Bright New Murder by Traci Tyne Hilton Read Free Book Online

second.” Jane licked her lips. This was hard. “You’re around too much. You’re making her think you’re into her. It’s not fair.”
    “I can’t help other people’s misconceptions.”
    “Yes, you can.”
    “I don’t give her any reason to think I like her. In fact, she’s an idiot if she thinks I do. First of all, she’s too old. She’s like, what? A solid three years older than me? A cougar. Not my thing.”
    Jane exhaled slowly through tight lips, a thing she was doing a lot of lately. “Be serious. She’s gorgeous, smart, and completely infatuated with you. You’re going to end up hurting her, and then things will be awkward. You need to start hanging out with your other friends more.”
    “What other friends?” Jake rolled his eyes.
    “Voted most popular at Prez Prep senior year, and you ask what other friends?”
    “Dark ages, Jane.”
    “Your friends from uni, then. I don’t care who. You need to go find your other friends.”
    “Are you trying to get rid of me?”
    She was tempted to say yes, but in reality it was the last thing she wanted. She dismissed reality for the moment. “I’m trying to protect Gemma’s feelings.”
    “If you want to get rid of me, just say so. If I’m a pain, if you don’t like me around, say the word and I’m gone.”
    “You are a pain.”
    Jake popped the door open. He leaned out of the car. “Adios.”
    “See?” They were crawling at five miles an hour, but Jane braked hard.
    Jake jerked forward. Then he sat back and shut the door. “My old friends…” He sighed. “It’s not the same anymore.”
    “Since you lost your parents?”
    “Yes and no. I mean yes, because that made me take a good, long look at life, and I saw that it sucked, and I hated it.”
    “And your friends were included in that list?”
    “No. But I hit the road. I spent a year in Thailand doing great things. When I came home…” He shook his head. “What can you expect? I don’t really want to go get blotto at Bubbles watching girls dance, after spending a year saving girls from sex trafficking.”
    “That’s not what your old friends do.”
    “Wanna bet? Take the next exit. I’ll show you where my old friends spend Friday nights.”
    “Then make new friends.”
    “I did.” He tilted his head and gave her a cheesy grin.
    “Make more new friends. Cut your random visits down to one a week or less. Spend time with men or something.”
    Jake crossed his arms behind his head. “As you wish.”
    “Oh, shut up.”
    ***
    Jake looked far more at ease at the Henry house than Jane felt. The place had the gravitas of a palace, propped on the side of the hill as it was, overlooking downtown Portland—from the west.
    “Don’t stare,” Jake whispered.
    Jane pulled her eyes down from the coffered ceiling of the foyer. A maid had opened the door and let them in. The Henrys had live-in uniformed help. She had been live-in help for a short while, the year before. Jake’s live-in help. She trained her eyes on the wall.
    A woman with bobbed silver hair, wearing dark jeans with light stitches and a cashmere sweater, padded into the foyer. “Welcome.” She held her hand out to Jane. “Why don’t you come with me into the living room?”
    The living room was smaller than Jane expected, but still very formal. She was thankful it wasn’t her job to keep the stains off of the white rugs and the linen-covered furniture. “Thank you so much for letting us stop in.”
    “Of course.” Sasha waved towards the sofa.
    Sasha perched on the edge of an armchair.
    Jane ran through her list of questions, trying to land on the one that would help make Sasha comfortable, but still get her the right information, right away.
    “I am so sorry that my fundraising event had such a terrible cost for you.” Jake leaned forward, his face a picture of concern.
    Jane watched him closely. His eyes were moist and his face flushed. He looked completely sincere.
    “Thank you.” Sasha pressed her lips