Still Waters by Debra Webb Read Free Book Online Page A

and planted the evidence in your home has done this before. He’s too smooth to be a first timer.”
    Amber thought of the man Kyle Adler. She couldn’t recall ever seeing him except for the occasional delivery. On those occasions he’d always seemed so kind and shy. His was not a face she would have associated with evil.
    Sean spoke up again. “Does your station keep the original footage from your assignments or just the part that doesn’t end up on the cutting room floor—so to speak.”
    “The station stores the footage that airs, but not the raw footage before it’s edited.” Hope welled in her chest. “My cameraman may keep all the raw footage. I can check with him.”
    “If Adler was watching you,” Sean offered, “we might find him in the crowd wherever you were reporting breaking news. It’s worth a shot.”
    Jess agreed.
    Amber couldn’t believe she hadn’t thought of checking the footage. She had to clear her head and focus. Her future depended on how this turned out. She could spend the rest of her life in prison or end up on death row. Worse, a murderer could get away with his heinous act.
    “Go home, Amber,” Jess said. “Try to get some rest, but don’t clean your house tonight,” she added with a smile.
    “Don’t worry.” Amber stood. “I won’t touch anything I don’t have to touch.”
    “Good idea,” Jess granted.
    As they left the building, Sean exited ahead of her. He scanned the street and checked his car before motioning for her to cross the sidewalk and climb in. He closed her door and went around to the other side. Dusk had the street lamps flickering on against the coming darkness. She closed her eyes and leaned fully into the seat. This day couldn’t be over soon enough for her.
    When the car moved down the street, she opened her eyes and turned to the driver. “Do you really believe we’ll be able to find all the pieces of this puzzle?”
    He glanced at her. “Don’t worry—we’ll find him.”
    Amber stared out at the darkness. “I hope so.”
    She didn’t want the next story about a person who spent years in prison before being exonerated to be about her.

Chapter Five
    Hugo L. Black United States Courthouse 1729 Fifth Avenue North Tuesday, October 18, 10:30 a.m.
    Sean did not like this one bit. He’d had no sleep since Amber had paced the floors most of the night. She’d insisted that was what she did when she battled insomnia. She’d also insisted he should take one of the bedrooms and just ignore her.
    Impossible.
    The loose fit of the pink flannel pajamas showed nothing of her curves or all that pale, creamy skin. There wasn’t one thing sexy about the overly modest sleeping apparel, and still he couldn’t keep his mind off her. At one point he’d even covered his head with the pillow. The move hadn’t helped an iota.
    He’d opted to sleep on the sofa since the layout of the family room and kitchen gave him a view of both the front and rear doors. The house was an older one, but it had been renovated at some point, opening up the main living space. The locks had been changed and her security system had a new access code and password.
    First thing this morning she had informed him that she had to get back to work. She wouldn’t discuss taking a vacation. She had ongoing assignments, she’d insisted. Apparently last night’s insomnia had evolved into today’s determination to pretend nothing had happened.
    Three cups of coffee and one caramel latte later and Amber was rushing around the station prepping for the McAllister assignment. On the way to the federal courthouse, she’d explained that Forrest McAllister had been the go-to guy for investments by the who’s who of Birmingham for many years. Eight months ago he’d been charged with insider trading. Now that same who’s who were doing all within their power to distance themselves from the man. His trial started today.
    Sean had heard something about the big story, but he hadn’t followed