Cavanaugh Hero by Marie Ferrarella Read Free Book Online Page A

pleasant enough interlude, but given the situation, having her like this was rather awkward and uncomfortable.
    Charley grabbed the back of a chair and unceremoniously shoved it against the back of Melissa’s legs, causing them to buckle. The next moment, the bartender found herself landing in the chair with a thud. She swung her head around and glared accusingly at Charley, who in turn smiled innocently at her and reminded her, “You said you needed to sit down.”
    Melissa’s glare vanished as she turned her brown eyes toward Declan.
    “You can’t think that I had anything to do with it,” she protested, obviously feeling that was enough to terminate any further questions.
    She was surprised then to hear Declan ask, “Did you?”
    “No!” she exclaimed loudly. “We were finished and he finally got that through his thick skull. I didn’t have to kill him,” she declared flatly.
    And then suddenly, just as the topic seemed to be closing, Melissa’s eyes widened and she looked at Charley, recognition setting in. “You’re his—his friend, aren’t you?” she asked. “Don’t deny it, I recognize you. There’s a picture of you in his house.”
    “I have no intention of denying it,” Charley told her coolly. “We were friends—and I want to find out what happened to my friend.” There was just the slightest pause between the last two words, one she hoped Declan didn’t hear. “And for what it’s worth, I don’t think you did it.”
    “Oh.” Caught off guard, Melissa smiled, almost magnanimously. “You don’t?”
    “No, I don’t,” Charley replied. “Something like that takes a lot of planning. That’s not exactly your strong point.”
    Brow furrowed again, Melissa looked at Declan. “Did she just insult me?”
    “No,” he reassured her. “From where I’m standing, she was just stating a fact.”
    “Oh,” Melissa murmured, her expression that of a woman who was clearly bewildered.
    What in heaven’s name had her brother ever seen in this half-witted woman? Granted Melissa Merryweather’s body was a knockout, but Matt had standards. He had a brain and he required conversation, at least occasionally. From all indications, Melissa had the kind of brain where thoughts went to die, not flourish, Charley thought.
    And then she shrugged inwardly. She supposed that everyone had their weak point, their waterloo. Matt’s reaction to Melissa didn’t have to make sense to her, it only had to make it to him, she decided.
    Melissa looked rather subdued as she asked Declan, “Do I really need an alibi for last night?”
    “It would help,” he told her.
    Melissa sighed, as if she knew that what she was about to say took her out of any game that might be played out between her and the good-looking detective, at least for tonight.
    “I was with Josh,” she reluctantly told him.
    “Josh?” Declan repeated, waiting for more.
    Melissa shrugged, annoyed to be put in this sort of a spot. “I don’t know his last name. He’s staying here at the hotel for a few days. Business,” she added importantly, then recited, “Room number 805. He stayed here until closing time last night and then we went up to his room.”
    “Unbelievable,” Charley murmured under her breath.
    She looked to Declan to wrap this preliminary—and hopefully the only—interview and do what they had to do to tie this up with a bow. She was anxious to begin actively investigating Matt’s murder. This was only a waste of time.
    * * *
    Melissa’s story checked out.
    “Josh” in room 805 was Josh Walters and he confirmed that she had spent the night with him. The pharmaceutical sales rep was more than willing to volunteer a detailed account of their sleepless, active night together.
    “That’s all right,” Charley said, cutting him short, “we just needed to have her alibi confirmed.”
    “It’s confirmed all right,” Josh said with bright-eyed enthusiasm. “I had no idea the human body could bend that way,” he