on that side of the glass. Lou and I sat in chairs next to each other, as if cuddled together for protection. I shifted from side to side, but finding a comfortable position was impossible. I checked my watch more times than I could remember, but after thirty minutes no one had come out to offer any help or information about Reed. Where was he and what were they doing to him?
A couple minutes past and then a tall man in jeans and a white polo shirt walked through the door.
Lou stood up and shook the man’s hand. “Alabama, this is Joe Adkerson.”
“Nice to meet you.” He nodded at me. “Come on. Let’s get him out.”
Lou followed Joe over to the policewoman who was still behind the counter. She had ignored us for the past thirty minutes and I doubted she’d offer any help to Lou or Joe now. I needed fresh air. This whole mess was making me on the verge of hyperventilating and having a panic attack.
I stepped out onto the sidewalk and stared around at the empty parking lot. How had I gotten myself into this situation?
The sound of clothing shuffling caught my attention. I whipped my attention to my right. I hadn’t expected to see Reed’s cousin Melody standing there.
Chapter Fifteen
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
Melody pulled out a cigarette and lit it. “My stupid husband got into a bar fight. They’re letting him out now, but I think they should just keep him in there for a while. He has such a temper.”
“I’m sorry. That’s unfortunate.” I had no idea what else I was supposed to say.
She took a draw from her cigarette, then said, “If you ask me, Gordon got what he had coming. He was rude and mean and it’s no wonder no one liked him.” She stared at me as if waiting for me to agree with her.
This certainly seemed like a drastic change in personality from the way she’d acted when we’d first learned of Gordon’s death. Plus she’d said this out of the blue. We hadn’t even discussed Gordon. He might have been those things, but that was no reason to wish death on the man. I didn’t argue this fact with Melody. It looked as if I’d be on the losing end of that conversation. By the look in her eyes and the tightened jaw, I knew her mind was set. She had her opinion of Gordon and nothing I did or said would change that. But I couldn’t help but wonder why she detested him so much all of a sudden.
I looked around to see if Melody’s husband was coming. I wanted plenty of time to question her without interruption. Not that she’d give me a truthful answer, but I had to try.
“You didn’t mention these things about Gordon before. Why are you telling me now?”
She shrugged and blew a ring of smoke from her mouth. “He owed my husband money and refused to pay up.”
“ Is that right? Apparently, he owed a lot of people money.” I crossed my arms in front of my chest. In spite of the warm temperature, the rain had left my clothing damp and I had to fight off a chill.
She snorted. “What can I say? He was just an all-around terrible person.”
“You worked for him for a while. Was he a bad boss?” I asked.
“I really don’t want to talk about it.”
She was the one who had started the topic. Now she acted as if I’d invaded her privacy. I’d have to ask Reed more questions about his strange cousin. She’d seemed so normal at the reunion. What had changed?
“Have the police talked to you about what happened? Did you express to them your feelings?” I fixed my gaze on her to watch her reaction.
She narrowed her eyes and glared at me. “What are you saying?”
I stepped back a couple feet . My back was up against the stone wall of the building. “I just thought if you had information about someone who might have been upset with Gordon that the police would have spoken with you.”
“ So you’re saying that I’m a suspect because he owed my husband money? Next you’ll say that my husband murdered him.” Her words were laced with venom.
W ell,
A couple minutes past and then a tall man in jeans and a white polo shirt walked through the door.
Lou stood up and shook the man’s hand. “Alabama, this is Joe Adkerson.”
“Nice to meet you.” He nodded at me. “Come on. Let’s get him out.”
Lou followed Joe over to the policewoman who was still behind the counter. She had ignored us for the past thirty minutes and I doubted she’d offer any help to Lou or Joe now. I needed fresh air. This whole mess was making me on the verge of hyperventilating and having a panic attack.
I stepped out onto the sidewalk and stared around at the empty parking lot. How had I gotten myself into this situation?
The sound of clothing shuffling caught my attention. I whipped my attention to my right. I hadn’t expected to see Reed’s cousin Melody standing there.
Chapter Fifteen
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
Melody pulled out a cigarette and lit it. “My stupid husband got into a bar fight. They’re letting him out now, but I think they should just keep him in there for a while. He has such a temper.”
“I’m sorry. That’s unfortunate.” I had no idea what else I was supposed to say.
She took a draw from her cigarette, then said, “If you ask me, Gordon got what he had coming. He was rude and mean and it’s no wonder no one liked him.” She stared at me as if waiting for me to agree with her.
This certainly seemed like a drastic change in personality from the way she’d acted when we’d first learned of Gordon’s death. Plus she’d said this out of the blue. We hadn’t even discussed Gordon. He might have been those things, but that was no reason to wish death on the man. I didn’t argue this fact with Melody. It looked as if I’d be on the losing end of that conversation. By the look in her eyes and the tightened jaw, I knew her mind was set. She had her opinion of Gordon and nothing I did or said would change that. But I couldn’t help but wonder why she detested him so much all of a sudden.
I looked around to see if Melody’s husband was coming. I wanted plenty of time to question her without interruption. Not that she’d give me a truthful answer, but I had to try.
“You didn’t mention these things about Gordon before. Why are you telling me now?”
She shrugged and blew a ring of smoke from her mouth. “He owed my husband money and refused to pay up.”
“ Is that right? Apparently, he owed a lot of people money.” I crossed my arms in front of my chest. In spite of the warm temperature, the rain had left my clothing damp and I had to fight off a chill.
She snorted. “What can I say? He was just an all-around terrible person.”
“You worked for him for a while. Was he a bad boss?” I asked.
“I really don’t want to talk about it.”
She was the one who had started the topic. Now she acted as if I’d invaded her privacy. I’d have to ask Reed more questions about his strange cousin. She’d seemed so normal at the reunion. What had changed?
“Have the police talked to you about what happened? Did you express to them your feelings?” I fixed my gaze on her to watch her reaction.
She narrowed her eyes and glared at me. “What are you saying?”
I stepped back a couple feet . My back was up against the stone wall of the building. “I just thought if you had information about someone who might have been upset with Gordon that the police would have spoken with you.”
“ So you’re saying that I’m a suspect because he owed my husband money? Next you’ll say that my husband murdered him.” Her words were laced with venom.
W ell,
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