Read Online Secrets Amoung The Shadows by Sally Berneathy - Free Book Online
Authors: Sally Berneathy
Ads: Link
him...the way Kay had betrayed him.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Eliot and Edward. Two people—no, two halves of the same person.
***
An hour later Eliot stood outside the Executive Styles shop. Through the windows he could see the women cutting hair and giving manicures.
He looked down at his hands, clenching and unclenching them. Had he sat in one of those chairs while Kay Palmer smoothed his hands with lotion then buffed his nails?
In his dream her nails had been long and red...and two of the tips had broken off as she fought for her life. He'd scoured the news reports but had never found that detail mentioned. However, he'd heard that the police often withheld certain details of a crime in order to weed out the false confessions. What would they say if he asked them about the broken fingernails?
One of the women inside looked up, then smiled and waved. Woodenly Eliot lifted a hand in a return greeting. Did she know him or was she only being polite to a potential client?
He had to go in. Much as the possibility of what he might discover frightened him, nevertheless he had to know the truth. He straightened his tie, took a deep breath and pushed through the door.
"Hi, Eliot," the receptionist greeted, and he felt the blood leave his face and freeze in his veins.
"Hi—" He checked the name plate on her desk. "Hi, Patsy."
"I'm real sorry about Kay," she said.
"Yeah, me, too." More sorry than you can ever know. "Do the police have any idea who did it?"
Patsy leaned forward confidentially, and he moved closer to the desk.
"Wayne was coming over that night. She was going to tell him she wanted a divorce. Did she tell you that?"
Eliot could hear the blood roaring past his ears as he listened to Patsy's revelations. "No, she didn't tell me." But he couldn't say if she'd told Edward.
Patsy's forehead wrinkled. "You did know she was just separated, not divorced, didn't you?"
"Sure," Eliot lied. "I knew that."
"Well, Wayne didn't even like the idea of them being separated, so he probably didn't take too kindly to a divorce. I think he killed her in a rage, that's what I think. Wayne Palmer had a terrible temper, especially when he'd been drinking."
Eliot ran his tongue over suddenly dry lips. "So I was to blame for her death."
At Patsy's shocked look, he realized he'd spoken the words aloud. "Oh, no," she protested. "Don't you even think that. You made her happy. She was so excited that day. She had her hair done and her nails sculptured just for you. If Wayne agreed to the divorce, she was going to call you right away on your private number, the one that was just for her to use, so the two of you could celebrate."
"Sculptured? Does that mean her nails were long and red?" All the woman had to do was say no , and he would be able to breathe again.
"Yeah!" Patsy grinned. "Real long and real red. Just the way you liked them."
Real long and real red . The air seemed to have gone out of the room. He couldn't get his breath.
"You okay?"
He gave one brief, jerky nod. It was the best he could manage.
"Why don't you come around here and sit down?" Her voice was kind, a kindness he didn't deserve.
"I'm okay," he croaked.
"She didn't call you that night, did she?"
"No. No, she didn't call me." She hadn't called him, but she could have called Edward.
"I didn't think so. I told the police Wayne was probably the last person to see her alive."
"Yes," he agreed. "Wayne."
"You really don't look so good, Eliot. You're taking this pretty hard, aren't you? Oh, I know you're a big, strong, macho man, but I also know you had some real feelings for Kay."
He wanted to nod, but feared if he started, his head might never stop bobbing.
"Thanks for talking to me, Patsy." He turned away, his movements stiff and mechanical as he made his way to the door.
"Sure, Eliot. You come back any time."
Eliot strode away from the shop, afraid to look back, certain he could feel the hot breath of the hounds of hell pursuing
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Eliot and Edward. Two people—no, two halves of the same person.
***
An hour later Eliot stood outside the Executive Styles shop. Through the windows he could see the women cutting hair and giving manicures.
He looked down at his hands, clenching and unclenching them. Had he sat in one of those chairs while Kay Palmer smoothed his hands with lotion then buffed his nails?
In his dream her nails had been long and red...and two of the tips had broken off as she fought for her life. He'd scoured the news reports but had never found that detail mentioned. However, he'd heard that the police often withheld certain details of a crime in order to weed out the false confessions. What would they say if he asked them about the broken fingernails?
One of the women inside looked up, then smiled and waved. Woodenly Eliot lifted a hand in a return greeting. Did she know him or was she only being polite to a potential client?
He had to go in. Much as the possibility of what he might discover frightened him, nevertheless he had to know the truth. He straightened his tie, took a deep breath and pushed through the door.
"Hi, Eliot," the receptionist greeted, and he felt the blood leave his face and freeze in his veins.
"Hi—" He checked the name plate on her desk. "Hi, Patsy."
"I'm real sorry about Kay," she said.
"Yeah, me, too." More sorry than you can ever know. "Do the police have any idea who did it?"
Patsy leaned forward confidentially, and he moved closer to the desk.
"Wayne was coming over that night. She was going to tell him she wanted a divorce. Did she tell you that?"
Eliot could hear the blood roaring past his ears as he listened to Patsy's revelations. "No, she didn't tell me." But he couldn't say if she'd told Edward.
Patsy's forehead wrinkled. "You did know she was just separated, not divorced, didn't you?"
"Sure," Eliot lied. "I knew that."
"Well, Wayne didn't even like the idea of them being separated, so he probably didn't take too kindly to a divorce. I think he killed her in a rage, that's what I think. Wayne Palmer had a terrible temper, especially when he'd been drinking."
Eliot ran his tongue over suddenly dry lips. "So I was to blame for her death."
At Patsy's shocked look, he realized he'd spoken the words aloud. "Oh, no," she protested. "Don't you even think that. You made her happy. She was so excited that day. She had her hair done and her nails sculptured just for you. If Wayne agreed to the divorce, she was going to call you right away on your private number, the one that was just for her to use, so the two of you could celebrate."
"Sculptured? Does that mean her nails were long and red?" All the woman had to do was say no , and he would be able to breathe again.
"Yeah!" Patsy grinned. "Real long and real red. Just the way you liked them."
Real long and real red . The air seemed to have gone out of the room. He couldn't get his breath.
"You okay?"
He gave one brief, jerky nod. It was the best he could manage.
"Why don't you come around here and sit down?" Her voice was kind, a kindness he didn't deserve.
"I'm okay," he croaked.
"She didn't call you that night, did she?"
"No. No, she didn't call me." She hadn't called him, but she could have called Edward.
"I didn't think so. I told the police Wayne was probably the last person to see her alive."
"Yes," he agreed. "Wayne."
"You really don't look so good, Eliot. You're taking this pretty hard, aren't you? Oh, I know you're a big, strong, macho man, but I also know you had some real feelings for Kay."
He wanted to nod, but feared if he started, his head might never stop bobbing.
"Thanks for talking to me, Patsy." He turned away, his movements stiff and mechanical as he made his way to the door.
"Sure, Eliot. You come back any time."
Eliot strode away from the shop, afraid to look back, certain he could feel the hot breath of the hounds of hell pursuing
Similar Books
