Read Online I Have a Secret (A Sloane Monroe Novel, Book Three) by Cheryl Bradshaw - Free Book Online
Authors: Cheryl Bradshaw
Ads: Link
clock isn’t in the same position. Neither are my clothes. You two aren’t detectives, you’re beat cops, which means it isn’t customary for you to go through my things.”
“Look, I’m sorry he was in here, okay? He wants a promotion—bad, so he looks for any way he can get it. He’s just tryin’ to be thorough. I’ve got him under control. Can we move on?”
I rubbed my forehead with my hand and sat on the edge of the bed. Jesse followed my lead and sat so close I could almost breathe in his breath when he breathed out. I scooted over.
He placed his fingers on the nape of my neck and rubbed in a circular motion while he scooted back over until his hip touched mine. “You need to relax.”
As much as his hand movements relieved the tension I felt, I couldn’t allow it. I stood up. “Stop, Jesse…you can’t.”
He tried to grab my hand but I jerked it away. Undeterred, he attempted it a second time. “Come on now, you don’t need to run away from me.”
I walked over to the desk and leaned against it. “Have you asked the hotel manager for the security tapes?”
He laughed. “Uh, there aren’t any. Not here anyway.”
“What kind of hotel doesn’t have security cameras?”
“In case you missed it Sloane, this isn’t the Ritz-Carlton.”
I threw my hands up in the air. “Great.”
“Someone is on the way over to dust the door and your rental car for prints. Until then, I need you to hang out with me until we can get you a room somewhere else.”
I shook my head, shoved my gun into my bag and walked out the door.
“Sloane, you’re not going anywhere. You can’t.”
Can’t?
“I feel cooped up in here. I need to be outside…free from all this,” I said. “Trust me, you don’t want to see what happens if you force me to sit here.”
“Fine. Stay close and leave the gun.”
I glanced at my gun which was now back inside my bag and looked back at him on my way out the door. “Not a chance.”
“You don’t understand, Maddie. They were in my room, with their hands on my possessions, touching my stuff! And they moved things around, I could tell, and I—”
“Slow down…when’s the last time you took something?”
“Ate something?”
“No….”
“For what?”
“Your anxiety, sweetie.”
I sighed. “I’m fine.”
Maddie made a noise that sounded like ‘phooh.’
“What was that?” I said.
“Gum. If I chewed it any longer it would have disintegrated in my mouth. Listen, I know you think you’re fine, but you’re not. I can hear it in your voice. I know how you get when you’re out of your element, and believe me, you’re not just a little out this time.”
“I can handle it. If Jesse could just keep his hands to himself—”
“Who’s Jesse?” she said.
“A guy I knew when I used to live here,” I said. “He’s a cop now. It seems like every time I show up somewhere, he does too.”
“Where are you now?”
I looked around and realized I’d walked about a block away from the hotel. The smell of melted butter and vanilla wafted through the air. I stopped and breathed it in until I spied the location it came from.
“I went outside to get away from Jesse,” I said. “How’s Boo?”
“Let’s just say OCD runs in your household.”
“What do you mean?” I said.
“Did you know your dog separates his food by flavor? All the dry chicken pieces are rejected. He removes them out of the bowl with his mouth and makes a pile on the floor next to him until all that’s left are red ones.”
“What can I say,” I said. “We’re a red meat kind of family.”
“Have you talked to Giovanni yet?”
“What for?”
“I have a feeling if he knew someone else had their hands on you there’s a strong possibility that person wouldn’t still be alive.”
I sighed. “I can handle Jesse. The whole reason I called you was to ask about the knife. Did you get the picture I sent? Do
“Look, I’m sorry he was in here, okay? He wants a promotion—bad, so he looks for any way he can get it. He’s just tryin’ to be thorough. I’ve got him under control. Can we move on?”
I rubbed my forehead with my hand and sat on the edge of the bed. Jesse followed my lead and sat so close I could almost breathe in his breath when he breathed out. I scooted over.
He placed his fingers on the nape of my neck and rubbed in a circular motion while he scooted back over until his hip touched mine. “You need to relax.”
As much as his hand movements relieved the tension I felt, I couldn’t allow it. I stood up. “Stop, Jesse…you can’t.”
He tried to grab my hand but I jerked it away. Undeterred, he attempted it a second time. “Come on now, you don’t need to run away from me.”
I walked over to the desk and leaned against it. “Have you asked the hotel manager for the security tapes?”
He laughed. “Uh, there aren’t any. Not here anyway.”
“What kind of hotel doesn’t have security cameras?”
“In case you missed it Sloane, this isn’t the Ritz-Carlton.”
I threw my hands up in the air. “Great.”
“Someone is on the way over to dust the door and your rental car for prints. Until then, I need you to hang out with me until we can get you a room somewhere else.”
I shook my head, shoved my gun into my bag and walked out the door.
“Sloane, you’re not going anywhere. You can’t.”
Can’t?
“I feel cooped up in here. I need to be outside…free from all this,” I said. “Trust me, you don’t want to see what happens if you force me to sit here.”
“Fine. Stay close and leave the gun.”
I glanced at my gun which was now back inside my bag and looked back at him on my way out the door. “Not a chance.”
“You don’t understand, Maddie. They were in my room, with their hands on my possessions, touching my stuff! And they moved things around, I could tell, and I—”
“Slow down…when’s the last time you took something?”
“Ate something?”
“No….”
“For what?”
“Your anxiety, sweetie.”
I sighed. “I’m fine.”
Maddie made a noise that sounded like ‘phooh.’
“What was that?” I said.
“Gum. If I chewed it any longer it would have disintegrated in my mouth. Listen, I know you think you’re fine, but you’re not. I can hear it in your voice. I know how you get when you’re out of your element, and believe me, you’re not just a little out this time.”
“I can handle it. If Jesse could just keep his hands to himself—”
“Who’s Jesse?” she said.
“A guy I knew when I used to live here,” I said. “He’s a cop now. It seems like every time I show up somewhere, he does too.”
“Where are you now?”
I looked around and realized I’d walked about a block away from the hotel. The smell of melted butter and vanilla wafted through the air. I stopped and breathed it in until I spied the location it came from.
“I went outside to get away from Jesse,” I said. “How’s Boo?”
“Let’s just say OCD runs in your household.”
“What do you mean?” I said.
“Did you know your dog separates his food by flavor? All the dry chicken pieces are rejected. He removes them out of the bowl with his mouth and makes a pile on the floor next to him until all that’s left are red ones.”
“What can I say,” I said. “We’re a red meat kind of family.”
“Have you talked to Giovanni yet?”
“What for?”
“I have a feeling if he knew someone else had their hands on you there’s a strong possibility that person wouldn’t still be alive.”
I sighed. “I can handle Jesse. The whole reason I called you was to ask about the knife. Did you get the picture I sent? Do
Similar Books
