Whispers of Murder by Cheryl Bradshaw Read Free Book Online

woman shot at me?   No wonder she missed.”
    “A woman?  Maybe.  Shot at you?  I don’t think so.  I believe Isabelle was the target.”
    “But I’m the one who took the bullet.”
    “Like you said—it was a lousy one.  She, if it was a she, missed.  Based on the trajectory, it’s possible.  ‘Course, I could be wrong.  This is what, my second case like this in the last five years?”
    Roland wagged his finger at him.  “Yeah, but everyone around here knows you’ve been pulled in to help with plenty other homicides in other counties because of your expertise in the area.”
    “I’ve requested some extra manpower to keep an eye on you two, but so far they’re slow in coming.  Davis is here now.  But, he’s all I’ve got.”
    “First poison, then Isabelle almost gets plowed into, and now a gun.  Doesn’t make much sense.”
    The sheriff nodded.  “It’s messy.  Whoever is responsible is unorganized.  It’s like these attacks are off the cuff without much thought or consideration to follow through.  Until I can find out more, I suggest you two stay put.”

    The wind rustled through the leaves on the trees creating a sound like a rattlesnake ready to strike.  Isabelle loved it when the breeze kicked in with a sliver of attitude.  It sent a fruit-filled aroma through the coastal air.   
    “Where are you off to, Izzy?”
    She flipped her head back.  “Thought I’d take a walk.”
    Emmett quickened his pace and caught up to her.  “You don’t take walks.”
     “How do you know?  Maybe I’ve changed since I’ve been away.”
    “Have you?”
    She sighed.  “Has my dad mentioned anything to you about what happened?”
    “The day he got shot?”
    She nodded.  Emmett averted his eyes to an undone button on his shirt. 
    “It’s okay, you can talk about it,” she said.  “Do you know about Leo—I mean Jerome?  Do you know what the sheriff is saying about him?”
    “I know he lied about his name and his parents.  And Roland said he was also married to a Marsha somebody.”
    “I didn’t know her name.”
    “Sorry.”
    Isabelle felt Emmett’s eyes on her.
    “Hey—you don’t have to be embarrassed,” Emmett said.  “Not in front of me.”
    “I hate to admit I didn’t know what I was getting into when I agreed to marry him.  I actually still don’t know—not the whole story.  I’ve cried over him every single day since he died, and the truth is, he probably wasn’t even worth the tears I shed for him.  He lied to me, and I believed every word of it.” 
    The sun’s rays glistened along the path, and for a split second, something caught Isabelle’s eye that practically blinded her.  It was the size of a penny and sparkled like a gold nugget in a miner’s pan.  She knelt down to get a closer look. 
    “You alright?” Emmett said.
    Isabelle snatched a necklace from the rock beside her and stuffed it into her pocket.  “Yeah—just need to tighten the lace on my shoe.”
    When she pushed herself up with her right hand, she faltered.  Emmett caught her and lifted her back up to a full standing position a few inches from his face.  Their eyes locked and she detected something different in the way he looked at her.  It was almost like he felt sorry for her, but there was also something more.  And when had he gotten so muscular?
    “Izzy, I wanted to—I’ve been meaning to—”
    “You ready to head back?”
    He sighed and released her.  “Up to you.” 
    They turned around and Emmett flicked her on the shoulder.  “Told ya you weren’t a walker.”

CHAPTER 14
     
    T he next morning Isabelle sat on a padded blue chair at a table filled with a handful of suits she’d never met before.  In her faded jeans and cotton V-neck shirt, she felt out of place.  She had no idea the meeting would be so formal.  The only other woman in the room was seated two chairs down and dressed in a pencil skirt and a fitted jacket with a coral silk shirt