Red Julie (An Olivia Miller Mystery Book 2) by J A Whiting Read Free Book Online Page B

said, then hesitated before saying, “I haven’t told the police this. I don’t know…I’m not sure I want to share this with them. Mr. Andersen said something to me at the scene…it was garbled…it was something like…‘red Julie’. Do you know what he might have meant?”
    Hannigan repeated, “Red Julie. I don’t know.”
    “Did he know anyone named Julie? A friend? Someone at work? In your building?”
    “Not to my knowledge. I can’t think of anyone. Julie. I don’t know.” He looked at Olivia. “Olivia, why don’t you want to tell the police this detail?”
    Olivia took a deep breath. “My aunt seemed to know something…or fear something. She didn’t tell her best friend what she was worried about. She didn’t tell me. She didn’t go to the police. It makes me wonder why.”
    Hannigan shook his head. “Please keep me informed. I’m going to keep our conversation in confidence.” They exchanged cell numbers and email addresses.
    A friend of Hannigan’s emerged from the restaurant. “Rodney, are you coming in?’
    Hannigan turned to the man. “Yes. I’ll be right there.” He looked back at Olivia. “Please join us.”
    “Thank you, but I need to get back,” Olivia said. “I appreciate your time. I’m sorry for keeping you from your guests.” Olivia was about to offer her hand to shake, but remembered the necklace and said, “Oh, just one more thing…did Mr. Andersen own a gold necklace? A cross necklace with diamonds?”
    Hannigan looked surprised. “No. He didn’t. He didn’t care for jewelry of any kind. Why do you ask?”
    Olivia glanced across the street. On the corner, staring across the street at them, was the man with dead eyes from the accident scene. Olivia held her breath. Adrenaline shot through her. She looked quickly at Hannigan.
    “Mr. Hannigan. Look across the street. There’s a man on the corner. Do you know who it is?”
    Hannigan looked to where Olivia indicated, but the man was just turning the corner and was gone.
    “I didn’t see him,” Hannigan told her.
    “Thank you for your time,” Olivia said quickly backing up towards the street. “I’m so sorry about what happened…and for barging in on you like this. I’ll be in contact.”
    Hannigan nodded. “Thank you, Olivia.”
    Olivia darted into the traffic, weaving around cars, and crossed to the opposite sidewalk. She ran to the corner. She craned her neck, but the man was gone.
    ***
    Olivia sat in her car talking into her cell phone.
    “So it was a waste of time as far as learning why my name was in his wallet or what ‘red Julie’ means, but now I know for sure the cross necklace wasn’t Andersen’s,” Olivia said. “Which just brings up more questions.” She paused and swallowed to steady her voice. Her fingers nervously twisted a strand of her hair. “And, Joe, that guy from the accident…he was watching us from across the street.”
    “Liv, maybe it just looked like the guy. A lot of people in the city fit his description. You were talking about the accident. Maybe you just thought it was him because he was on your mind,” Joe said.
    Olivia let out a big sigh. “Maybe, Joe. I’m not sure I guess.”
    “Are you leaving now?”
    “Yeah. With the traffic leaving the city, I’ll probably be back in two hours or more.”
    “Drive careful. I’ll be leaving Wells in about an hour. Come over when you get back. I’ll make spaghetti. We can talk.”
    “Sounds good. See you later.”
    Olivia started the car and pulled out of the parking lot into the street. She headed for the highway. On I-95 she sat in bumper to bumper traffic for ten miles. She kept switching radio stations every few minutes. Nothing suited and she turned it off.
    Her thoughts wandered. Images of the accident flashed through her mind. The desperation. Feelings of helplessness. The tongue. A necklace placed in her pocket by someone who didn’t own it. Aggie. Aggie’s gun. The detective who wasn’t a detective who