Six Killer Bodies by Stephanie Bond Read Free Book Online Page B

asked.
    “I don’t have all the answers yet. Meanwhile, let’s divvy up
    some of these leads and unanswered questions. I’m going
    to keep trying to track down where the charms might have
    been purchased, and I’m going back to the beginning to
    look into the background of the first victim. Hannah, can
    you and Chance find out where someone would get
    cyanide?”
    They nodded. Carlotta figured with Chance’s drug
    connections, he’d have the answer in a couple of phone
    calls. “Also, Chance, can you ask around and find out if
    Pepper’s friends know anything about a man who might
    have been stalking her?”
    He struck a serious pose. “Wil do.”
    “Wes, I need for you to stay on top of the identification of
    the burned body, and find out what you can about Coop’s
    case through Liz.” She gave him a pointed look.
    “No problem.”
    Carlotta tried not to think about his methods for gleaning
    info out of Liz. “I’m also going to try to figure out where
    Michael might be hiding.” She closed her notebook. “Call
    me if you find out anything.”
    Hannah and Chance got up to go. “Do you need a ride?”
    Hannah asked.
    “That would be great, thanks.” She looked over to find
    Wesley chewing on a fingernail, stil seemingly fixated on
    the kitchen window. His eyes looked dilated. Carlotta
    sighed. She couldn’t put off the drug talk any longer. “I
    need a minute to talk to Wes.”

    7
    Carlotta studied Wesley with growing concern. The fact
    that he was so distracted by the kitchen window to the
    point of not noticing when his buddy Chance said goodbye
    told her how much the drugs were messing with his
    concentration. Was he hallucinating?
    “Wesley,” she said sharply.
    His head came around. “Huh?”
    “How did the reception go the other night?”
    “Uh, not so wel .”
    “What happened?”
    “Meg’s dad doesn’t like me.”
    She smiled. “No father likes a guy his daughter likes. What
    matters is whether Meg likes you.”
    “I don’t think Meg likes me anymore, either.”
    “Why not?”
    He sighed. “Because I was stupid. I let her dad make me
    mad and I left the reception without tel ing her.”
    Carlotta’s eyes widened. “You just left her there? I can’t
    believe she’s stil speaking to you.”
    “Only to say mean things,” he said morosely.
    “Have you apologized?”
    “Not exactly.”
    She arched an eyebrow. “What are you waiting for?”
    “It’s complicated.”
    “Not as complicated as you men want to make it,” she
    countered. “If you like this girl, buy her flowers and tel her
    you were an idiot.”
    “I’l think about it,” he hedged.
    Carlotta crossed her arms. “We need to talk about
    something else.”
    His Adam’s apple bobbed. “What?”
    “Um…we have fire ants.”
    “Huh?”
    “In the front yard, apparently. Mrs. Winningham is about
    to have a fit. Can you take care of it?”
    He pushed his hand into his hair. “I’l figure something
    out.” His glance slid back to the window. “I really need to
    get going, Sis.”
    She caught his arm. “Wait, there’s something else.”
    He sighed. “What already?”
    “The fact that you’re taking Oxy.”
    He looked surprised, then recovered with nonchalance.
    “I’m not, I told you.”
    She reached for her purse and pul ed out the piece of
    paper that Coop had given her, then extended it to him.
    “This says different.”
    “What is it?”
    “The results of a drug test. On you.”
    He glanced over the sheet. “A drug test? But how? What
    did you test?”
    “Your hair.”
    “But how—” He stopped, his face going stony. “The haircut
    you gave me the other day.”
    “Right.”
    His face went red, then he flailed his arms. “I can’t believe
    you’d do something like that behind my back!”
    “I had a feeling you were lying to me.”
    The veins in his neck bulged. “You had no right! It’s none
    of your business.”
    She blinked at his bel igerent response, but held her
    ground.