. She was sixty-two and already had more than she could handle with her invalid husband.
Angel pulled on socks and shoved her feet into her loafers, then ran a brush through her hair, trying to rearrange the curls into some sort of order. Her hair would have to air-dry this morning.
The minute Angel stepped
She was not in the mood to run or play, and told the dog so. Mutt seemed to understand, doing his business then heading back to the house. Of course, his lack of ambition may have been due to the relentless mist. After feeding him, Angel collected her jacket and left Mutt to fend for himself. “I’ll be back later. Try to stay out of trouble.”
Mutt barked and ran to the window to watch her go. Nose against the pane, he whined, his big liquid eyes pleading with her not to leave him. “I’m sorry, Mutt, but I can’t hang around here all morning.” She felt guilty leaving him, but what could she do?
Back in her apartment, Angel took a long, hot shower. As she stepped out of the bathroom her phone rang. She ignored it untilthe answering machine beeped and she heard her mother’s frantic voice. “Angel, are you there? You are not going to believe what happened. Nick came by this morning and took Candace into custody. He read her her rights and cuffed her right in front of the children.”
“I want my mommy!” Dorothy wailed in the background.
“Angel.” The distress rose in Anna’s voice. “You have to do something.”
Angel picked up the phone. “I’m here, Ma. Calm down.” Angel figured Candace would be taken in, but not this soon or quite so dramatically. “He probably just wants to question her.”
“Angel Delaney. Your father was a police officer for thirty years. Don’t you think I know the difference? She’s been arrested like a common criminal.”
ELEVEN
T he children are upset,” Anna said, “and I don’t blame them. Gracie insists she has to go to school. Brian and Dorothy are . . . well, Brian is just sitting there trying to take it all in. And poor little Dorothy. That’s her you hear crying.”
While her mother lamented, Angel padded to the walk-in closet. She grabbed clean jeans, a white turtleneck, and a burgundy sweater from the shelf.
“Calm down, Ma. It’s going to be okay.” Angel felt odd comforting her mother. Anna was usually calm and collected. Angel wished she’d taken Candace and the children to the shelter instead of her parents’ home. “Take a deep breath. We’ll handle this together, okay? I’ll come over and take the kids to school. We’ll have to find a place for them to stay.”
“They can stay here. I told Candace I’d take care of them until she got out.”
“Ma, you can’t. You sound totally frazzled. And what about Dad?”
“I can manage. I don’t want them in foster care. They’d probably be split up. They’re darling children and . . . I want to do this, Angel. I need to.”
“A day or two, maybe, but Candace could be in jail for a while.”
“That woman is innocent. I can feel it in my bones. You’ve got to get her out of there.”
“I’ll do what I can. Which isn’t much, I’m afraid.”
“We can at least get her a lawyer.”
“Good thinking,” Angel agreed. “Maybe Rachael will represent her.”
“That’s exactly who I had in mind.”
Angel struggled into her jeans, not an easy task with one shoulder supporting the phone against her ear. “Okay, I’ll take Gracie to school, then go down to the station to see what I can find out.”
Anna released a heavy sigh. “Thank you.”
“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”
Angel finished getting ready while she mulled over the conversation. Taking the children on wasn’t a very good idea, but she wouldn’t argue the point. At least not today. When Anna Delaney made up her mind, nothing could change it. But maybe after a day or two, Anna would reconsider. Even the best-behaved children could be a handful. She was sixty-two and already had more than she could handle with her invalid husband.
Angel pulled on socks and shoved her feet into her loafers, then ran a brush through her hair, trying to rearrange the curls into some sort of order. Her hair would have to air-dry this morning.
The minute Angel stepped
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