Read Online The Longest Yard Sale by Sherry Harris - Free Book Online Page B

the district attorney of Middlesex County, and since CJ was Ellington’s chief of police, they worked cases together on the rare occasion when a crime of significance occurred in Ellington.
    â€œI agree. I don’t like it.”
    I opened the bottle of Merlot and poured us both a glass.
    â€œA woman with the strength to open a bottle of wine.” Seth sighed and batted his eyelashes at me. “You’re amazing.”
    â€œOh, stop,” I said as I handed him his glass and sat back down.
    â€œCJ’s a good guy, but I’m better for you.”
    I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye.
    Seth leaned forward in his chair. “I wouldn’t have let you slip away in the first place.”
    â€œOh.” His statement bounced around in me like a ball in a pinball machine, touching this emotion and that until it settled in a spot so tender, so hurt that I’d kept it locked away for months so I didn’t have to feel anything.
    I leaped up. “We need plates.” The door on the cupboard stuck, as it tended to do. I yanked, and it opened with a screech. After setting the plates on the table, I sat back down.
    Seth opened the pizza box and stared. “I ordered a meat lovers. There’s no meat on this pizza.”
    The pizza was a bianca (white) pizza with tomatoes and garlic. My favorite. CJ knew that. “Did you mention me while you were at DiNapoli’s?” I asked.
    â€œNo, but while I waited to order I looked to see if your light was on and your car was home.”
    â€œAngelo and Rosalie know this is my favorite pizza. So either they’re psychic or you were really obvious.”
    â€œI’m a skilled trial attorney. There’s nothing obvious about me.” He grinned.
    I grinned back at him. We both knew he stood out in any crowd. Seth put slices of pizza on our plates, muttering something about any decent pizza needing meat.
    After my third piece, I pushed back from the table, glad for my yoga pants but embarrassed when I realized I still wasn’t wearing a bra. “Excuse me.” I hurried into my bedroom and threw on a bra and a Red Sox T-shirt. While a pair of jeans would have looked better, the thought of fastening anything over my full belly dismayed me. Yoga pants it was.
    â€œI liked the other outfit better,” Seth said when I returned.
    â€œWhy’d you come here tonight?” I asked.
    â€œI saw that you made a statement about the murder this morning. I wanted to make sure you were okay. Are you?”
    I gritted my teeth and tried to shut out the picture of the victim sprawled on the floor. “I’m fine.” I pushed my chair back and refilled our wineglasses. “Do they have any suspects?” Maybe since CJ had yet to return my calls, Seth would know something.
    Now Seth was the one to look down. “They’re looking at a lot of angles.” He grabbed another piece of pizza and bit into it—a sure sign he knew something he didn’t want to tell me. I thought about what it could be as I sipped my wine. “Is it Carol?” I asked. A hint of color going up Mr. Trial Lawyer’s not obvious face told me I was right. “How can she be a suspect? She didn’t know the guy.”
    â€œI can’t talk about it.”
    For once, I decided to let it go. Maybe if I kept up some casual chatter, something would slip out.
    An hour later, we stood at my door after Seth had cleverly dodged all my attempts to talk about the murder. He’d never even mentioned the victim’s name. Darn him and his skilled trial lawyer ways. Seth kissed me, garlic breath and all, at the door after trying to convince me he should stay. The jury was still out on that one. We’d slept together exactly once, the first night we’d met, and I’d put the brakes on that whole issue. It surprised me that he still came around.
    â€œOut,” I said, pushing gently on his chest until he stood