1 Hairspray and Homicide by Cindy Bell Read Free Book Online Page B

to Pete. "Give me the phone," he said sternly.
    "It's my phone," Pete growled and snatched it away from Nick's reach.
    "Pete," Nick warned and snapped his fingers sharply. "Give me the phone or I'll have you in cuffs for withholding evidence."
    Pete narrowed his eyes and then handed over the phone reluctantly. "There just might be a few things on there that are a little personal," he said in a whisper.
    Nick nodded solemnly and tucked the phone into his pocket. Without looking at Bekki, he led her out of the restaurant. Sammy came scampering behind them after throwing some cash on the table for their meal.
    "I'm going to jail now, aren't I?" Bekki asked breathlessly. She had to resist every urge in her body to writhe out of his grasp. She knew that she could easily accomplish it, since she had practiced the moves so many times, but it would only lead to him drawing his weapon.
    "Bekki," he growled and tightened his grasp to remind her that he knew what she had done to the two men in the bar. "Why did you talk to him about the murder?" he demanded as he finally turned to face her. Sammy skidded to a stop just behind them.
    "I wanted to clear my name," Bekki said firmly and tried to meet his eyes.
    "Good job," he replied shortly. "Now the entire town has heard Daisy accusing you of her murder!"
    Bekki was speechless as he closed his eyes slowly and tried to restrain his temper. "If you had just done as I asked, and let me handle this, none of this would have happened."
    "Really?" Bekki asked with a mild laugh as she finally found his eyes. "What difference would it have made? It won't change the voicemail, will it?"
    "No," he replied as he struggled to keep his tone professional, though his face drew dangerously near to hers. "But it would have given me the chance to evaluate the evidence without everyone in that restaurant hearing it, or Pete accusing you. Which is why I asked you to let me handle it," he reminded her sternly.
    Bekki tugged lightly at her arm and was surprised when Nick willingly released it.
    "I couldn't just wait around to be arrested," she muttered defensively.
    "Me doing my job, is not the same as you waiting around," he pointed out and shoved his hands deep into his pockets. He settled his gaze on her with one of his famous unreadable expressions and she felt as if she was a teenager again, wondering if he reallyliked her, or just liked her.
    "Well," Bekki cleared her throat. "I can't take a chance with my freedom."
    "Well, you have tonight," Nick shot back and raised a finger in the air to point directly at her. "You should be in handcuffs right now. Do you realize that?"
    Bekki felt her breath grow short. She remembered her conversation with Nick on the porch, and how he had claimed he would arrest anyone that the proof led to, and yet despite the revealing voicemail, he did not appear to be reaching for his cuffs.
    "Yes," she replied in a hesitant voice.
    "I came here tonight to talk with Pete. It's not as if I wasn't going to investigate him, Bekki. But every time I turn around in this case, there you are, getting in the middle of things."
    "I am in the middle of things!" Bekki protested as Sammy stepped up behind her. "I could not be more in the middle of things if I tried," she pointed out desperately. "Now with this voicemail, I'll just have to wait around until you show up at my door,” she sighed as her words trailed off. She knew that she wasn't doing anything to help her case by getting emotional.
    “Bekki,” Nick reached for her arm again, this time with a gentler grasp. “It's all going to be fine. Just let me do my job, and I will make sure the truth is revealed and you don't end up behind bars.”
    “Forgive me if I find that hard to believe,” Bekki replied quietly. “But I do recall you being the one who told me you will follow the evidence.”
    Nick sighed and ran his fingers back through his light brown hair before he ruffled it. “Just trust me, Bekki,” he asked and tried to