Playing with Fire by Desiree Holt Read Free Book Online

finish up.”
    “Tuesday!” She wanted to smack him and wipe that holier-than-thou look off his face. “Donald, we’re not burying the president.”
    His lips thinned in disapproval. “Cassie, I must say, I’m a little disappointed in you. This is your mother we’re talking about. I know the two of you had issues these past few years, but we in Stoneham still believe in showing the proper respect for the dead.”
    She gave up. The deck was stacked against her, Stoneham style, and fighting it would be a losing battle. “All right. Just do whatever you have to and call me when everything’s finalized. I’m staying at the house.” She paused. “By the way, what can you tell me about Diane’s death?”
    “Diane’s death?” He kept his face blank.
    “Yes. I wasn’t here at the time, and it just seems strange no one was ever arrested for it.”
    “I’m sure I wouldn’t know anything about it except it was a dreadful tragedy. Have you checked with Chief Dangler?”
    “No, but thanks for the suggestion.” The sarcasm in her words seemed to be lost on him.
    Dangler would be just someone else to stonewall her, she was sure. Why wouldn’t anyone talk about her sister’s death?
    Back in her car, she wanted to bang her head on the steering wheel. Her quick trip in and out of town was looking longer and longer. She wanted—no, needed—to shake the dust of Stoneham once and for all, but the town kept reaching out its tentacles to trap her in its own special hell.
    Pulling out her cell phone, she called Mike and gave him an update.
    “Don’t worry, Cassie.” At last, kindness . “Take however long you need. I’m sure this is a tough time for you, and I don’t want to add to your stress. Take all of next week. And don’t worry about your paycheck.”
    This was more sympathy than she ever would have expected from this man. If she could just tell him that the toughest time was having to be here at all.
    She passed the police station on the way to the grocery store, and her car seemed to turn in on its own and park without her doing a thing. In the next minute, she shook hands with Barry Dangler, the chief of police, telling him she was fine, and yes, it was too bad about her mother. She thanked him for his condolences.
    “I wonder if I could see the file on Diane’s death,” she said, social niceties out of the way.
    “Now, Cassie,” he admonished. “Why bring all that up now? It’s been six years since it happened.”
    “I guess because I ignored it at the time and now I’m feeling some latent guilt.” She uncrossed her legs and re-crossed them. “And maybe a little bit of the reporter in me.”
    “That’s right.” He nodded. “I heard you were working for a newspaper in Florida. But, honey, there’s just nothing to tell. Honest. I wish there was. I felt it in my bones that Griffin Hunter did it, but he was covered up with witnesses.”
    “And he was the only suspect?” She could never believe Griffin killed her
    He looked uncomfortable with his next words. “No disrespect, Cassie, but your sister walked a lot on the wild side. Speculation was that marriage didn’t change her social habits, and Griffin had had enough. If he didn’t do it, it could have been some guy she met that night, someone she provoked into a rage. She was pretty good at pushing people’s buttons, you know.”
    Yes, especially mine . “So are you saying I can’t see the police report? Why?”
    Dangler was silent for a long moment. “The law says you can go to court to get this if you want, so I guess I’ll just save us all that trouble. I think this is a big mistake, and it won’t make you happy, but I’ll do it.”
    “Thank you, Chief. When can you have it ready for me?”
    “I’ll have to get it from the dead files. All the old cases are in the archives. Give me until the first of the week.”
    Cassie tamped down her frustration. Everything was “the first of the week.” She was ready to just blow the