PENITENCE: An Andi Comstock Supernatural Mystery, Book 2 (95,893 words) by Ann Simas Read Free Book Online Page A

“Orion is a nice man, though. I’m sure he wouldn’t be offended if you made an overture.”
    “I think I will.” He took a drink from his own cup. “Still talking to the dead?”
    “Yes, and I don’t see any end in sight unless I quit my job and never go back on that block again.”
    “Any more…like Sherry?”
    “Not exactly.” She decided not to mention the Naylors by name.
    “I just wondered because I went to a funeral for a guy I know this week—Clem Naylor? He was cremated and I thought maybe he stopped by to chat.”
    So much for not naming anyone. “He did speak to me in passing.”
    Vaughn tilted his head at her. “I hear a hesitation in there.”
    Andi bit her lower lip in indecision. She trusted Vaughn, but criminy, she still wasn’t privy to all the facts. “I can’t talk about it yet.”
    “I guess that means it’s ongoing, then.” He narrowed his eyes on her. “Like Sherry, but not.”
    “That pretty much describes it.”
    He drummed his fingers on the table top. “He and I were running buddies. We met in the neighborhood on the running paths right after we moved in here. Admittedly, we weren’t BFFs, but I knew him well enough to notice a drastic change in him over the last couple of months.”
    “Umm.”
    He grunted. “That’s pretty noncommittal.”
    Andi fidgeted with the handle of her mug. “I really can’t say more, Vaughn. I barely had a chance to discuss it with Jack, because he’s off in Iowa on an extradition.”
    His head jerked in a quick nod. “You answered my question, anyway.”
    Andi stared at him with owl eyes. What had she said that gave away anything?
    “Don’t worry. I won’t bug you about it, but if you want any insight into Clem, come see me. I may have something stuck away in my brain that you need to know.”
    She blinked at him.
    He winked back at her.
    Andi almost fell afoul of her common sense to ask, Did he ever talk to you about hiring someone to kill his wife?

Chapter 5
     
     
     
     
    Andi spent th e afternoon working on Bunnicula. Clem Naylor, for whatever reason, stayed away.
    She kept at her coding until just past six, when her phone belted out the Cops theme. She considered not answering it, but why deprive herself of a conversation with Jack just because she was on pins and needles waiting for Clem to get into her head again? “Hi.”
    “Hi, back. Are you at home?”
    “No, still at my desk.”
    “Darn! I was thinking we could have some phone sex.”
    “Jack!”
    He laughed.
    Andi felt a shiver of excitement course through her at the possibilities, but quickly shook it off. “Did you make it over to Field of Dreams?”
    “Yeah, I did. It was more interesting than I thought it would be. I’d like to come back sometime in the summer, on a Sunday. The ghosts show up and play ball.”
    “Cool. That sounds like fun. We should do it.” She hesitated. “That is, if you want me along.”
    “Can’t think of anyone I’d rather be with.”
    Warm tinglies surged through her. “Was it an all-day trip?”
    “Nah, I spent the afternoon tagging along on a murder investigation.”
    “You can take the boy out of the EPD, but you can’t take the EPD out of the boy.”
    He laughed again. “How was your afternoon?”
    “Okay. I took a long lunch and drove by the Naylor house and before you start yelling at me, all I did was look. I didn’t go up to the door and knock.”
    His silence told her he was debating which response would be the right one to dole out to her.
    She continued before he could decide. “Afterward, I stopped by Vaughn’s. He was home babysitting because Dotty had to see a doctor about her knees. She may have to have surgery.”
    “I hope not, but if she does, at least these days, the recovery time is shorter. How’s Vaughn doing? We haven’t seen him since Christmas.”
    “He’s doing well. He seems to be a lot more organized and in control now. He’s always going to miss Sherry, but he’s learning how to live