Secrets Among the Cedars (Intertwined Book 2) by Sherri Wilson Johnson Read Free Book Online Page A

came. "Enough talk about the case. It’s depressing. Cedar Key is much more interesting to talk about.”
    “Cedar Key? There’s not much excitement happening here.”
    “Exactly. I love it here and hope to come back once this case is finished when I can enjoy myself and stop being so bogged down with investigating and so paranoid."
    "Paranoid?" Phil took a bite of his burger and wiped his chin with a napkin.
    Kathryn scrunched her face. "You'll laugh."
    "Never."
    Kathryn studied his eyes, obviously measuring his trustworthiness. "When I left the condo this morning, I noticed a note taped to the front door. I broke out into a sweat. I got the salad tongs and a gallon-sized plastic bag and turned into a forensics investigator. I didn't want to damage any of the potential DNA that could be on the note." She scowled. "You're laughing!"
    "No, I'm not.” But he was. “Please, continue. I just have a funny feeling about where this story is headed."
    "I must've looked like a regular Sherlock Holmes or something when I pulled the note away from the glass with the tongs and stuck it into the baggie. I used another baggie as gloves to open the note."
    "What did it say? Who was it from?" He leaned closer in. She weaved a fascinating tale. Or was it the glow in her cheeks and the sparkle in her eyes that captivated him?
    Kathryn chewed on her bottom lip for a few moments and then laughed. "It was from the rental company letting me know they'd added chlorine to the pool and to wait an hour before swimming."
    Phil roared with laughter and nearly fell out of his chair. This woman was a breath of fresh air, and she didn’t even know it. She wasn't as intense as he'd thought she was when he first met her. She was a delight. He had to find a way to see her after she left Cedar Key.
    Kathryn threw one of her fries at him. "You said you wouldn't laugh."
    "Sorry!" He covered his mouth and snickered. She was adorable when she played at being angry.
    "Now you see why I'm anxious to get this case solved? I'm utterly paranoid."
    Maybe she was a bit paranoid, but she was the cutest paranoid he’d ever seen. Maybe he could be the hero she needed. "I want to help you, but I have to know the details. All right?"
    “I already told you the main points.”
    “Vaguely.”
    She took a sip of her water, wiping water droplets from her lips, and conceded. "I live out in the country off Highway 278 where nothing too violent ever happens. 278 runs east to west and dumps into the airport in Atlanta. It has become a popular route for running drugs. Everything from cocaine to meth to marijuana. You name it, we've got it. Occasionally, the big drug lords come into our area instead of sending their goons, and incidents of crime always go up when they’re there."
    "I know all about that, being from New York." He winked.
    She nodded and swirled a fry in her ketchup. "About two months ago, a drug deal went bad. A couple of guys decided to mix sugar in the bags with the cocaine.”
    “Ouch. Not smart.” He’d seen that before and it never ended well.
    “Nope. When the transporters got back with the goods, my guy—or one of his thugs—killed them for not testing it first. He and two of his associates then came to my county and killed the guys who sold the cocaine-sugar mixture to them.”
    “You gotta be kidding.”
    “I wish. The police arrested all of them and charged the two associates with accessory to murder. They bonded out and no one has seen them since. The main suspect is sitting in our jail without bail because he’s a flight risk since he’s charged with murder, but we can't convict him without the weapon. We’re not really sure who pulled the trigger. It could have been one of his accomplices.”
    “That’s insane.”
    “Tell me about it. As you probably know, weapons are usually disposed of before anyone can find them. When the accomplices were in jail, someone overheard them talking about the gun being hidden somewhere in Cedar Key, so