Read Online Faces of Evil [4] Rage by Debra Webb - Free Book Online Page A

probably a bitch. Jess supposed she was in real trouble. “Were there any problems between Sylvia and Gabrielle?” It was doubtful Sylvia would have set out to murder the other woman years after Gabrielle had stolen her husband, but stranger things happened.
    Riley was shaking his head. “None to my knowledge. I never heard Larry or Gabrielle mention Sylvia. Not in the last year or so anyway. Like I said, things were a little sticky at first but everybody moved on.”
    “No marital problems. No financial problems.” Jess tapped the file she had been reviewing earlier. “I guess if Gabrielle’s murder wasn’t related to their personal lives or Grayson’s work, it was a random act of violence.”
    “Had to be.” Riley turned his palms up. “We know all the same people. Same friends—all cops, by the way. And Gabrielle was a saint. She had no enemies. Everyone who ever met her loved her.”
    Unfortunately, most saints died as martyrs. “If you think of anything else that might prove useful, please call me immediately, Sergeant. You have my number already.” She’d given him a card at the scene.
    “For sure.”
    Jess showed him to the door, mostly to ensure he didn’t turn around and get a good look at her case board. The less he knew, the fewer questions Grayson would ask.
    When he was gone, she marched over to the board and considered what she could do to protect the privacy of their timeline and notes. The board stood on legs but didn’t rotate as some did. Maybe this one was too long for that. It did have wheels though.
    It took some finagling but she got it turned around so that the side with their timeline, photos, and notes faced the wall.
    That worked. For now.
    She grabbed her bag. A set of keys lying next to the phone on her desk snagged her attention. She picked up the keys and the note beneath them.
Jess, use this Taurus until your Audi is released. You’ll find it in the garage, 2nd level, slot 32. It belongs to the department so take it easy. DB.
PS: I took care of your parking ticket.
     
    “God, I hope it’s not beige.” Department vehicles were purposely nondescript. At least she had transportation at her disposal without having to visit the department carpool. It annoyed her that her Audi was still in the print shed. They knew who had abducted her. Why did they still need her car? And that parking ticket was beyond ridiculous. If she hadn’t been distracted by that damned thing she might have noticed trouble was about to swoop in on her. Right now, all she wanted was her car.
    Maybe she could give someone at the lab a nudge and get her car back by tomorrow. Jess dropped the Taurus keys into her bag and headed for the door, checking her watch as she went. Two fifteen. The coroner’s office had had better than four hours to have a look at the victim’s body. Under normal circumstances that would mean nothing. But Jess felt certain that Dr. Sylvia Baron would permit Dr. Leeds to waste no time doing a preliminary examination. Jess wanted to know what, if anything, they had found. She wished she hadn’t ticked off the woman at the scene, but Jess had done what she always did. She’d spoken her mind, putting herself at odds with the highbrow ME.
    She’d have to find a way back into her good graces. In this line of work, good contacts were vital.
    The door opened just as Jess reached it. A tall, undeniably handsome man blocked her path.
    Wesley . Her ex. Supervisory Special Agent Wesley Duvall, who had come all the way from Southern California to help with a case… and to see that she was safe.
    “Jess.” He smiled. She liked his smile. Always had. “I was about to go for a late lunch.” He chuckled. “I’m still on West Coast time it seems. Anyway, I thought maybe you’d like to join me. I remember how often you forget to eat, so I’m guessing you haven’t had lunch either.”
    “That’s so sweet.” Her stomach sent a signal of its own confirming his conjecture. She hadn’t