Nearly Departed (Spring Cleaning Mysteries) by JB Lynn Read Free Book Online

There was no mistaking the strain in his tone.
    Smoke had clamped his mouth shut. I was surprised I couldn 't hear his teeth cracking. He didn't answer the detective, just stared at him with a powerful emotion I couldn't identify. Whatever it was, it wasn't good.
    " You two know each other?" I asked my newest employee.
    Smoke tore his gaze away from the other man and nodded at me.
    "How?"
    Smoke 's clenched jaw muscle jumped, but he remained silent.
    " What? You didn't tell her, Barclay?" Al mocked.
    " Tell me what?" I had to ask even though I was fairly certain I wouldn't be pleased with the answer.
    " Tell her, Barclay, or I will," Al taunted, something angry twisting his tone.
    I felt a stab of sympathy for Smoke as he shifted uncomfortably, unable to meet my eyes. It was obvious that Al Reed had the upper hand and was pressing his advantage.
    "Smoke, see if you can find the controls for the furnace," I said quietly, offering him a way to make a dignified retreat.
    Smoke blinked.
    "Go inside," I pushed at his shoulder to make my point. "Get us some heat."
    With one last glance in Al 's direction, Smoke disappeared back into the house.
    " Thanks for the heads up about the brother!" I called to the detective before following my employee, and his secret, and locking us inside.
     
    *  *  *
     
    Smoke didn't tell me his secret.
    At least not right away. Instead, he found the furnace, cranked up the heat, and got to work. He tackled the living room while I toiled in the bathroom. To his credit , he'd offered to clean the smallest room in the place, but he was a good six inches taller than me, so I figured he'd have even more difficulty maneuvering in the tight space.
    We each worked steadily in separate areas of the house for a few hours, until it was time to break for lunch. By that point I was wondering how on earth anyone could ever think that a combination of teal and orange tile could be considered attractive, even in a bathroom. I'd also discovered that the college boys, when they hadn't been fighting with each other, had been fighting acne, hair loss, eczema, and halitosis.
    I 'd spent the last couple of hours imagining what kind of dirt Detective Reed had on Smoke. Nothing I'd come up with painted him in a positive light. Still, I'd decided not to ask him about it. I'd spent too much of my own life on the receiving end of questions I'd rather not answer.
    Once we got outside, we took off our respirators and space suits. The air, clean and cool, felt good on my face. My clothes were damp with perspiration and felt soggy.
    Smoke had fared no better in the unforgiving, unbreathing material. He was just as sweat-soaked as I was . I offered him a bottle of Gatorade, to replace the fluid, salt, and electrolytes he'd lost.
    He chugged the entire bottle without coming up for air . "There's a Chinese place, a pizzeria, and a burger joint all within two blocks of here," Smoke said. "Basically any kind of take-out a college kid could hope for."
    " Brought my lunch." Just because I wasn't going to give him the third degree didn't mean I was willing to break bread with him.
    " Leftover pizza?"
    I nodded, wondering if I 'd made a giant mistake hiring him.
    " Can I bring anything back for you?"
    I shook my head, remembering that he was a friend of Mike. He couldn 't be all bad.
    " I won't be long."
    " Take your time. It's not like the mess is going anywhere."
    He walked away , and I settled into the driver's seat of the Spring Cleaning van, the spot where I partook in most of my midday meals. I'd just taken the first bite of chilled pizza when the passenger door suddenly swung open.
    " Why'd you do that before…with Reed? Why'd you give me an out?" Smoke demanded, climbing inside and shutting the door behind him. "Is it because Mike already told you about me?"
    My mother always admonished me about talking while my mouth was full, so I took my time chewing and swallowing the spicy , cold cheese and dough.
    " Mike didn't tell me