Read Online Rear-View Murder: A Gemma Stone Cozy Mystery by Willow Monroe - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Willow Monroe
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lovely corner it is.”
“You might as well move along,” another woman said. She wore miniscule shorts and a halter that did little to halt anything.
“Oh, hush you two, she’s not a working girl,” said a third as she stepped up between the first two women. She was wearing what looked like baby doll pajamas. “Look at how she’s dressed. No man is gonna be interested in that. Now, what do you need, honey?” she asked before Gemma could react.
“I just have a couple of questions,” Gemma began.
Holly inched the vehicle up closer behind her. She could see the hood of the car just over her shoulder.
“You a cop?” The tall redhead again.
“No,” Gemma said, holding out the picture. “I was just...I’m looking for someone.”
“Who?”
“Opal Sparrow,” Gemma said and held the photo out at arm’s length for them to see.
All three women studied it for a few moments, glancing up at Gemma from time to time.
“Never saw her before,” the woman wearing shorts said with a shake of her head.
After a few moments, the other two shook their heads as well. “Nope. Don’t know that one.”
Gemma knew they were lying.
“Okay, thank you,” Gemma heard Holly unlock the doors to the SUV and turned to climb inside, disappointed.
“Hey,” the woman wearing pajamas called out just before Gemma closed the heavy door. “You might want to try further up that way.” She pointed with a long, scarlet tipped finger that Gemma thought looked like a claw. “She might work for Bobcat.”
“Who is Bobcat?” Gemma asked.
But the women had already turned away from her and Holly was moving on.
“You need to rethink your wardrobe, evidently,” Holly said.
Gemma looked down at her outfit. It consisted of navy cotton slacks, a white top and a colorful scarf. “What’s wrong with my outfit?”
Before Holly could respond, they passed an alley where two women stood smoking cigarettes. Gemma wasn’t quite as nervous this time when she got out of the SUV.
“Hello, my name is Gemma.”
“So?” the woman closest to Gemma said. She blew a smoke ring and then crushed out her cigarette under a high heeled boot.
“Shut up, Jolene,” the second woman snapped and put out her cigarette as well. “Hello, Gemma, so nice to meet you. Would you like to come up to my flat for a cup of tea?”
Jolene burst out laughing and Gemma felt her face grow hot with embarrassment.
“Sorry, we’re just bustin’ on you,” Jolene told Gemma. “Gotta do something to have a little fun down here.”
“I understand,” Gemma said.
“You lookin’ for somebody?” the woman asked, nodding toward the picture in Gemma’s hand.
“Yes,” Gemma said, holding out the picture. “Her name was Opal Sparrow. Some ladies down the street thought she worked this area. Maybe worked for someone named Bobcat.”
The two women exchanged glances and then suddenly became very still. Gemma could almost feel the fear rolling off of them. “Yeah, she works for Bobcat. Haven’t seen her around for a while though.”
“What do you know about Opal?”
Both women smiled. “Sweet girl. Not really meant for the streets but she tried real hard,” Jolene reported.
“I think Sadie was probably her best friend. They shared a place over on Fulton. Sadie looked for her for a while but couldn’t find her,” the second woman told her. “Sadie would probably be real happy to know where Opal is if you could tell her.”
“I’m afraid Opal is dead,” Gemma said.
The two women exchanged glances again, something unspoken between them.
“What about Bobcat?” Gemma asked.
“Oh, he’s very much alive,” Jolene told her in a low voice just above a whisper. “He’s the meanest pimp in town. Treats his girls real rough, especially when they don’t bring in enough money. He was awful hard on Opal.”
“Do you think he would have done something to her? Maybe got out of control?”
There was that look again. They knew something but they
“You might as well move along,” another woman said. She wore miniscule shorts and a halter that did little to halt anything.
“Oh, hush you two, she’s not a working girl,” said a third as she stepped up between the first two women. She was wearing what looked like baby doll pajamas. “Look at how she’s dressed. No man is gonna be interested in that. Now, what do you need, honey?” she asked before Gemma could react.
“I just have a couple of questions,” Gemma began.
Holly inched the vehicle up closer behind her. She could see the hood of the car just over her shoulder.
“You a cop?” The tall redhead again.
“No,” Gemma said, holding out the picture. “I was just...I’m looking for someone.”
“Who?”
“Opal Sparrow,” Gemma said and held the photo out at arm’s length for them to see.
All three women studied it for a few moments, glancing up at Gemma from time to time.
“Never saw her before,” the woman wearing shorts said with a shake of her head.
After a few moments, the other two shook their heads as well. “Nope. Don’t know that one.”
Gemma knew they were lying.
“Okay, thank you,” Gemma heard Holly unlock the doors to the SUV and turned to climb inside, disappointed.
“Hey,” the woman wearing pajamas called out just before Gemma closed the heavy door. “You might want to try further up that way.” She pointed with a long, scarlet tipped finger that Gemma thought looked like a claw. “She might work for Bobcat.”
“Who is Bobcat?” Gemma asked.
But the women had already turned away from her and Holly was moving on.
“You need to rethink your wardrobe, evidently,” Holly said.
Gemma looked down at her outfit. It consisted of navy cotton slacks, a white top and a colorful scarf. “What’s wrong with my outfit?”
Before Holly could respond, they passed an alley where two women stood smoking cigarettes. Gemma wasn’t quite as nervous this time when she got out of the SUV.
“Hello, my name is Gemma.”
“So?” the woman closest to Gemma said. She blew a smoke ring and then crushed out her cigarette under a high heeled boot.
“Shut up, Jolene,” the second woman snapped and put out her cigarette as well. “Hello, Gemma, so nice to meet you. Would you like to come up to my flat for a cup of tea?”
Jolene burst out laughing and Gemma felt her face grow hot with embarrassment.
“Sorry, we’re just bustin’ on you,” Jolene told Gemma. “Gotta do something to have a little fun down here.”
“I understand,” Gemma said.
“You lookin’ for somebody?” the woman asked, nodding toward the picture in Gemma’s hand.
“Yes,” Gemma said, holding out the picture. “Her name was Opal Sparrow. Some ladies down the street thought she worked this area. Maybe worked for someone named Bobcat.”
The two women exchanged glances and then suddenly became very still. Gemma could almost feel the fear rolling off of them. “Yeah, she works for Bobcat. Haven’t seen her around for a while though.”
“What do you know about Opal?”
Both women smiled. “Sweet girl. Not really meant for the streets but she tried real hard,” Jolene reported.
“I think Sadie was probably her best friend. They shared a place over on Fulton. Sadie looked for her for a while but couldn’t find her,” the second woman told her. “Sadie would probably be real happy to know where Opal is if you could tell her.”
“I’m afraid Opal is dead,” Gemma said.
The two women exchanged glances again, something unspoken between them.
“What about Bobcat?” Gemma asked.
“Oh, he’s very much alive,” Jolene told her in a low voice just above a whisper. “He’s the meanest pimp in town. Treats his girls real rough, especially when they don’t bring in enough money. He was awful hard on Opal.”
“Do you think he would have done something to her? Maybe got out of control?”
There was that look again. They knew something but they
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