Read Online Skeleton's Key (Delta Crossroads Trilogy, Book 2) by Stacy Green - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Stacy Green
Ads: Link
than a person might think in these old houses. But a body? He couldn’t begin to guess time of death, but the plastic wrappings had certainly preserved the corpse’s shape.
Someone had used Ironwood to cover up a murder.
He pulled out his cellphone and made the call. Sheriff was going to love this.
Upstairs, he found Dani still sitting in the same spot. Her mouth was parted, and she breathed deeply, trying to calm herself. He hurried into the kitchen, ran her a glass of water, and brought it back to her motionless form.
“Drink this.” He put the glass into her hand and then knelt in front of her, his right hand hovering above her knee. He made a fist and rested it on the couch beside her.
She blinked. A single tear welled out of her eye and trickled past the smattering of freckles across her nose. “There’s a body in my basement.”
“Yeah.”
“Is it…is it all there?”
“Looks like it.”
“What happens now?”
“I called the sheriff. He’s sending out the head of the investigative department.”
She blew a shaky breath and took a sip of water. “Will you work the scene?”
Cage shook his head. “I’m a patrol deputy. Adams County has five investigators who handle major crime.”
“What about Jeb? Shouldn’t he be informed?”
“Sheriff called him. He’ll be here, along with Captain Barnes. She’ll handle the investigation.”
“The head of your Criminal Investigation Department is a woman?”
“Yeah, can you believe that?” Cage made sure to thicken his drawl with sarcasm. “We Rednecks are comin’ out of the dark ages.”
“Nice.”
“This isn’t the old South anymore, you know. I mean, sure, our way of life and our priorities are different. But most of us don’t believe a woman’s place is in the kitchen, barefoot and pregnant.”
“Did I say that?”
“You don’t have to. Your shock and awe says enough.”
Dani thinned her lips. “I’m shocked and awed you’re still single with such a sunny disposition. After all, who wouldn’t want you grumping around in their life?”
“Beats me, I’m a catch.” He looked past Dani and tried to hide how deeply her comment had sliced. Is that why Jaymee had never seen him the way he wanted her to? He might take life too seriously at times, but he’d tried to be what he thought Jaymee wanted.
“Sorry.” Dani sighed and leaned back in the chair. “That was low and bitchy. I’m just in shock. And it’s nearly midnight and still baking in here. God Almighty, how do you people survive?”
9
T here was a body in her basement, and whoever it was had obviously met with some kind of foul play.
Maybe not. Maybe it was an accident. Or a suicide. And someone panicked and buried the body.
Right.
She pressed her fingertips against her aching forehead. Tomorrow, she was supposed to be digging up bones and making sure Ironwood’s foundation wasn’t harmed. She should be talking to the historical foundation about contractors who knew how to treat the house’s fragile mantles and crown molding. Talking to floor specialists, window experts, a heating and cooling guy who wouldn’t steal every dime she had. Not worrying about a rotting body in the basement!
One by one, Adams County cops arrived. Introductions were made, but Dani was too stunned to remember all of their names. Jeb nodded solemnly, and a gangly kid with dark hair and perpetually tanned skin followed him, looking far too excited to be here. Jeb introduced him as Billy the intern.
“What the hell’s going on here, Cage?” Captain Regina Barnes had been the first to arrive. “First a skeleton, and now this?”
Dani tried to clear her head enough to get an honest impression of Captain Barnes. Likely in her early forties, small and compact but clearly an authority figure. No makeup, but she didn’t really need it. There was warmth in her grim smile.
“Don’t ask me, Gina,” Cage answered. “This is a few feet away from the skeleton, and I don’t
Someone had used Ironwood to cover up a murder.
He pulled out his cellphone and made the call. Sheriff was going to love this.
Upstairs, he found Dani still sitting in the same spot. Her mouth was parted, and she breathed deeply, trying to calm herself. He hurried into the kitchen, ran her a glass of water, and brought it back to her motionless form.
“Drink this.” He put the glass into her hand and then knelt in front of her, his right hand hovering above her knee. He made a fist and rested it on the couch beside her.
She blinked. A single tear welled out of her eye and trickled past the smattering of freckles across her nose. “There’s a body in my basement.”
“Yeah.”
“Is it…is it all there?”
“Looks like it.”
“What happens now?”
“I called the sheriff. He’s sending out the head of the investigative department.”
She blew a shaky breath and took a sip of water. “Will you work the scene?”
Cage shook his head. “I’m a patrol deputy. Adams County has five investigators who handle major crime.”
“What about Jeb? Shouldn’t he be informed?”
“Sheriff called him. He’ll be here, along with Captain Barnes. She’ll handle the investigation.”
“The head of your Criminal Investigation Department is a woman?”
“Yeah, can you believe that?” Cage made sure to thicken his drawl with sarcasm. “We Rednecks are comin’ out of the dark ages.”
“Nice.”
“This isn’t the old South anymore, you know. I mean, sure, our way of life and our priorities are different. But most of us don’t believe a woman’s place is in the kitchen, barefoot and pregnant.”
“Did I say that?”
“You don’t have to. Your shock and awe says enough.”
Dani thinned her lips. “I’m shocked and awed you’re still single with such a sunny disposition. After all, who wouldn’t want you grumping around in their life?”
“Beats me, I’m a catch.” He looked past Dani and tried to hide how deeply her comment had sliced. Is that why Jaymee had never seen him the way he wanted her to? He might take life too seriously at times, but he’d tried to be what he thought Jaymee wanted.
“Sorry.” Dani sighed and leaned back in the chair. “That was low and bitchy. I’m just in shock. And it’s nearly midnight and still baking in here. God Almighty, how do you people survive?”
9
T here was a body in her basement, and whoever it was had obviously met with some kind of foul play.
Maybe not. Maybe it was an accident. Or a suicide. And someone panicked and buried the body.
Right.
She pressed her fingertips against her aching forehead. Tomorrow, she was supposed to be digging up bones and making sure Ironwood’s foundation wasn’t harmed. She should be talking to the historical foundation about contractors who knew how to treat the house’s fragile mantles and crown molding. Talking to floor specialists, window experts, a heating and cooling guy who wouldn’t steal every dime she had. Not worrying about a rotting body in the basement!
One by one, Adams County cops arrived. Introductions were made, but Dani was too stunned to remember all of their names. Jeb nodded solemnly, and a gangly kid with dark hair and perpetually tanned skin followed him, looking far too excited to be here. Jeb introduced him as Billy the intern.
“What the hell’s going on here, Cage?” Captain Regina Barnes had been the first to arrive. “First a skeleton, and now this?”
Dani tried to clear her head enough to get an honest impression of Captain Barnes. Likely in her early forties, small and compact but clearly an authority figure. No makeup, but she didn’t really need it. There was warmth in her grim smile.
“Don’t ask me, Gina,” Cage answered. “This is a few feet away from the skeleton, and I don’t
Similar Books
