Ask Anyone by Sherryl Woods Read Free Book Online Page A

twitched. “The carousel horse?”
    â€œThat’s the one,” Bobby confirmed. “Gone. Apparently stolen out of my front yard this morning.”
    Tucker glanced toward Bobby’s office. “Think she had anything to do with it?”
    â€œThe exact same thought crossed my mind,” Bobby admitted. “But no. I saw her face when I told her it was gone. Nobody’s that good an actress.”
    â€œHow much is that thing worth?”
    â€œI’m guessing not much without the carousel,” Bobby said. “But then the rest of the merry-go-round isn’t worth a heck of a lot without the missing horse, either. Even if she found a replacement, it would be a miracle if it were a perfect match.”
    â€œIt’s quite a dilemma, isn’t it?” Tucker said. His expression brightened. “Maybe someone will call and demand a ransom.”
    â€œYour wait-and-see attitude toward crime is beginning to get on my nerves,” Bobby told him. “Don’t try it with Jenna. She’s in a fragile state.”
    His brother looked fascinated by that revelation. “Is that so? And that’s a concern of yours because…?”
    â€œBecause I want that woman and that horse out of town and out of my life,” he said. “I can’t believe that twenty-four hours ago I had exactly the kind of peaceful existence I like.”
    â€œYou were in a rut,” Tucker countered. “This is good for you.”
    Bobby scowled and stalked right past him. He was not going to get into a debate about his low-key lifestyle choice with his brother, not when they had a crisis to resolve.
    â€œTucker’s here,” he announced as he walked into his office.
    Jenna looked up at him with bright eyes shimmering with unshed tears. His heart did an unexpected flip-flop. Probably some sort of fibrillation, he concluded hopefully. He did not want that sensation to be in any way connected to Jenna Pennington Kennedy or her problems or those huge, vulnerable green eyes of hers.
    â€œThank you for coming, Sheriff,” she said politely to Tucker.
    â€œNo problem,” Tucker assured her. “Why don’t you tell me what you know?”
    â€œI don’t really know anything,” she said, regarding him miserably. “I didn’t even know the horse was gone, till Bobby told me just now. I’d paid the security company to keep a guard with it till I picked it up on my way back to Baltimore.”
    â€œWhat’s the name of the company?” Tucker asked.
    Jenna told him. “They’re based in Richmond. They’re very reputable. I made sure of that. My father alwaysexpects the worst of me, so I was trying very hard to do this right.”
    Tucker pointed toward the phone on Bobby’s desk. “May I?”
    â€œBy all means,” Bobby said.
    His brother called information, got the number for the security company, then called and asked for the owner.
    â€œMr. Kendrick, this is Sheriff Spencer over in Westmoreland County. I understand you were supplying security for Pennington and Sons at a private home over here.”
    Bobby watched Jenna as she listened to Tucker’s end of the conversation. She looked increasingly dejected as Tucker nodded, jotted a few notes and murmured quite a few completely unintelligible replies.
    â€œI see,” he said at last. “Thanks for your time. I’ll be in touch.”
    He hung up the phone slowly, then glanced at Jenna, his expression unreadable.
    â€œWhat?” she said. “What did he say?”
    â€œThat the guard who was supposed to be on duty this morning just got back to Richmond and left on vacation.”
    Bobby stared at his brother. “What the hell does that mean? Was it sudden?”
    â€œNope. He’d scheduled it weeks ago. But it could be he stole the horse himself and is anticipating a big payday,” Tucker suggested. “Or somebody else has already paid