he had to ask. "You all right, Sunshine?"
"Feeling almost human. My arm hurts a little, but not like yesterday." She slanted him a questioning look as she deposited her shopping bag on the floor and sat back on the bed. "What’s up? You look like that cat who got in the cream pitcher."
He couldn’t stop his grin from spreading. "Even better, I might have just wrapped this case up." She started to jump up, but he motioned for her to stay seated. "Don’t get carried away, I said might."
"Just tell me!" She demanded , looking so appealing he wanted to kiss the impatience off her face.
"Seems our buddy Mr. Justin Saunders got a DUI a couple of years back, and his credit rating is so bad, he needed a co-signer to rent his house." He couldn’t resist a dramatic pause before he said. "None other than his boss, Mr. Michael Prince."
Chapter 8
"Michael Prince and my little sister?" Byrony’s voice sounded shrill as a harpy even to her own ears. If she hadn’t already been sitting, the shock from Tate’s pronouncement would have knocked her off her feet. Her mouth opened and closed a couple of times before she regained enough control to mutter, "Dirty old sleaze-ball must have had a key. A key he gave to his – his..."
Tate expression shifted to conciliatory "Sorry, Sunshine, but I think that’s exactly what he did, and I don’t think your sister was the first. Something must have gone wrong, and Jessica paid the price."
As she shuddered with revulsion, Tate picked up his cell phone. "I’m calling Detective Shaffer. He can take over from here," he explained. "Then I’m taking a shower and if you’re up to it, we’re going out and celebrate with waffles."
"I’ll be ready." As much as she detested the probably answers, she finally felt a modicum of closure. Michael Prince knew what happened to Jessica and she intended to see him reveal everything and face the consequences.
Forty-five minutes later, they sat in a booth at the Harbor Diner. Byrony’s arm throbbed, but she was determined not to take another pain pill until they finished their celebratory breakfast.
"I wish I could be there when Detective Shaffer hauls that creep Prince in." Just uttering his name made her stomach clench with distaste. Not that the man was homely, he was actually good looking, but he was twice Jessica’s age and married.
"Don’t get your hopes up, Sunshine. It’s not like TV. He’ll deny everything and lawyer up." Tate paused when their waitress appeared.
The woman stood and stared expectantly at Byrony . Between her agitation and the pain in her arm, Byrony couldn’t focus on the menu, so she pointed to a picture of a stack of waffles with whipped cream and blueberries. "I’ll take that and coffee."
"Make it two." Tate gave the waitress a full on smile with dimples, and the bleached blonde simpered and filled his coffee cup. Then as an obvious afterthought, she sloshed some liquid into Byrony’s cup.
Byrony had to use every ounce of her self-control to keep her eyes from rolling as the waitress flounced away.
Tate’s shrewd gaze swept over her. "Didn’t mean to spoil the party," he apologized, no longer smiling. "But I’ve seen these scenarios go down too many times."
"But he and Jessica were…" Byrony’s stomach lurched, and she lowered her voice. "… having an affair. That gives him a motive. Don’t you think he’s guilty?"
"What I think and what can be proved might not be the same things." He shrugged. "Then again, he was pretty shook up when I saw him yesterday. He might spill his guts as soon as Shaffer questions him."
She digested his cautionary comments as best she could. She wouldn’t quit until she had justice for her sister, and they were close now. She could feel it in her bone marrow. After a long moment, she quipped, "So much for a celebration, you really need to work on your party planning skills."
He flashed those killer dimples. "Afraid I don’t have a lot of experience with parties.
"Feeling almost human. My arm hurts a little, but not like yesterday." She slanted him a questioning look as she deposited her shopping bag on the floor and sat back on the bed. "What’s up? You look like that cat who got in the cream pitcher."
He couldn’t stop his grin from spreading. "Even better, I might have just wrapped this case up." She started to jump up, but he motioned for her to stay seated. "Don’t get carried away, I said might."
"Just tell me!" She demanded , looking so appealing he wanted to kiss the impatience off her face.
"Seems our buddy Mr. Justin Saunders got a DUI a couple of years back, and his credit rating is so bad, he needed a co-signer to rent his house." He couldn’t resist a dramatic pause before he said. "None other than his boss, Mr. Michael Prince."
Chapter 8
"Michael Prince and my little sister?" Byrony’s voice sounded shrill as a harpy even to her own ears. If she hadn’t already been sitting, the shock from Tate’s pronouncement would have knocked her off her feet. Her mouth opened and closed a couple of times before she regained enough control to mutter, "Dirty old sleaze-ball must have had a key. A key he gave to his – his..."
Tate expression shifted to conciliatory "Sorry, Sunshine, but I think that’s exactly what he did, and I don’t think your sister was the first. Something must have gone wrong, and Jessica paid the price."
As she shuddered with revulsion, Tate picked up his cell phone. "I’m calling Detective Shaffer. He can take over from here," he explained. "Then I’m taking a shower and if you’re up to it, we’re going out and celebrate with waffles."
"I’ll be ready." As much as she detested the probably answers, she finally felt a modicum of closure. Michael Prince knew what happened to Jessica and she intended to see him reveal everything and face the consequences.
Forty-five minutes later, they sat in a booth at the Harbor Diner. Byrony’s arm throbbed, but she was determined not to take another pain pill until they finished their celebratory breakfast.
"I wish I could be there when Detective Shaffer hauls that creep Prince in." Just uttering his name made her stomach clench with distaste. Not that the man was homely, he was actually good looking, but he was twice Jessica’s age and married.
"Don’t get your hopes up, Sunshine. It’s not like TV. He’ll deny everything and lawyer up." Tate paused when their waitress appeared.
The woman stood and stared expectantly at Byrony . Between her agitation and the pain in her arm, Byrony couldn’t focus on the menu, so she pointed to a picture of a stack of waffles with whipped cream and blueberries. "I’ll take that and coffee."
"Make it two." Tate gave the waitress a full on smile with dimples, and the bleached blonde simpered and filled his coffee cup. Then as an obvious afterthought, she sloshed some liquid into Byrony’s cup.
Byrony had to use every ounce of her self-control to keep her eyes from rolling as the waitress flounced away.
Tate’s shrewd gaze swept over her. "Didn’t mean to spoil the party," he apologized, no longer smiling. "But I’ve seen these scenarios go down too many times."
"But he and Jessica were…" Byrony’s stomach lurched, and she lowered her voice. "… having an affair. That gives him a motive. Don’t you think he’s guilty?"
"What I think and what can be proved might not be the same things." He shrugged. "Then again, he was pretty shook up when I saw him yesterday. He might spill his guts as soon as Shaffer questions him."
She digested his cautionary comments as best she could. She wouldn’t quit until she had justice for her sister, and they were close now. She could feel it in her bone marrow. After a long moment, she quipped, "So much for a celebration, you really need to work on your party planning skills."
He flashed those killer dimples. "Afraid I don’t have a lot of experience with parties.
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