Blackvine Manor Mystery by Wendy Meadows Read Free Book Online

George is pulling Alexis into position to prove his point.
    “You’re right, I can’t even see my windows if I stand here, much less if I was sitting on the bench like they were. And can you imagine if the water was on? Such a romantic spot.”
    Maxwell catches the last part of their conversation as he walks up. “Oops, sorry to interrupt.”
    Alexis laughs and catches him by the sleeve. “No problem. Even you have to admit this would be a very romantic spot if the fountain worked.”
    “You and George can tell Barry about his new project. You seem to make a good team,” Maxwell quips and tries to continue on his way inside.
    Alexis shrugs at George and tries to catch up with Maxwell. “Are you jealous? I mean I thought you had a thing going with Mrs. Beasley in #104. She is smoking hot for 75.”
    She manages to stop him on the front steps, stepping up to see him eye to eye. Noticing his strained look before he avoids meeting her gaze, she puts a hand on his shoulder.
    “What’s wrong?’
    “Nothing. Seeing my family always puts me in a bad mood.”
    Alexis follows him to the small office on the main floor. “Did they find out anything else about Delia?”
    He slaps a heavy file down on the desk before flopping into the old chair. “No.”
    “It must be hard thinking about Delia again,” Alexis prods gently.
    Maxwell smirks. “Heartbreaking.”
    Not understanding the joke, Alexis tries a different angle. “I know what it’s like to miss a family member.”
    He taps the heavy file and tells her, “I was named after her, you know. Maxwell is her family name. Otto always hated her family even though their money helped him get this place. Their connections helped him rise through the ranks and become police chief.”
    Maxwell breaks his gaze away from the file and, leaning back to put his feet up on the desk, turns his attention to Alexis. “So, you and George, huh?”
    She makes a face at him. “It’s nice to spend time with someone who doesn’t think I’m crazy.”
    The corners of his mouth start to turn up and Alexis feels her cheeks warming. “How’d the ghost hunting go?”
    “Very interesting. You know he has solid paranormal evidence.”
    Maxwell’s smile turns sardonic. “You know George is the one who hired a psychic medium and hosted a séance here? I suppose I should thank him. That little stunt made the woman in your studio move out.”
    Alexis throws back her shoulders. “He doesn’t pull ‘stunts’. Actually, he’s getting some recognition from other researchers.”
    “Ghost hunters.”
    Now she can feel her cheeks burning with frustration. “How did Delia know Collin Fenton?”
    “Excuse me?” He takes one boot at a time off the desk and sits forward.
    “I saw Delia and Fenton meeting in the courtyard. It seemed like they were old friends.”
    Maxwell looks at her out of the corner of his eyes while scraping a hand over his stubble. “You realize that is a really farfetched claim.”
    “Just because you don’t believe in my abilities doesn’t mean I’m crazy!”
    “No, beyond your whole ‘psychic’ claim, I mean it is farfetched for you to connect my grandmother with Collin Fenton.”
    Alexis runs both hands through her hair before slapping them on her thighs. “But you do know Fenton?”
    Maxwell crooks an eyebrow at her. “Local legend, jewel thief, arch-enemy of my grandfather’s precinct. Come on, you’re not seriously telling me that in all the research you did on my grandmother’s murder, you didn’t bother to look him up.”
    She stops cold and then leaps away from the hand Maxwell throws out to detain her. “You think I researched Delia? You think I’ve been conning you?”
    Alexis slams his office door and makes it upstairs to her studio before burying her face in her hands. She allows herself a few heaving breaths before taking one long inhale. Shoving Maxwell, her growing attraction to him and his infuriating skepticism, out of her mind, Alexis calls