Read Online Hoaley Ill-Manored by Declan Sands - Free Book Online Page A

wasn’t much he could
say. “Sorry. All I can say for myself is that I’m a desperate
man.”
    “I’m within my rights to shoot his ass,”
Teddy Worth informed the room at large.
    “Not with an officer of the law standing
right here, sir.” CC slid a warning glare toward the barn’s hostile
owner. “I’ll handle this.”
    Adam hoped it didn’t occur to Worth to ask
CC if he was a local cop.
    “You’ll throw him in jail for
trespassing?”
    CC’s face split in a smile that made Adam
distinctly uncomfortable. “It would be my pleasure, Mr. Worth.”
    Something in CC’s gleeful expression must
have convinced Teddy that Adam would get what he deserved. He
nodded and, finally, lowered the shotgun. “If you need me to
testify that he’s a flight risk I’d be happy to.”
    That was just too much for Adam. “Now how
the hell would you know what kind of risk I am? You don’t even know
me.”
    Worth slid a glare toward Adam, his upper
lip curling with distaste. “I know you’ll run if you get loose,
’cause I’m gonna be chasin’ ya with this shotgun.”
    Adam swallowed hard and slid a horrified
gaze toward CC. The cop barely managed to force the smile from his
lips to chastise Worth.
    Fortunately for all involved, Walter picked
that time to announce his discovery. He trotted over to Adam and
dropped something that looked like a muddy water pistol at Adam’s
feet, barking his pleasure as Adam looked down.
    “What’s that?” Maddy asked in a husky
whisper, as if CC and Teddy Worth hadn’t seen the huge dog drop the
item he’d dug up from the dirt floor in front of Adam.
    “Don’t touch that!” Worth started forward
and CC grabbed his arm. Worth tried to wrench himself free but
quickly found himself at the business end of CC’s Glock 9mm.
    “Just stand right there, sir. I want to see
what the dog found.”
    Adam realized as soon as he picked up the
small object that it wasn’t a toy. It had heft and something else.
The tiny derringer had a jewel encrusted handle. He brushed mud
from the jewels and whistled. He was no gemologist but they looked
real to him. “It’s a jewel encrusted pistol.”
    “Let me see.” Maddy grabbed it, her eyes
widening as she examined the tiny pistol. “It’s adorable. And it
looks like it’s worth a lot of money.”
    “Give it to me, please. And be careful. It
probably wouldn’t fire after all this time in the dirt, but it
could be loaded and you never know.” CC took the pistol and
scrubbed at the grip. “Custom made muff pistol. It’s a beauty.”
    Maddy frowned. “Muff pistol?”
    CC looked up. “It’s a derringer pocket
pistol. These were popular with the ladies in the 1800s. They fit
easily in a pocket, a small purse, or a muff.”
    “Ah. Got it.” Maddy grinned. “I don’t
particularly like guns, but I wouldn’t mind a cute little thing
like that.”
    “Don’t underestimate it, Maddy. This little
gun is very accurate and can do real damage.”
    He pointed the muzzle toward the ground and
pivoted the barrel sideways to check the breech. “Single barrel.
Probably fired a .40 caliber cartridge, but it’s empty now.” He
glanced at Teddy. “You have any idea what this is doing here?”
    “It belonged to my Gramma.”
    “Lolly?” Adam asked.
    Worth just glared at him.
    “This isn’t a very good way to preserve a
gun of this value,” CC chastised the other man.
    “It was tied into a velvet bag, but that
must have rotted away,” Worth responded petulantly. “You give me
that gun now, Detective Clandestine. It’s my property.”
    CC pulled out his cell phone and took a
picture of the gun before handing it back to Teddy. “I’d advise you
get this cleaned up and oiled and put it in a safety deposit box
somewhere. That’s a little bit of history. It deserves better
treatment than being buried in a barn.”
    Worth’s lips twisted with anger but he gave
CC a short, sharp nod.
    CC looked at Adam. “I don’t have my cuffs
with me, but I’m