Deception by Elizabeth Goddard Read Free Book Online

fine. You have a concussion probably, and a few new bruises, but nothing worse than that. Doc will fix you up right as rain.” Colin sounded as if he was grasping for hope.
    â€œDoc can’t fix what’s wrong with me.” Jewel frowned, clearly in pain. “Someone is trying to kill me.”
    When had Jewel decided she was the specific target?
    Colin eased onto the edge of the bed, sitting closer. It should feel wrong, him sitting here like this when Jewel had her sister and Katy Warren to comfort her. What was Colin doing? Hadn’t he decided he shouldn’t do this? But one close call too many had the protector in him coming out and rearing its big head. The comforter in him that he hadn’t realized resided inside was taking over.
    â€œI’ll find him. Don’t you worry. We went to the waterfall today. We’ll find out who did this.” He hadn’t wanted to bring that up yet since he didn’t have any real leads to share, but it was all he could think to do to reassure her. His words portrayed more confidence than he’d felt, though. “In the meantime, you need to rest and recover before you start exploring on your own.”
    Jewel opened her intense hazel-green eyes and turned them on Colin. His heart jolted in his chest. He couldn’t remember a time when his heart jumped into his throat this high, this forcefully. Jewel grabbed his hand on her face. “Don’t coddle me, Chief Winters. Forget about the waterfall. He was in my attic.”
    * * *
    Surprise mingled with disbelief in the police chief’s eyes. That hurt Jewel more than she wanted to admit.
    â€œYou’ve been injured, Jewel.” He reclaimed his hand, leaving a cold spot where warmth had been. “You’ve had a knock on the head. Think about what you’re saying.”
    She wanted to tell him that his words upset her. But then she’d be admitting out loud that his opinion was important. Meral watched her, sympathy carved into her beautiful features. Did she think Jewel had imagined it, too?
    â€œBut we were all here. How could someone have been in the house without us knowing about it?” Meral asked.
    â€œHow could he have hidden in the attic all this time?” Katy joined the doubters. “We would have heard the noise.”
    â€œYou did hear noise,” David said.
    â€œYes, but only for a minute or so before we heard the crash.”
    â€œI thought I heard you scream.” Meral pressed her hand over her mouth, eyes wide. “You think...you believe...he was here?”
    Jewel grabbed her forehead and slowly sat up, ignoring Chief Winters’s protests, along with those of Katy and Meral.
    â€œI don’t think. I don’t believe. I know what I’m saying. I know what I saw. I know that I fought an attacker. I know what I experienced before I was knocked out. This time, he tried to strangle me. I got free for a second, only he tackled me before I could reach the door. But I think Meral and Katy scared him off when they responded to my scream and the noise. Maybe he thought he’d killed me. He could have done just that. I should be dead right now.”
    She turned her eyes to her sister and Katy. “Thank you,” she whispered.
    Chief Winters lifted her chin, his touch light and gentle. He looked at her neck and his frowned deepened. Then his eyes shot back up to hers, the scolding in them well and alive. “You walked right into that attic without being suspicious or careful. You were told not to go anywhere alone.”
    She knew he was right, but she couldn’t help defending herself. “I’m not accustomed to sitting around and doing nothing. I don’t like others waiting on me. I have work to do. Besides, it’s the middle of the day and this is my home. I wasn’t expecting to find an intruder in the attic.”
    â€œYou weren’t expecting someone to push you into the falls either.” He