Read Online Where Angels Rest by Kate Brady - Free Book Online

night. He promised they would investigate.” Her tone dripped with doubt.
    Nick took a deep breath. If the attack at the prison had been the work of some extremist protester, then she was out of danger now. Still, he didn’t like the idea that she’d been targeted. He’d rather be pissed at her than worried.
    “What’s in the paper?” he asked Jensen.
    Jensen tapped the folder. “Everything I could find on a Sunday night. And I sent a bunch of requests for reports that we should get tomorrow or Monday.” He scooted the collection of reports toward Nick on the table. “Dr. Sims fingered Jack—John Huggins—for the McAllister girl’smurder back in Florida but no charges were ever filed against him. Instead, her brother was tried and convicted, and sentenced to death.”
    Nick looked at her. “Let me guess. Your brother had never even met the McAllister girl. He was in Nova Scotia at the time of her death with a dozen witnesses and never shot a gun in his life.”
    Her chin went up. “No. My brother had a crazy crush on her, his semen was found in a condom in her bathroom, and the gun that killed her was his.”
    Whoa. Nick glanced at Jensen, who shrugged, then looked back at Dr. Sims. She hadn’t flinched. Had done this before, he decided. For about twelve years, no doubt.
    He rubbed a hand over his face. This had to be bullshit.
Jack Calloway?
He was an upstanding man, a friend. Besides, there were no murderers in Hopewell.
    The clay-covered body of Carrie Sitton rose to mind, the taste of bile right behind.
    No. That wasn’t Hopewell. That case wasn’t his.
    But this one—he looked at the stack of papers Jensen had brought—this one
was
his. Jack Calloway was his. For the moment, anyway, no matter how much he didn’t like the idea, Dr. Erin Sims was his.
    “Jensen,” he said, picking up the files from the table. “Go back to Hopewell and finish compiling whatever’s left. Set up an appointment for me with Jack in the morning and see if Dorian Reinhardt is back—he’s been in Georgia visiting relatives with his family.”
    “He got back today,” Jensen said. “Jack called him over to Hilltop when Sims showed up.”
    “Okay. Then let him know I’m going to talk to Jack.” Dorian was Jack’s lawyer. He was a prick, but would have to be there. Nick paused, mentally counting out the daysuntil midnight, Thursday. “And call Judge Watkins. Tell him I may need him home.”
    “Sure,” Jensen said, and slid a glance to Sims. “You want me to take her?”
    Nick saw her frame tighten. There was plenty of reason to put her in a motel—or cell—for a few hours, not the least of which was to make sure she stayed put. There was no good reason to hear anymore ludicrous accusations about Jack Calloway or a murderer lurking in his town.
    Except that she was the most interesting thing he’d come across in a long time, in more ways than one. His gaze dipped to her left hand, belatedly enough to know his senses weren’t up to speed yet. No wedding ring, just a small silver-and-pearl setting on her right hand.
    She was alone in this.
    “She can stay,” he said, and opened his palms to her. “If she wants to.”
    “Will you let me tell you about Huggins?” she asked.
    “I’ll read the files. Since I’m apparently being asked by Florida to look at the case, anyway.”
    To his surprise, she seemed to take even that much as a triumph. “Then I’ll stay.”

CHAPTER
8
    R EBECCA E NGEL CLIMBED onto the sofa from her knees and spat into her bandanna, wiping her face with the back of her hand. She sniffed; that last snort of cocaine had made her nostrils burn.
    “Get back here,” Ace said. He hauled her onto his lap and dug between her thighs with his fingers. “You like that, don’t you, baby?”
    “No, it hurts,” she said, meaning it. “Stop it, Ace. I’m not in the mood.”
I can’t stop thinking about Carrie.
    “You barely knew her,” Ace grumbled. “Get over it.”
    Get over it.
Rebecca