Read Online Hot Trick (A Detective Shelley Caldwell Novel) by Patricia Rosemoor - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Patricia Rosemoor
Ads: Link
tonight after your performance?”
I sat back and let my partner take over while I watched the escape artist and his employees for their reactions. The guilty weren’t usually relaxed.
“I went out to eat with Conrad and Tanya. We’ve been together all night.”
“Employees who will both vouch for you.”
“Of course,” DeGroot said. “Your intimation that we would be lying is ridiculous, Detective Norelli.”
“So you being on his payroll has nothing to do with giving your employer an alibi?”
Sebastian jumped in. “I don’t need an alibi if I’ve done nothing wrong. And I haven’t.”
“Sebastian is an honorable man who feels his work is not just entertaining but informing,” Tanya said, shifting into public relations mode.
Norelli gave her an uh-huh look and then ignored her. “Where did you eat, Mr. Cole?”
“Several blocks from where I performed my escape. A place called Lola’s.”
Norelli’s eyebrows shot up. “And the staff would be able to verify you were there…how long?”
“Until about midnight. Does that put me out of the time frame of your murder?”
“Just. If it checks out. Then what did you do?”
“We came straight home. I opened a bottle of wine and tried to relax while we talked business.” Sebastian indicated the half-full glasses on the table. “My escapes take more out of me than you can know.”
Sebastian was playing it straight—innocent and only slightly put off that anyone would think otherwise. He smiled at me now. A smile that put a chill down my spine.
I turned away and caught another flash of movement at the now-distant window. This time I was sure. I wasn’t imagining it. What would a bird be doing at Sebastian’s window? In the dark?
“What was your server’s name?” Norelli asked.
“I don’t recall. She was a short, pert young woman with blond hair.”
“Cynthia,” Tanya said.
Sebastian frowned. “You can’t seriously think I’m involved, Detective.”
“Are you?”
DeGroot spoke up in Sebastian’s defense. “If you knew anything about him, you’d know he’s all about getting justice for others.”
“There’s more than one way to see that justice is served,” Norelli said.
Sebastian’s visage darkened. “I work to get justice as you do, Detective. I’m offended that you consider me a suspect. Perhaps you should be looking for the bastard who copied one of my escapes to murder an innocent woman.”
“We don’t let murderers get by in this town, Mr. Cole.” Norelli gave Sebastian an intent look. “We’re all about getting justice for the victim, too.”
“Oh, as in the Hernandez case?”
My case. I had a sore spot about how that one turned out, but decided to cut the tension between the two men. “Sebastian, did you know the offenders who tried to rob the audience tonight were never brought in?”
He frowned. “You let them go?”
“Not me. But someone did.” I watched his frown deepen and wondered if it was real or all part of the act. “They escaped—kind of like you did.”
“Are all the police in this town incompetent?” DeGroot demanded, his face reddening.
Sebastian held up a hand to silence him. “What do you mean, like I did?”
“The men bringing them in passed out,” I offered, “and when they regained consciousness, the would-be thieves were gone and the paddy wagon door was open—no signs of force. You know, like magic.”
“If you’re intimating I had anything to do with it—”
“Did you?” Norelli asked.
“You’re assuming that I even knew about it before now.”
“I don’t think you should say anything more until I find you a lawyer,” his manager said.
“I don’t need a lawyer because I’ve committed no crime.”
“I hope that’s true,” I said, “because one of the escaped thieves showed up at the scene of the murder.”
Whatever Sebastian felt about that, he quickly internalized it. “So you think I set up the theft and therefore must have something to
I sat back and let my partner take over while I watched the escape artist and his employees for their reactions. The guilty weren’t usually relaxed.
“I went out to eat with Conrad and Tanya. We’ve been together all night.”
“Employees who will both vouch for you.”
“Of course,” DeGroot said. “Your intimation that we would be lying is ridiculous, Detective Norelli.”
“So you being on his payroll has nothing to do with giving your employer an alibi?”
Sebastian jumped in. “I don’t need an alibi if I’ve done nothing wrong. And I haven’t.”
“Sebastian is an honorable man who feels his work is not just entertaining but informing,” Tanya said, shifting into public relations mode.
Norelli gave her an uh-huh look and then ignored her. “Where did you eat, Mr. Cole?”
“Several blocks from where I performed my escape. A place called Lola’s.”
Norelli’s eyebrows shot up. “And the staff would be able to verify you were there…how long?”
“Until about midnight. Does that put me out of the time frame of your murder?”
“Just. If it checks out. Then what did you do?”
“We came straight home. I opened a bottle of wine and tried to relax while we talked business.” Sebastian indicated the half-full glasses on the table. “My escapes take more out of me than you can know.”
Sebastian was playing it straight—innocent and only slightly put off that anyone would think otherwise. He smiled at me now. A smile that put a chill down my spine.
I turned away and caught another flash of movement at the now-distant window. This time I was sure. I wasn’t imagining it. What would a bird be doing at Sebastian’s window? In the dark?
“What was your server’s name?” Norelli asked.
“I don’t recall. She was a short, pert young woman with blond hair.”
“Cynthia,” Tanya said.
Sebastian frowned. “You can’t seriously think I’m involved, Detective.”
“Are you?”
DeGroot spoke up in Sebastian’s defense. “If you knew anything about him, you’d know he’s all about getting justice for others.”
“There’s more than one way to see that justice is served,” Norelli said.
Sebastian’s visage darkened. “I work to get justice as you do, Detective. I’m offended that you consider me a suspect. Perhaps you should be looking for the bastard who copied one of my escapes to murder an innocent woman.”
“We don’t let murderers get by in this town, Mr. Cole.” Norelli gave Sebastian an intent look. “We’re all about getting justice for the victim, too.”
“Oh, as in the Hernandez case?”
My case. I had a sore spot about how that one turned out, but decided to cut the tension between the two men. “Sebastian, did you know the offenders who tried to rob the audience tonight were never brought in?”
He frowned. “You let them go?”
“Not me. But someone did.” I watched his frown deepen and wondered if it was real or all part of the act. “They escaped—kind of like you did.”
“Are all the police in this town incompetent?” DeGroot demanded, his face reddening.
Sebastian held up a hand to silence him. “What do you mean, like I did?”
“The men bringing them in passed out,” I offered, “and when they regained consciousness, the would-be thieves were gone and the paddy wagon door was open—no signs of force. You know, like magic.”
“If you’re intimating I had anything to do with it—”
“Did you?” Norelli asked.
“You’re assuming that I even knew about it before now.”
“I don’t think you should say anything more until I find you a lawyer,” his manager said.
“I don’t need a lawyer because I’ve committed no crime.”
“I hope that’s true,” I said, “because one of the escaped thieves showed up at the scene of the murder.”
Whatever Sebastian felt about that, he quickly internalized it. “So you think I set up the theft and therefore must have something to
Similar Books
