Read Online Midnight Sacrifice by Melinda Leigh - Free Book Online Page A

and one year of complete hell. Surely it could stand up to one giant asshole.
    The cop flexed an oversize bicep. “Where were you this morning?”
    “Just running an errand.” Did Lang know where Danny had been or was he fishing for information?
    “You wouldn’t be thinking about digging into Nathan’s case, would you?”
    “How the hell would I do that?” Danny flexed his sore hand. “The entire state of Maine can’t find him. No one even knows who he was sleeping with.”
    Surprise flickered in the lieutenant’s eyes, but he blinked it away in a second. “Well, I’m not done with my own investigation, and I won’t tolerate any interference.”
    Danny would bet a hundred bucks this was the first Lang had heard about Nathan’s unknown girlfriend. “I doubt I’d be any threat to your case. I hardly know anyone around here, right?”
    Lang’s brows knitted. He tapped the window frame. “I just want to make sure I’ve made myself clear.”
    “Crystal.” Danny nodded. “Are we done?”
    Lang’s face pinched. “I suppose.” He stepped away from the car. “Just remember what I said.”
    “How could I forget?” Danny swallowed his annoyance. Green grass and pretty girls might not cut it today.
    Lang walked away, and Danny rolled up the window.
    He turned Guns N’ Roses back to full volume and wished it was warm enough to put the top down. A little sunshine on his head wouldn’t hurt.
    The cop car pulled out onto the road and drove off.
    Why was the town cop interested in Danny? Weren’t they on the same side?
    Whatever. Obviously the guy enjoyed jerking people around. Today, Danny was his choice puppet.
    He drove into town and pulled into the mini-mart gas station combo. While he filled his car’s bottomless tank, he scanned the store’s interior through the plate glass. The white-haired clerk stood behind the counter. Two other people perused the trio of aisles, the red-coated real estate agent and a tall, lanky guy who also looked to be in his fifties. The real estate agent spotted him at the pump. She bumped the arm of her companion and nodded toward Danny.
    Not in the mood to socialize, he was tempted to skip the store, but the thought of coffee prompted him to suck it up. Besides, the real estate agent seemed nosey. He bet she knew a lot of things about a lot of people. He strode into the store. She pounced as he grabbed a shopping basket.
    “Mr. Sullivan.”
    Danny looped the basket over his left elbow. “Ms. Fitzgerald.”
    She gestured to her companion with the can of cat food in her hand. “Let me introduce you to Dr. Ian Chandler.”
    “Nice to meet you.” The doctor juggled a banana, a granola bar, and a cup of coffee to shake Danny’s hand. “I remember your sister. Brave young woman. I hope she’s well.”
    “Jayne’s OK, thanks,” Danny said.
    “Glad to hear it.” Dr. Chandler set his items on the counter.
    “Let me know if you have any problems with the house.” The real estate agent paid for her cat food and headed for the door. “Bye, Ian.”
    Danny tossed pretzels and bread into the basket, then moved to the coffee station at the back of the store. The weight of the basket dug into his left arm. The elbow seized suddenly. Danny set the basket down. He pushed it along on the floor with his foot and carried his coffee in his right hand. Getting in line behind Dr. Chandler, Danny set everything on the counter and massaged his elbow.
    The news played on a small television behind the counter. On the screen a reporter stood in the woods holding a microphone. A river rushed in the background. “Tourist Kevin Dougherty and his ten-year-old son, Hunter, disappeared this morning while on a family fishing trip. When last seen by his brother, Mr. Dougherty and Hunter were angling on the banks of the Long River. Local rivers are unusually high and swift this year due to heavy rains. This morning’s search of the immediate area yieldedno clues, except a pile of belongings on the