The Fire Within by Dana Marie Bell Read Free Book Online Page B

her purse, and it was so cute . So I told her...”
    Beth was ready to drown Candy in her diet iced tea.
    “...and I really think she needs to lay off the Botox...”
    She wouldn’t be surprised if Candy was exactly the kind of woman Dante favored—pretty and brainless. She tried valiantly to hide a wince as Candy giggled again.
    The offices of Todd Blessing’s political campaign were set up much as she’d expected. A few beige cubicles, a couple of doors leading to the back offices, and the reception desk where, lucky her, Candy sat, ready to spew anything and everything that entered her empty, useless head.
    Shoot me now.
    “...who does she think she is, Lady Gaga? Nobody wears that these days...”
    All Candy needed was the snapping gum and the finger twirling in her hair, and the brainless bimbo image would be complete.
    A tingling sense of awareness went through her, one that she felt only in the presence of a certain aggravating police officer. The warmth that swept through her was odd, considering the cold air that rushed through the open doorway. Shivering, she turned her head slowly and saw Dante enter the office, pulling off his thick gloves and looking around with a grim expression. She tried to ignore him and turned her attention back to what Candy was blabbing.
    “...and so when I saw Jennifer against the window blind with another man , I was like, holy shit, little miss perfect is—”
    “Whoa, back up. What was that about Mrs. Blake?” Suddenly, the frivolous Candy had her full attention.
    Unfortunately, she no longer had Candy’s. The receptionist sat straight up in her chair, her gaze becoming wide and hungry. It looked like Candy had seen something she wanted to lick like a lollipop. “Well.” The blonde wiggled in her seat. “Hello there, sir. What can I do for you today?” Candy’s eyes gleamed as they ran over Dante’s form.
    Dante held up his badge. “Detective Dante Zucco, New Castle P.D. I have a few questions to ask about Jennifer Blake’s murder.” Dante took a seat next to Beth and proceeded to charm the socks off Ms. Candy Grahame.
    “Candace Grahame, Detective Dante.” The suddenly breathless quality of Candy’s voice had Beth rolling her eyes in disgust. “And I’m willing to tell you anything you want to know.”
    That was it. Beth was gonna hurl from too much Candy.
    Dante flashed a smile at the already smitten Candy. “Ms. Grahame—”
    “Please, call me Candy.” Candy batted her baby blues at Dante.
    “Candy, then. Candy, can you remember anything unusual happening around the office right around the time that Mrs. Blake was murdered?” Dante opened the ever-present notebook and looked intrigued as Candy broke into the same gossip Beth had been subjected to for the last half hour.
    Dante, however, seemed determined to hear it all. He nodded in all the right places, shook his head in disbelief at some of the goings-on of her coworkers, and managed a sympathetic smile when Candy told of how she’d been all but ignored by the hunk of the office, Robert Kensington, in favor of plain-Jane Louise.
    Beth surreptitiously checked her notes. Robert Kensington worked as the PR manager for the campaign. He was thirty-two years old, unmarried and had no children. According to Candy, he dated anything that would say yes, but Beth was inclined to take that with a grain of salt.
    Beth sat silently and watched the play by play as Dante questioned Candy. She seethed, trying desperately to understand why Candy’s flirting bothered her so much, or why Dante’s polite response bothered her more. She felt much better when she pictured grabbing Candy by her blond curls and repeatedly beating her face into the desk. It might shut her up for two seconds.
    Might.
    “...and so when I saw little miss perfect with another man, I wondered if her husband knew about it or not.” Candy flashed a brilliant smile at Dante.
    “Could you tell who the other man was, Candy?” Dante asked, his