Killing Her Softly by Beverly Barton Read Free Book Online Page B

shouted her name. She jerked her head up and searched for the speaker.
    "Ms. Vanderley ? Annabelle Vanderley ?" A short, wiry man with a camera in hand moved toward her.
    "Who are you?" she asked. "What do you want?"
    "You are Lulu Vanderley's cousin, Annabelle, aren't you?" a small, slender blonde holding a microphone in her hand asked as she zeroed in on Annabelle.
    "We'd like to ask you a few questions," another reporter joined in the fray.
    "I have no comment," Annabelle told them. "The spokesperson for Vanderley , Inc. will make a statement at noon today at our headquarters in Jackson, Mississippi."
    "Is it true that Lulu was killed by her latest lover?"
    "Was she raped and then killed?"
    "How was she killed? Was she shot? Strangled? Stabbed?"
    The questions bombarded her as the reporters drew closer and closer, shoving microphones and cameras in her face.
    "Please, leave me alone." She tried to move past the throng that seemed to be multiplying by the minute, but she was surrounded. Try as she might, she couldn't find an escape route.
    As if from out of nowhere a tall, broad-shouldered man cut a path through Annabelle's tormentors, slid his arm around her waist and all but shoved the reporters aside. When they complained he paused faced them and snarled. With her breath caught in her throat, Annabelle took a good look at her rescuer. The fierce expression on his face would have backed down the devil himself. The reporters continued to grumble, but didn't make the slightest move in her direction.
    Whoever this man was—her protector—he took her breath away.
    "You heard the lady. Leave her alone," he said, his voice baritone deep and rich.
    Annabelle sighed with relief as she offered her white knight an appreciative smile. Who is he? she wondered. Could he possibly be a plainclothes police officer?
    She studied him hurriedly, taking in his appearance. He was a devastatingly attractive man with wavy jet black hair and large dark brown eyes. Handsome, but not pretty. Suave yet rugged. He was dressed in an expensive navy blue suit. Tailor-made, unless she missed her guess, which meant he was rich. So he probably wasn't a policeman. She doubted the base pay, even for a detective, was more than forty or fifty thousand a year. This man's suit had probably cost several thousand.
    He kept his arm around her waist, her body pressed against his side. Annabelle's heart beat faster and her stomach fluttered. Sheer nerves, she told herself.
    "Thank you so much, Mr.—"
    "Cortez. Quinn Cortez."
    "I appreciate your coming to my rescue, Mr. Cortez." Her gaze locked with his as they stared into each other's eyes. He was looking at her as if he wanted to say something.
    "These people can be real jerks," he told her. "You've just lost your cousin—"
    "How did you . . . Oh, you probably read about Lulu in the newspaper."
    A tall, dark-haired woman came through the crowd and walked straight up to Quinn. "I'm sure Ms. Vanderley will be fine now," the woman said. "We have an appointment"— she tapped her gold wristwatch—"in five minutes. You don't want to be late."
    He didn't budge and made no move to release his protective hold on Annabelle.
    "Please, don't let me keep you from an important appointment," Annabelle said. "I'll be fine now. Surely they won't follow me."
    His gaze caressed her, creating a fluttering sensation along her nerve endings. "Let me see you safely inside."
    Suddenly one of the newspaper reporters shouted out, "Ms. Vanderley , how well do you know Mr. Cortez? Obviously you don't think he had anything to do with your cousin's murder, right?"
    What had the reporter said? Why would he think Mr. Cortez had any connection to Lulu's murder?
    Annabelle broke eye contact with Quinn and looked right at the reporter. "What are you talking about?"
    "Did you and your cousin both have a romantic relationship with Mr. Cortez?" the same reporter asked.
    When Annabelle glared at him, puzzled by his question, he added "Seeing how