Dead Giveaway by Leann Sweeney Read Free Book Online Page A

under the other and jogged a couple miles.
      ''Morning, ma'am,'' Mr. Knight said before leaving to get the chair.
      ''Hey, Abby,'' Will said, his voice sleepy, his lids heavy with fatigue, though not heavy enough to mask his pale amber eyes. Bet the UT girls liked having this guy on campus.
      ''William Knight, is that how you address a young woman?'' his mother said.
      ''I told him to call me Abby, so it's fine,'' I said quickly.
      ''Then it's 'Good morning, Abby.' Not 'hey.' '' But she smiled a loving smile in her son's direction when he offered his sheepish ''Yes, ma'am'' reply.
      Mr. Knight arrived with a maple dining chair and placed it facing the window and next to Will.
      ''Thanks,'' I said.
      ''My pleasure.'' Mr. Knight sat back down. I saw that his scrambled eggs and sausage were untouched, and the paper did indeed have a headline atop the metro section that blared WOMAN FOUND MURDERED BEHIND ESPRESSO BAR.
      Mr. Knight tapped the paper. ''Terrible thing. When he was in high school, Will and I used to catch college hoops on cable at a sports bar right near this place.''
       So that's why Verna Mae chose the Last Drop for our meeting. She'd probably been there watching for a glimpse of Will more than once, if I had her figured right.
      ''Abby,'' Mr. Wright went on, ''do you know anything more than what the newspaper says? The policeman who called last night mentioned you were at the scene.''
      ''I was. Verna Mae phoned me to meet her, but unfortunately I never found out what she wanted to talk about,'' I said.
      Mrs. Knight moved a plate with eggs, toast and two sausage patties in front of me. ''This is awful. That poor woman.''
      Her husband slid over so she could sit beside him.
      Mrs. Knight said, ''Will and several of his old high school friends were watching the NBA play-off game when the officer called. I have to say, I was a little upset when the sergeant asked if Will had been out during the early evening. He hadn't, of course. He'd been looking forward to this get-together with his friends all week.'' The doorbell rang, and Mrs. Knight squeezed her eyes shut. ''It's those awful reporters. I know it.''
      ''Let me handle this,'' Mr. Knight said.
      Will's mother let her husband out. As he jogged from the kitchen, his small potbelly jiggling under his warmup jacket, she called, ''Tell them to leave us alone.''
      ''Mom, chill, okay?'' Will said. ''They're just doing their job.''
      ''Tough living with a celebrity, huh?'' I said.
      ''The reporters don't bother me all that much,'' Will said. ''Since we didn't win the Big Dance, they've pretty much left me alone.''
      ''Big Dance?'' I said.
      ''The NCAA tournament,'' Will answered.
      Mrs. Knight said, ''Didn't win it this year. Will's heading for UT for basketball camp in a couple days. He'll do weight training and meet with a nutritionist, so he'll be a force to reckon with on the court. Then they'll go all the way next season.''
      ''Mom, we're a team. It's not only about me,'' said Will.
      Mr. Wright returned, but not with a reporter on his heels. It was Jeff.
      My chair made an awful scraping sound when I pushed away from the table and stood.
      ''Uh, hi,'' I said.
      Jeff looked me square in the eyes for what seemed like a long time but was probably no more than a second.
      ''I got an invite for breakfast,'' I said.
      ''I see.'' His expression told me he was sure they hadn't called me on a whim at this hour. He looked back and forth between Will's parents. ''Just wanted to meet you folks face-to-face and apologize for upsetting you last night.''
      ''You're Sergeant Kline? The one who phoned?'' asked Mrs. Knight.
      ''Yes, ma'am.'' His tie was loosened, his sports jacket wrinkled, and he looked so damn tired I felt guilty for my four hours of sleep.
      ''You have nothing to apologize for,'' she said. ''You didn't murder that poor woman. God knows, I've been praying for her