Read Online Eyewitness (Thriller/Legal Thriller - #5 The Witness Series) (The Witness Series #5) by Rebecca Forster - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Rebecca Forster
Ads: Link
pat. He lowered himself to the ground and limped back toward the house. In the bright light, the grey hair around his snout glinted silver. The thought that there would be a day when she didn’t have Max brought a lump to her throat. Josie couldn’t imagine that future. Yet, when someone left your life - mother, friend, beloved pet – someone else moved in to fill the void. Josie's dad filled hers after her mother left and she filled Hannah's and Archer's. Josie wondered who would fill Billy’s if Rosa Zuni died? She hoped it wasn't the government. If that was his only option, it might have been better if they left him in the sea.
Shaking off the sense of doom that had dogged her for the last hours, Josie went inside to fill Max’s water bowl and food dish. When that was done, she rested her hands on the kitchen sink and hung her head to think what to do next.
“Hey there, Max. Jo?”
Archer’s voice lifted her spirits. She walked into the dining room, put her hands against his chest and kissed him.
“I didn’t expect to see you so soon.”
“Disappointed?”
“Never.”
Her arms went around his solid body as she rested her cheek against his chest and listened to the beating of his heart. The chink in her armor – the one her kidnapping had exposed – was still there. Those awful days as a prisoner proved that as much as she wanted to believe that she was mistress of her own fate, she was not. It had been months since that horrible time, and yet her voice still wasn’t as strong as it had been, her gaze still not quite as sharp, her decision making not as sure. But good things had come out of that time, too. Josie knew exactly what Archer meant to her now. She wanted to stand beside him, not behind or in front of him and she wanted Hannah there with both of them. The other good thing was that Archer wanted the same thing.
“You okay?” He pulled her closer. Josie’s head dropped back and she grinned at him.
“How come you’re so chirpy? I feel like a truck ran over me,” she murmured.
“Wait until five. You’ll have to scrape me off the pier and pour me into bed.” He kissed her forehead, let her loose, and held up a bag. “Breakfast.”
“A little late.”
“Never too late for this.”
“Burt’s egg sandwich?” Josie laughed as she went to the kitchen. “I’ll put the coffee on.”
“Brought it with me. Full service.” Archer called, and Josie did an about-face. “I brought some for Hannah, too.”
“She’s not here. She wanted to walk home."
"You told her what we found in Billy's house?"
"I couldn’t avoid it. Montoya showed up and kind of forced the issue. Billy wasn’t conscious. I appreciate that he let me tell Hannah in my own time once he saw he wouldn’t be questioning Billy.”
That was all the explanation Archer needed. Mike Montoya, the sheriff’s investigator who had questioned them at the scene was nobody’s fool. Billy would be the first one he would want to talk to.
“He seemed like a good guy,” Archer noted. “How did Hannah take it?”
“Hard.” Josie leaned against the archway as they chatted.
“That doesn’t surprise me.” Archer tossed a sandwich her way. She caught it.
“Déjà vu all over again,” Josie agreed. “She’s convinced that the cops won’t look at anyone but Billy. I dropped her near the bike path. The fresh air will be good for her.”
“I’ll feel better when she’s home.”
Archer dug into the bag again and took out the coffee cups. Josie smiled. How times changed. Nothing like a little near-death experience to pull folks together, even folks as disparate as Archer and Hannah. It was a pity that common ground had come so dearly; it was a blessing it had come at all.
“Can I move this?” Archer asked and pointed to the mess of paper that was on the dining room table.
“I’ll get it.”
Josie swept swatches and checklists into the huge sample book that had taken up space on the table for the last few
Shaking off the sense of doom that had dogged her for the last hours, Josie went inside to fill Max’s water bowl and food dish. When that was done, she rested her hands on the kitchen sink and hung her head to think what to do next.
“Hey there, Max. Jo?”
Archer’s voice lifted her spirits. She walked into the dining room, put her hands against his chest and kissed him.
“I didn’t expect to see you so soon.”
“Disappointed?”
“Never.”
Her arms went around his solid body as she rested her cheek against his chest and listened to the beating of his heart. The chink in her armor – the one her kidnapping had exposed – was still there. Those awful days as a prisoner proved that as much as she wanted to believe that she was mistress of her own fate, she was not. It had been months since that horrible time, and yet her voice still wasn’t as strong as it had been, her gaze still not quite as sharp, her decision making not as sure. But good things had come out of that time, too. Josie knew exactly what Archer meant to her now. She wanted to stand beside him, not behind or in front of him and she wanted Hannah there with both of them. The other good thing was that Archer wanted the same thing.
“You okay?” He pulled her closer. Josie’s head dropped back and she grinned at him.
“How come you’re so chirpy? I feel like a truck ran over me,” she murmured.
“Wait until five. You’ll have to scrape me off the pier and pour me into bed.” He kissed her forehead, let her loose, and held up a bag. “Breakfast.”
“A little late.”
“Never too late for this.”
“Burt’s egg sandwich?” Josie laughed as she went to the kitchen. “I’ll put the coffee on.”
“Brought it with me. Full service.” Archer called, and Josie did an about-face. “I brought some for Hannah, too.”
“She’s not here. She wanted to walk home."
"You told her what we found in Billy's house?"
"I couldn’t avoid it. Montoya showed up and kind of forced the issue. Billy wasn’t conscious. I appreciate that he let me tell Hannah in my own time once he saw he wouldn’t be questioning Billy.”
That was all the explanation Archer needed. Mike Montoya, the sheriff’s investigator who had questioned them at the scene was nobody’s fool. Billy would be the first one he would want to talk to.
“He seemed like a good guy,” Archer noted. “How did Hannah take it?”
“Hard.” Josie leaned against the archway as they chatted.
“That doesn’t surprise me.” Archer tossed a sandwich her way. She caught it.
“Déjà vu all over again,” Josie agreed. “She’s convinced that the cops won’t look at anyone but Billy. I dropped her near the bike path. The fresh air will be good for her.”
“I’ll feel better when she’s home.”
Archer dug into the bag again and took out the coffee cups. Josie smiled. How times changed. Nothing like a little near-death experience to pull folks together, even folks as disparate as Archer and Hannah. It was a pity that common ground had come so dearly; it was a blessing it had come at all.
“Can I move this?” Archer asked and pointed to the mess of paper that was on the dining room table.
“I’ll get it.”
Josie swept swatches and checklists into the huge sample book that had taken up space on the table for the last few
Similar Books
