Read Online EMBELLISHED TO DEATH by Christina Freeburn - Free Book Online Page A

arms, placing one hand on either side of the opening. The trailer darkened. “I was hoping we could speak privately.”
    Fear clawed at my chest. I breathed deeply to steady myself. No need to panic. The trailer door was open, and people unloading nearby vehicles were a scream away. Or maybe not. I parked at the far end, and the back of the trailer faced the building. There was no reason for anyone to walk past the trailer unless they wanted to find me.
    â€œI’d rather not.” I kept my voice steady and attempted to walk past him.
    He matched my movement, blocking me from getting out.
    â€œI need to go back to my store.”
    â€œWe could talk there, but I’m certain you’d rather we keep this between us.” The man took a wallet from his back pocket. He flipped it open and showed me a badge. “My name is Morgan. I work undercover for the FBI.”
    The FBI? The fear in the pit of my belly turned into terror. My ears buzzed like bees got stuck in them. Why in the world was an FBI agent at the crop? Why did he want to talk to me?
    â€œI’m sure you’re going to keep quiet about my being here. It’s not a fact that should get around.”
    â€œSince I don’t know anything that’ll be easy to do.” I judged the distance and space between him and the door. I might be able to get past him before he reacted.
    â€œCome now, Faith, don’t act like your activities wouldn’t have come to our attention.”
    Shudders crept along my skin when he made the point to drop my name.
    â€œScrapbooking doesn’t seem like it would interest the FBI,” I choked out.
    â€œTrue. But a woman pushing her way into two homicide cases does interest us, especially when another just happened to occur in her presence. So many coincidences.” He looked me up and down. The limited light in the trailer made his expression impossible to read.
    I heard my ragged breathing. I needed to remain calm. Nothing signaled guilt more than an overreaction of any type. Long ago memories wrapped around me, making it hard to breath. I did not like being interrogated by police. Guilty always seemed to be the assumption made no matter what.
    Drawing in deep breaths, I tried settling myself down. I had done nothing wrong. The car that killed the woman had almost struck me. There’s no way he could point the blame at me, and why was he trying to? I wasn’t trying to solve the murder, if there actually was one; so far the only confirmation was what I thought I saw and this intense guy’s accusation.
    â€œI need to get back to work,” I said.
    â€œOff to solve another murder, or should I say... frame someone for the crime you put into action.”
    I wanted away from this man. “I don’t do murders. Think what you want but there are witnesses who know I had nothing to do with what happened to that woman. I was almost run down.”
    â€œOf course you were. There’s nothing like portraying yourself as a victim to have people discount your involvement. You’re quite a natural at it.”
    I tried inching my way past him.
    Morgan grabbed hold of my arm, bringing me to a halt. “Miss Hunter, I know a lot about you. We know a lot about you.”
    I really, really, really didn’t like the pronoun “we.” Images of my past slithered into my head and heart. The pain in my stomach increased.
    â€œOthers don’t know that Kane wasn’t your first murder.” He looked right into my eyes.
    Coldness washed over me. I hated what I saw in his gaze. A knowingness. Cruelty. Power. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
    He let out a small laugh. “Come now. Your first case was when you solved that murder in Germany. Now do you remember? Your naïve, I’m the victim, little backwoods West Virginian act fooled the military. You pinned a murder on Adam Westcott and I’m the man who’s going to make