Evidence of Marriage by Ann Voss Peterson Read Free Book Online Page B

stepped to the curb beside her.
    â€œIf you don’t want to help carry it, you can wait in the car.”
    He shot her a dry look. “Follow me.”
    Stifling a sigh, she fell in behind him, walking up the sidewalk and into the lobby. Once inside, he made her wait at the door while he scrutinized every inch of the modest lobby, as if he expected a man with a gun to crawl from under the vinyl bench or pop out of one of the tiny locked mailboxes that lined the wall.
    â€œYou really think this is necessary?”
    He didn’t answer. Instead, he paused at the door to the stairwell and stared at the mud-tracked entry rug.
    â€œWhat are you looking for?”
    â€œNothing. That’s just an unusual tread pattern.” He pointed at mud shaped in a wavy pattern staining the rug.
    Apparently he was going to micromanage every second of her life. Even to the point of analyzing dirty rugs. “So? It poured last night.”
    â€œBut where does someone find that much mud around here?”
    He had a point. The area around the apartment was covered with a lush June lawn and fresh layer of mulch in the flower beds. For the first summer in years, the street out front wasn’t torn up with construction. But while mud in the entry did seem a little odd, it still didn’t require a news bulletin. Of course, knowing Reed, he was probably just trying to frighten her. Impress on her the danger she faced if she insisted on staying at her apartment.
    As if that were necessary.
    Finished with the mud, he started up the stairs.
    â€œWait,” she said. “I need to get my suitcase and some other stuff from my storage locker.”
    â€œThe other stuff again. It had better not be too heavy.” Changing course, Reed led her down the steps into the dank coolness of the basement. He stopped at the secured door leading to the lockers for her section of the building. “Keys?”
    At one time, he’d had his own. Blocking those days from her mind, Diana dug into her purse.
    Down the hall, a door opened. Diana’s next-door neighbor, Louis Ingersoll, stepped out of the laundry room, hoisting a basket of clothes. As soon as he spotted Reed, his eyes narrowed. His contempt reached down the hall like a cold draft.
    Diana shook her head. Explaining all that hadhappened to Louis was the last thing she needed. He’d been her friend in the months before her wedding, watching her apartment when she was away, clipping stories about Dryden Kane from the newspaper after he’d learned of her involvement in the research project. But since she’d broken up with Reed, their friendship had taken on an uncomfortable edge.
    Or maybe she just hadn’t noticed his romantic expectations until then. “Hey, Louis.”
    Louis didn’t take his glare from Reed. A flush spread up his freckled neck, turning his face as red as his hair. “Is there anything I can help with?”
    â€œDetective McCaskey is here in an official capacity.” She shouldn’t feel compelled to explain—whether Reed was here or not wasn’t Louis’s business—but she couldn’t stand that look in his eyes. As if Reed were his enemy. As if Diana had betrayed him. She’d never meant to lead him on, but obviously that was what she’d done.
    â€œWhat do you mean, an official capacity? Did something happen?”
    â€œNothing you have to worry about,” Reed said, words clipped.
    Diana shot him a quelling look. Reed had never been fond of Louis. No doubt she’d been the only one blind to Louis’s crush. A situation remedied when he’d given her a necklace of emeralds anddiamond chips for Christmas—a necklace he refused to take back.
    Even now he glanced down at her throat, as if noticing her lack of jewelry, even though she’d never once worn his gift. “If there’s anything I can do, Diana, you let me know.”
    â€œThanks.” Fingertips hitting metal,