Defenseless by Adrianne Byrd Read Free Book Online

answered absently, then turned his attention to Sonya.
    Sharon walked back to the bed and touched Sonya’s shoulder. “Finish telling Dwayne what happened.”
    â€œAs I was saying—I found my house in shambles. So I immediately went to find a phone. Then I thought I heard something in the kitchen. I remained cautious, but before I knew it everything went black.”
    â€œYou could have been killed,” Sharon moaned, covering her mouth.
    James nodded in agreement while Dwayne mulled her story over in his head. He pinched the tip of his chin and wondered if there was a connection to Curtis’s murder and Sonya’s burglary.
    â€œWhat do you make of it?” Sharon asked him.
    Dwayne turned toward the rest of the group and shook his head. “I don’t know, but I can’t chalk up the incident as coincidence.”
    She dropped her head back and closed her eyes again. “I don’t see how they are related.”
    â€œWhy not? You do realize, if your sister didn’t kill her husband, someone else did?”
    â€œKilled her husband?” James asked incredulously. “Curtis is dead?”
    â€œI’ll explain later, honey,” Sharon said.
    Sonya opened her eyes but said nothing.
    â€œSonya?” Sharon asked.
    â€œI guess I hadn’t thought about it that way.”
    Dwayne recognized the fear in her voice for what it was. “Don’t get upset. We could very well be grasping at straws.”
    Sonya shook her head.
    â€œTina Hudson, Sonya’s secretary,” Sharon went on to tell Dwayne, “arrived to deliver some charts for Sonya to look over. She found Sonya unconscious on the kitchen floor.”
    â€œI see,” Dwayne said thoughtfully. “Where is she now?”
    â€œShe went home. She had two kids to pick up from day care.”
    â€œI wonder what they were looking for,” Dwayne wondered aloud.
    â€œHave you seen her place?” James looked at Dwayne. “It’s a fortress.”
    â€œYou have to admit, your being broken into right after Curtis’s murder is a bit suspicious,” Sharon agreed.
    â€œWell, I don’t see a connection,” Sonya admitted.
    A light tap at the door caused everyone to turn around. Sonya moaned when a police officer walked through the door. “Sergeant Freeman.”
    â€œHello, Miss Walters. Dr. Johnson said that you were up and about.”
    â€œI don’t want to answer any of your questions,” Sonya said too rudely and received open stares from everyone. “He’s the same arresting officer on my sister’s case,” she offered as an explanation.
    â€œLaura killed Curtis?” James asked, looking at his wife.
    â€œShh, honey. I’ll explain later.”
    Dwayne walked over and shook Sergeant Freeman’s hand.
    â€œAh, Mr. Hamilton. What are you doing here?”
    â€œI’m handling the Durden case.”
    â€œOh, I see. Miss Walters went out and hired the best lawyer money could buy, eh? Well, it doesn’t matter. There’s very little to this case. Mrs. Durden already admitted to stabbing her husband. It’s an open-and-shut case.”
    Dwayne’s smile faded. “I doubt that, Sergeant. I doubt that. Tell me, what brings you out here?”
    â€œI need Miss Walters to answer a few questions. She seemed too busy in the past twenty-four hours to discuss her involvement with the case.”
    â€œInvolvement?” Sonya sat upright to glare at the sergeant.
    â€œI don’t think this is a good time to talk about this. Perhaps after you obtain a subpoena?” Dwayne asked casually.
    Sergeant Freeman smiled tightly. “I don’t see why you would want to do things the hard way. I thought that Miss Walters was smart enough to come in voluntarily. I was mistaken.”
    Sonya struggled out of her bed. Sharon tried to pull her back, but Sonya wouldn’t oblige. “I think it’s time you left,