Hazardous Duty by Christy Barritt Read Free Book Online

toward the woman. If
Michael was out of the hospital, then he could have set the house on fire. He
could be the arsonist. And he had motive, too. He could have been trying to
destroy the evidence that would frame him.
    Careful, Gabby. Stay calm, don’t scare
her off.
    Relaxing my shoulders, I asked, “He is?
Already? I just assumed he’d be in the hospital for longer.”
    The woman nodded. “I did, too, but I saw
him over here last night, just a few minutes before the fire started. I assumed
he stopped by to pick up a few things before going to stay at his mother’s.
It’s a good thing he left when he did.”
    “Isn’t it, though?” I shifted my weight
and restrategized. “So, you’re sure you saw Michael?”
    “Positive. He was even on crutches, the
poor guy. I almost said something to him, but figured he didn’t want to be
bothered. The press won’t leave him alone. They keep asking what he’ll do about
his campaign. Can’t they give the man a break?”
    I nodded and attempted a sweet,
comforting smile.
    He’d come back to get the gun, but found
me and Harold there. Had he known I was still inside? Was he in such a hurry to
set the fire and destroy the evidence that he’d decided not to wait, even if it
meant claiming another life?
    This man needed to be behind bars.
    I had to find Detective Parker and tell
him.
    “If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to run.”
I jangled my keys and started a slow jog to the car, barely giving notice to
the woman as she fluttered her fingers.
    Just as I started Sierra’s car, Harold
came around the corner. He approached my window in long strides, concern etched
in the lines on his face.
    I lowered the glass. “Harold, I
remembered something I have to do. I’ll call you later, okay?”
    He raised an eyebrow. “Okay. Don’t get
yourself into any trouble, missy.”
    I grinned. “Never.”
    The car rumbled down the driveway and
continued rumbling until I pulled up to the police station. I charged into the
building and tapped my finger on the counter while the receptionist talked on
the phone.
    The attractive, overweight young woman
pulled the phone away from her ear and sneered. “Can I help you?”
    “I need to see Detective Parker. It’s
important.”
    She looked me over. “Is he expecting
you?”
    “If he’s smart.”
    The woman raised her over-plucked
eyebrows and turned back to the phone. “I need to put you on hold. One minute.”
    Her gaze flickered back to me, and I
could have been certain she was sizing me up like an ex-boyfriend’s prom date.
It almost made me wish I’d worn something other than my “I Love Carbs” T-shirt.
    “What’s your name?”
    “Gabby St. Claire.”
    She gave me another once-over before
dialing an extension. “Detective, there’s a Gabby St. Claire here to see you.
Says if you’re smart, you’ll be expecting her.” The woman pulled the phone from
her ear and smirked. “He says go on back. Second door on the left.”
    Honesty prevented me from saying “thank
you.” I walked to his office, the rubber bottoms of my black flip flops barely
making a sound against the linoleum floor.
    I pictured Parker’s reaction when I told
him what I found out.
    “You really will make a great
forensic scientist one day, Gabby,” he’ll say, admiration shining in his eyes.
    “It’s all in a day’s work.” I blow on
my fingertips and rub them against my shirt in false modesty.
    “I’m hoping you and I will be seeing
more of each other, and not just on a professional level.” His voice is low and
husky, and his eyes are smoldering.
    “Why Detective Parker, it looks like
we have a relationship to investigate. Care to join me?”
    I came to his door and started to knock,
but before my fist connected with the wood, it open and the detective stared at
me. His gaze wasn’t especially friendly, but not hostile either.
    Or was it?
    I had a feeling my vision of how this
meeting would play out was closer to a delusion than