Read Online Witness to Murder by Franklin W. Dixon - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Franklin W. Dixon
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cozy cocoon far from the problems of the world.
With Annie so quiet Joe had time to do some serious thinking. He didn't like there being tension between Frank and him, but he knew that Annie was right when she said Frank had never liked her. And now Frank was doubly suspicious of her. It was also true that there were some facts about the case that just didn't add up. Maybe it was time to ask some questions.
"Annie, you asleep?" She turned to look at him and gently shook her head. "Can we talk?" This time she nodded. "That day in Mr. Pizza, when you got the phone call from Phil, that wasn't the first time you'd heard from him lately, was it?" Joe glanced over at her, curled up so sweetly in the seat beside him.
She hesitated but finally spoke. "No. Phil called me a few days earlier from New York. He wanted me to come to the city to see him. He said he'd hit the big time, and he wanted another chance with me."
"What did you tell him?"
"That I wanted nothing to do with him. Believe me, Joe, I was through with Phil Sidler. I was afraid of him."
"But what happened? He wouldn't take no for an answer?"
"He said he was coming to talk to me. I begged him not to. I told him it wouldn't do any good, that I wouldn't see him." Annie twisted the ring on her right hand. "He wanted to know if there was anyone else."
"What did you tell him?"
"I knew he'd be jealous, Joe. If I mentioned another guy, he'd have a fit. So I lied. I told him no, but that I still didn't want to see him. He called again when he got to Bayport. He said he was coming to Mr. Pizza to get me. He said I'd change my mind when I heard about all the money he'd made."
"You think he was talking about the diamonds? That he'd double-crossed Cutter for the stones?"
"I don't know. I didnVask where he'd gotten the money. He was always involved in some crazy get-rich scheme that only made him poorer. Joe." Annie reached out in the dark and put her hand on Joe's arm. "You believe me, don't you? I never knew how nice a guy could be until I met you. I'd never do anything to hurt you." In the beams from an oncoming car Annie's face was suddenly brightly lit, and Joe's heart did a flip-flop when he glanced at her gorgeous hazel eyes.
Annie snuggled closer to him. And Joe could smell her cologne and shampoo as her hair softly brushed his cheek.
Joe hadn't thought he could ever care for any-one after Iola had been killed. But he had started feeling good about Annie. Now the accident had come between them. And he was beginning to have doubts about Annie's story. Some of it didn't add up. His mind whirled with unanswered questions as he drove through the dark night. He glanced into the rear-view mirror every few minutes to make sure they weren't being followed. "Wake up, Annie." Joe gently roused the girl an hour later. "We're almost there."
"I wasn't asleep." Annie yawned. "I was thinking."
"About me?" Joe teased. "I wish I'd met you years ago." "Years ago I was just a kid," Joe had to admit. "You're no old man now." Annie laughed. She looked out the window. "Why are we driving on these back streets?" She glanced into the side-view mirror, suddenly alert. -
Joe had pulled off the highway at the exit for Allendale. He'd driven around the gray and deserted streets several times before heading for the motel he remembered. He didn't want to alarm Annie, but he was being realistic. "I want to be sure no one's following us." "You think they would? You think Cutter's men could have been watching your house?" Annie's voice rose in alarm.
"Calm down, Annie. I said I was just being careful. No one's followed us. I've been watching all the way from Bayport."
"And I thought your mind was on me." Annie tried to smile, but Joe could see that she was still tense.
Pulling into the parking lot for the small motel, Joe managed a laugh. "Holiday Hideout." He read the name of the motel. "Like the sound of that?"
"It's hard to think of this as a holiday," Annie answered solemnly, looking at
With Annie so quiet Joe had time to do some serious thinking. He didn't like there being tension between Frank and him, but he knew that Annie was right when she said Frank had never liked her. And now Frank was doubly suspicious of her. It was also true that there were some facts about the case that just didn't add up. Maybe it was time to ask some questions.
"Annie, you asleep?" She turned to look at him and gently shook her head. "Can we talk?" This time she nodded. "That day in Mr. Pizza, when you got the phone call from Phil, that wasn't the first time you'd heard from him lately, was it?" Joe glanced over at her, curled up so sweetly in the seat beside him.
She hesitated but finally spoke. "No. Phil called me a few days earlier from New York. He wanted me to come to the city to see him. He said he'd hit the big time, and he wanted another chance with me."
"What did you tell him?"
"That I wanted nothing to do with him. Believe me, Joe, I was through with Phil Sidler. I was afraid of him."
"But what happened? He wouldn't take no for an answer?"
"He said he was coming to talk to me. I begged him not to. I told him it wouldn't do any good, that I wouldn't see him." Annie twisted the ring on her right hand. "He wanted to know if there was anyone else."
"What did you tell him?"
"I knew he'd be jealous, Joe. If I mentioned another guy, he'd have a fit. So I lied. I told him no, but that I still didn't want to see him. He called again when he got to Bayport. He said he was coming to Mr. Pizza to get me. He said I'd change my mind when I heard about all the money he'd made."
"You think he was talking about the diamonds? That he'd double-crossed Cutter for the stones?"
"I don't know. I didnVask where he'd gotten the money. He was always involved in some crazy get-rich scheme that only made him poorer. Joe." Annie reached out in the dark and put her hand on Joe's arm. "You believe me, don't you? I never knew how nice a guy could be until I met you. I'd never do anything to hurt you." In the beams from an oncoming car Annie's face was suddenly brightly lit, and Joe's heart did a flip-flop when he glanced at her gorgeous hazel eyes.
Annie snuggled closer to him. And Joe could smell her cologne and shampoo as her hair softly brushed his cheek.
Joe hadn't thought he could ever care for any-one after Iola had been killed. But he had started feeling good about Annie. Now the accident had come between them. And he was beginning to have doubts about Annie's story. Some of it didn't add up. His mind whirled with unanswered questions as he drove through the dark night. He glanced into the rear-view mirror every few minutes to make sure they weren't being followed. "Wake up, Annie." Joe gently roused the girl an hour later. "We're almost there."
"I wasn't asleep." Annie yawned. "I was thinking."
"About me?" Joe teased. "I wish I'd met you years ago." "Years ago I was just a kid," Joe had to admit. "You're no old man now." Annie laughed. She looked out the window. "Why are we driving on these back streets?" She glanced into the side-view mirror, suddenly alert. -
Joe had pulled off the highway at the exit for Allendale. He'd driven around the gray and deserted streets several times before heading for the motel he remembered. He didn't want to alarm Annie, but he was being realistic. "I want to be sure no one's following us." "You think they would? You think Cutter's men could have been watching your house?" Annie's voice rose in alarm.
"Calm down, Annie. I said I was just being careful. No one's followed us. I've been watching all the way from Bayport."
"And I thought your mind was on me." Annie tried to smile, but Joe could see that she was still tense.
Pulling into the parking lot for the small motel, Joe managed a laugh. "Holiday Hideout." He read the name of the motel. "Like the sound of that?"
"It's hard to think of this as a holiday," Annie answered solemnly, looking at
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