Read Online Giving Up the Ghost by Marilyn Levinson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Marilyn Levinson
Ads: Link
table. She was so
engrossed in what she was doing that the ring of the doorbell had her leaping from her seat.
"Who's there?" she demanded through the wooden door.
"It's Chief Rollins. Darren. May I come in?"
Her heart fluttered as her fingers fumbled with the lock. "Hi. Anything wrong?"
"Nope." He brought in the scent of cold night air and a trace of tangy aftershave. "I was
doing my nightly surveillance, and decided I needed a break. Was hoping for a friendly cup of coffee
and a pit stop."
"Sure. Go on." She gestured upstairs. "I'll put on the kettle."
He came thundering down five minutes later and joined her in the kitchen. He glanced at
her school books on the table. "Hope I'm not interrupting."
"You're not, since you're only staying till you finish your coffee."
"I see you're a woman who sets boundaries." His tone was admiring rather than
offended.
"I have to." She hoped he wouldn't ask why. She set the steaming mug in front of him.
"I've milk and sugar, but no cake."
"I take it black with three teaspoons of sugar."
"I'll remember that," she said, and sipped her tea.
She liked the way he drank, neatly, without slurping or making weird noises. He cupped
his hands around the mug, as though grateful for the warmth it gave off. She realized he was
studying her.
"The place feels cozy with you here," he said.
"It's the new appliances. I haven't done a thing but buy some supplies and move
in."
"I know this cottage as well as the house I grew up in. Cam and his little brother, Roland,
used to stay with their grandfather summers and holidays. He used to say it was like staying with
Santa Claus."
"Why? Were his parents poor?"
"One parent--his mother--if you can call her that. His father took off after Roland was
born. And she was poor, all right. Drank and gambled what little money she earned as a
waitress."
"No wonder," Gabbie mused.
"No wonder what?" He sent her a questioning glance.
Gabbie flushed. "I've heard a few stories about Cam, how he was always making
business deals. I suppose he wanted to make sure he never was poor again."
"That's a reason, not an excuse," Darren said.
Gabbie was pleased he didn't share Cam's easy morality.
"Anyway," Darren continued, "when Cam was about twelve, his grandfather died. He left
the cottage to the boys, to be turned over to them when Cam turned twenty-one. Cam's mother
moved them into the cottage full-time, along with her second husband.
"A few years later she wanted to sell it. The boys said no, so she fought them for
possession in court. Said her father must have been touched in the head to leave his cottage to kids
instead of his own daughter, but the judge held firm. She and her third husband moved to Arizona a
few years after that." Darren grimaced. "Not that it mattered. After their grandfather died, Cam and
Roland brought themselves up. Joyce Leeds wasn't meant to be a mother."
Gabbie found it interesting to learn about Cam's childhood, but she needed to focus on
more recent events. "You must miss him a lot."
"Miss him?" Darren snorted. "Not a day goes by when I don't curse him roundly for
depriving me of his company. We were soul brothers, Gabbie. I'll never have a friend like that
again."
Gabbie propped her elbows on the old wooden table. "Did you ever consider the
possibility that his death wasn't an accident?"
"You mean, do I think someone pushed him over?" His eyes narrowed, but he smiled.
"You never saw Cam. He stood six foot four, and was strong as the proverbial ox." His smile
disappeared. "There were no signs of a fight or a struggle anywhere on the body."
She was treading dangerous territory, challenging his professional expertise, but she
owed it to Cam to find out everything she could. "What did the medical examiner find?"
"Old Doc Bradley, our coroner, examined the body. He determined all wounds and
contusions resulted from the fall."
"Old Doc Bradley? What is he, a veterinarian?"
"A GP who cares about people. The kind of doctor you'd
engrossed in what she was doing that the ring of the doorbell had her leaping from her seat.
"Who's there?" she demanded through the wooden door.
"It's Chief Rollins. Darren. May I come in?"
Her heart fluttered as her fingers fumbled with the lock. "Hi. Anything wrong?"
"Nope." He brought in the scent of cold night air and a trace of tangy aftershave. "I was
doing my nightly surveillance, and decided I needed a break. Was hoping for a friendly cup of coffee
and a pit stop."
"Sure. Go on." She gestured upstairs. "I'll put on the kettle."
He came thundering down five minutes later and joined her in the kitchen. He glanced at
her school books on the table. "Hope I'm not interrupting."
"You're not, since you're only staying till you finish your coffee."
"I see you're a woman who sets boundaries." His tone was admiring rather than
offended.
"I have to." She hoped he wouldn't ask why. She set the steaming mug in front of him.
"I've milk and sugar, but no cake."
"I take it black with three teaspoons of sugar."
"I'll remember that," she said, and sipped her tea.
She liked the way he drank, neatly, without slurping or making weird noises. He cupped
his hands around the mug, as though grateful for the warmth it gave off. She realized he was
studying her.
"The place feels cozy with you here," he said.
"It's the new appliances. I haven't done a thing but buy some supplies and move
in."
"I know this cottage as well as the house I grew up in. Cam and his little brother, Roland,
used to stay with their grandfather summers and holidays. He used to say it was like staying with
Santa Claus."
"Why? Were his parents poor?"
"One parent--his mother--if you can call her that. His father took off after Roland was
born. And she was poor, all right. Drank and gambled what little money she earned as a
waitress."
"No wonder," Gabbie mused.
"No wonder what?" He sent her a questioning glance.
Gabbie flushed. "I've heard a few stories about Cam, how he was always making
business deals. I suppose he wanted to make sure he never was poor again."
"That's a reason, not an excuse," Darren said.
Gabbie was pleased he didn't share Cam's easy morality.
"Anyway," Darren continued, "when Cam was about twelve, his grandfather died. He left
the cottage to the boys, to be turned over to them when Cam turned twenty-one. Cam's mother
moved them into the cottage full-time, along with her second husband.
"A few years later she wanted to sell it. The boys said no, so she fought them for
possession in court. Said her father must have been touched in the head to leave his cottage to kids
instead of his own daughter, but the judge held firm. She and her third husband moved to Arizona a
few years after that." Darren grimaced. "Not that it mattered. After their grandfather died, Cam and
Roland brought themselves up. Joyce Leeds wasn't meant to be a mother."
Gabbie found it interesting to learn about Cam's childhood, but she needed to focus on
more recent events. "You must miss him a lot."
"Miss him?" Darren snorted. "Not a day goes by when I don't curse him roundly for
depriving me of his company. We were soul brothers, Gabbie. I'll never have a friend like that
again."
Gabbie propped her elbows on the old wooden table. "Did you ever consider the
possibility that his death wasn't an accident?"
"You mean, do I think someone pushed him over?" His eyes narrowed, but he smiled.
"You never saw Cam. He stood six foot four, and was strong as the proverbial ox." His smile
disappeared. "There were no signs of a fight or a struggle anywhere on the body."
She was treading dangerous territory, challenging his professional expertise, but she
owed it to Cam to find out everything she could. "What did the medical examiner find?"
"Old Doc Bradley, our coroner, examined the body. He determined all wounds and
contusions resulted from the fall."
"Old Doc Bradley? What is he, a veterinarian?"
"A GP who cares about people. The kind of doctor you'd
Similar Books
