Read Online Rear-View Murder: A Gemma Stone Cozy Mystery by Willow Monroe - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Willow Monroe
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were unwilling or afraid to talk.
“Is Sadie still around?” Gemma asked, almost afraid that they would tell her Sadie had disappeared too.
“She’s still in an old abandoned building one block over on Fulton,” Jolene said, pointing.
“Thank you so much for your help,” Gemma said, her heart pounding as she turned back to the car where Holly waited patiently with the engine running.
“They know something but they’re not talking,” Gemma said.
“I had that feeling, too,” Holly added, following Gemma’s directions to drive over to the next street. There they stopped in front of a whole row of abandoned buildings. The only movement on the street was some ripped open garbage bags being blown around by an unseasonably hot wind.
“And just which one of these lovely buildings do you think she lives in?” Holly asked, giving Gemma a pointed look. “I mean, it’s not like we have an address.”
Gemma took a deep breath and gazed at the scene in front of her. Empty, crumbling, abandoned buildings lined both sides of the street. They all had broken windows and missing doors. “It would be brutal to live here in the winter,” Gemma said, hugging herself as if she was cold.
“It would,” Holly agreed.
“I can’t even imagine,” Gemma added, letting her gaze move up and down the street. “She could be in any one of these buildings.”
“So could this bad ass Bobcat person,” Holly reminded her.
Gemma sighed. “I’m sorry this turned out to be a wild goose chase. I guess we might as well...”
Before Gemma could finish her sentence, she spotted movement in a dark doorway. Without a word, she leaped out of the SUV and headed across the street toward it.
“Gemma,” Holly called out after her.
“Sadie,” she called out as she ran ignoring Holly. “Sadie, I want to tell you about Opal.”
A pale figure reappeared in the doorway and held both hands out in front of her. “Stop.”
Breathless, Gemma skidded to a stop halfway across the sidewalk. The young woman stepped just outside, almost hovering in the shadow of the building as if the sunlight would harm her. She had stringy dark hair, a pretty round face and dark eyes that were hard as glass.
“What about Opal?”
“She’s...she’s dead,” Gemma said.
Sadie lifted her chin defiantly. “How?”
“That’s what I was hoping you could tell me.”
“I didn’t do nothin’. I loved her like a sister.”
“I know but maybe you saw something or know something.” When Sadie hesitated, Gemma added, “Bobcat.”
At the mention of his name, Sadie’s eyes grew wide, filled with terror. Absently rubbing at a bruise on her thin, pale upper arm, she looked right and left and then back over her shoulder. “I don’t know nothin’.”
“Listen, I just want to help,” Gemma said, taking a step closer.
“Opal had a special man,” Sadie said, taking a step back.
Gemma didn’t move, sensing that Sadie was ready to bolt any second.
“He sent a car to pick her up.”
“Like a business man? What kind of car?” Gemma asked, her heart pounding. That would explain the ring.
“She said he was a senator and they were in love, especially after she found out about the baby. That’s when Bobcat really got mad at her,” Sadie said, her terror becoming more apparent. She was back inside the doorway again, slowly moving away.
“Wait. What did you say about a baby?”
“Sorry. I gotta go. I gotta go.”
Gemma stood there staring into the black doorway.
“Gemma.” That was Holly. She was right there behind her in the SUV. “We’re done here.”
“No, I think we’re just getting started,” Gemma said, turning slowly to climb back into the SUV.
Chapter Nine
“W e’re being watched,” Holly said, one hand on the gear shift.
Gemma followed her gaze to a dark, narrow alley that ran alongside the building where she’d been talking to Sadie. This had to be none other than Bobcat. He was dressed in a dark suit, shiny red shirt
“Is Sadie still around?” Gemma asked, almost afraid that they would tell her Sadie had disappeared too.
“She’s still in an old abandoned building one block over on Fulton,” Jolene said, pointing.
“Thank you so much for your help,” Gemma said, her heart pounding as she turned back to the car where Holly waited patiently with the engine running.
“They know something but they’re not talking,” Gemma said.
“I had that feeling, too,” Holly added, following Gemma’s directions to drive over to the next street. There they stopped in front of a whole row of abandoned buildings. The only movement on the street was some ripped open garbage bags being blown around by an unseasonably hot wind.
“And just which one of these lovely buildings do you think she lives in?” Holly asked, giving Gemma a pointed look. “I mean, it’s not like we have an address.”
Gemma took a deep breath and gazed at the scene in front of her. Empty, crumbling, abandoned buildings lined both sides of the street. They all had broken windows and missing doors. “It would be brutal to live here in the winter,” Gemma said, hugging herself as if she was cold.
“It would,” Holly agreed.
“I can’t even imagine,” Gemma added, letting her gaze move up and down the street. “She could be in any one of these buildings.”
“So could this bad ass Bobcat person,” Holly reminded her.
Gemma sighed. “I’m sorry this turned out to be a wild goose chase. I guess we might as well...”
Before Gemma could finish her sentence, she spotted movement in a dark doorway. Without a word, she leaped out of the SUV and headed across the street toward it.
“Gemma,” Holly called out after her.
“Sadie,” she called out as she ran ignoring Holly. “Sadie, I want to tell you about Opal.”
A pale figure reappeared in the doorway and held both hands out in front of her. “Stop.”
Breathless, Gemma skidded to a stop halfway across the sidewalk. The young woman stepped just outside, almost hovering in the shadow of the building as if the sunlight would harm her. She had stringy dark hair, a pretty round face and dark eyes that were hard as glass.
“What about Opal?”
“She’s...she’s dead,” Gemma said.
Sadie lifted her chin defiantly. “How?”
“That’s what I was hoping you could tell me.”
“I didn’t do nothin’. I loved her like a sister.”
“I know but maybe you saw something or know something.” When Sadie hesitated, Gemma added, “Bobcat.”
At the mention of his name, Sadie’s eyes grew wide, filled with terror. Absently rubbing at a bruise on her thin, pale upper arm, she looked right and left and then back over her shoulder. “I don’t know nothin’.”
“Listen, I just want to help,” Gemma said, taking a step closer.
“Opal had a special man,” Sadie said, taking a step back.
Gemma didn’t move, sensing that Sadie was ready to bolt any second.
“He sent a car to pick her up.”
“Like a business man? What kind of car?” Gemma asked, her heart pounding. That would explain the ring.
“She said he was a senator and they were in love, especially after she found out about the baby. That’s when Bobcat really got mad at her,” Sadie said, her terror becoming more apparent. She was back inside the doorway again, slowly moving away.
“Wait. What did you say about a baby?”
“Sorry. I gotta go. I gotta go.”
Gemma stood there staring into the black doorway.
“Gemma.” That was Holly. She was right there behind her in the SUV. “We’re done here.”
“No, I think we’re just getting started,” Gemma said, turning slowly to climb back into the SUV.
Chapter Nine
“W e’re being watched,” Holly said, one hand on the gear shift.
Gemma followed her gaze to a dark, narrow alley that ran alongside the building where she’d been talking to Sadie. This had to be none other than Bobcat. He was dressed in a dark suit, shiny red shirt
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