Read Online Family Secrets (A Darcy Sweet Cozy Mystery #8) by K.J. Emrick - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: K.J. Emrick
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stared at her. He didn't blink. He didn't move. That went on for so long that Darcy started shifting her weight from foot to foot and had to make herself stand her ground. It was like he was waiting for her to say something.
When she didn't, he sighed and stood up again. He handed her the documents back that she had brought from Vivica Chartrand's house. "Here. Keep these. I can work around you getting evidence for us illegally. I already had the bank statements anyway, so I don't even need these. That wasn't what was bothering me."
"Then why did you pull me back here?" Darcy asked. "You just wanted some place private to yell at me?"
He sighed and almost looked sorry. "No. I didn't mean to yell. That's not why I brought you back here. It was about my sister."
"Your sister? " Darcy said, pulling back her own anger, waiting for him to say more.
"See," he said, " I've spent so long being angry at her, searching every face in every crowd hoping that I might see her again, even if I have to arrest her, that I guess I've grown kind of a blind spot when it comes to her. I can't see her as anything other than a criminal."
Taking her hands with his, he pulled her to him, and wrapped his arms around her. "You were the only one here who believed she might be innocent. Thank you, Darcy. Thank you for helping us prove she isn't a murderer."
It felt good to be held by him this way. It helped take some of the weight away that had settled around her heart in the last few days. Some of it. Not all, but some. She leaned into him and soaked up his warmth, breathed in his cologne and the smell that was uniquely him. She loved this man. Aunt Millie had been right. They needed to work something out, because she wasn't sure she could stand losing him.
"Please don't take the job in Oak Hollow," she surprised herself by saying.
His embrace shifted subtly. "Can we talk about it later?"
That was definitely not the answer she had been hoping for. Worse, that was becoming a pattern with her and Jon. Somehow Darcy had the feeling there wasn't all that much "later" left for them. But she smiled anyway, and told him that it was okay with her, and took what she could get out of that moment.
Chapter Twelve
They couldn't release Aimee yet, of course. Not until they actually had a confession from Richard, or more solid proof than bank statements and a tie found in the backyard of Vivica's house. The tie could be sent away for testing at the State Police crime lab, of course, but that could take days to produce results. In the meantime, Richard could run away or have time to concoct a story.
"All he has to say," Jon pointed out, "is that his mom cut herself peeling an onion for him to eat and since he was a good son he used his best tie to stop the bleeding."
Yeah, right, he had added, but still they needed to get to him quickly. He pulled two uniformed officers off their desks and told them to come with him to assist in an arrest.
Grace glared after him from her own desk. "Men," she grumbled. " I'm just as much of a detective as Jon is. But, I get pregnant, so here I sit."
Darcy dropped down into the chair situated on the other side of Grace's desk. "Don't worry yourself about it," she said. "I think it has less to do with you being a woman and more to do with being my sister right now."
Grace raised an eyebrow at her. "Yeah? What gives with you two, sis? I thought you and Jon were as close as two people could get. I was very happy for you. Ever since you got back from Ryansburg yesterday it's like you're walking on eggshells around each other."
Was it really that noticeable? Darcy guessed it had been. She'd never been good at hiding her emotions. "We're working through some things," she decided to say. It was as good an explanation as any.
"You mean, like getting married?" Grace pressed. "You mentioned that last night. Are you two going
When she didn't, he sighed and stood up again. He handed her the documents back that she had brought from Vivica Chartrand's house. "Here. Keep these. I can work around you getting evidence for us illegally. I already had the bank statements anyway, so I don't even need these. That wasn't what was bothering me."
"Then why did you pull me back here?" Darcy asked. "You just wanted some place private to yell at me?"
He sighed and almost looked sorry. "No. I didn't mean to yell. That's not why I brought you back here. It was about my sister."
"Your sister? " Darcy said, pulling back her own anger, waiting for him to say more.
"See," he said, " I've spent so long being angry at her, searching every face in every crowd hoping that I might see her again, even if I have to arrest her, that I guess I've grown kind of a blind spot when it comes to her. I can't see her as anything other than a criminal."
Taking her hands with his, he pulled her to him, and wrapped his arms around her. "You were the only one here who believed she might be innocent. Thank you, Darcy. Thank you for helping us prove she isn't a murderer."
It felt good to be held by him this way. It helped take some of the weight away that had settled around her heart in the last few days. Some of it. Not all, but some. She leaned into him and soaked up his warmth, breathed in his cologne and the smell that was uniquely him. She loved this man. Aunt Millie had been right. They needed to work something out, because she wasn't sure she could stand losing him.
"Please don't take the job in Oak Hollow," she surprised herself by saying.
His embrace shifted subtly. "Can we talk about it later?"
That was definitely not the answer she had been hoping for. Worse, that was becoming a pattern with her and Jon. Somehow Darcy had the feeling there wasn't all that much "later" left for them. But she smiled anyway, and told him that it was okay with her, and took what she could get out of that moment.
Chapter Twelve
They couldn't release Aimee yet, of course. Not until they actually had a confession from Richard, or more solid proof than bank statements and a tie found in the backyard of Vivica's house. The tie could be sent away for testing at the State Police crime lab, of course, but that could take days to produce results. In the meantime, Richard could run away or have time to concoct a story.
"All he has to say," Jon pointed out, "is that his mom cut herself peeling an onion for him to eat and since he was a good son he used his best tie to stop the bleeding."
Yeah, right, he had added, but still they needed to get to him quickly. He pulled two uniformed officers off their desks and told them to come with him to assist in an arrest.
Grace glared after him from her own desk. "Men," she grumbled. " I'm just as much of a detective as Jon is. But, I get pregnant, so here I sit."
Darcy dropped down into the chair situated on the other side of Grace's desk. "Don't worry yourself about it," she said. "I think it has less to do with you being a woman and more to do with being my sister right now."
Grace raised an eyebrow at her. "Yeah? What gives with you two, sis? I thought you and Jon were as close as two people could get. I was very happy for you. Ever since you got back from Ryansburg yesterday it's like you're walking on eggshells around each other."
Was it really that noticeable? Darcy guessed it had been. She'd never been good at hiding her emotions. "We're working through some things," she decided to say. It was as good an explanation as any.
"You mean, like getting married?" Grace pressed. "You mentioned that last night. Are you two going
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