Witch House by Dana Donovan Read Free Book Online

face, but I knew better. “Do you have a moment?”
    She tucked her pad and pencil into her apron.
“Sure.”
    “Can I ask you a few questions?”
    That forced smile returned. “Of course.”
    “We were just up to see your boyfriend,
Adam.”
    “Ah-huh.”
    “You know about his father?”
    I watched her lips thin to pale white lines.
“Yes, I heard,” she said. “Adam called me. He said someone killed
his dad?”
    “That’s right. Someone shot him outside a bar
down on Jefferson last night.”
    She shook her head. “That’s awful. I know
that has Adam very upset. He sounded on the verge of tears over the
phone.”
    “I’m not surprised, but I am surprised you
are not leaving work to be with him.”
    “I will later.” She hiked her thumb up over
her shoulder toward the kitchen. “We’re short-staffed right now.
Two girls called out sick and we’re coming into the lunch rush. I
can’t leave just yet.”
    “I understand. I will make this quick. Let me
ask you, have you ever met Adam’s father?”
    “Yes…I mean, no.”
    I looked across the table at Carlos. He
seemed as curious about that answer as I was. “Which is it?”
    “No,” she said, more convincingly this time.
“I never met him.”
    “Has Adam ever said anything to you about his
father getting out of prison and maybe coming into a lot of
money?”
    That made her laugh. “Are you talking about
the money from the robbery?”
    “Why, did you hear something like that?”
    “No.” She shook her head faintly. “All Adam
wanted to do was reunite with his father, maybe do some fishing up
at the lake and make up for a whole lot of lost time.”
    “So, he never mentioned the money?”
    “Oh sure, he mentioned the money, but only to
the extent of what a shame it was that it all got burnt up in the
fire. He was just a kid at the time, you know. If the money was out
there somewhere, I’m sure someone would have found it by now.”
    “Yes, I suppose you’re right.”
    “Well, if you’ll excuse me, we’re getting
busy.”
    I let her take only a step or two away before
calling her back once more, only now that she had cleared the air;
her attitude seemed less tolerant of my distractions. She returned
to the booth, striking the same pose that Lilith assumes when she
is fed up with my bullshit. “Yes, Detective?” Even sounded like
Lilith.
    I smiled up at her. “Sorry, I forgot to ask;
can you tell me where Adam was between, say, one and three this
morning?”
    She hesitated only slightly, perhaps
wondering if we already knew the answer. “Adam was home last night
with me.”
    “All night?”
    “Yes.” She shied away some, her face turning
a bashful shade of pink. “I sleep over sometimes,” she said, her
ridged stance softening by degrees. “I think he is going to ask me
to marry him.”
    “Really? Congratulations, I hope.” She smiled
again, and nothing about it this time seemed forced to me at all.
“Thanks for your time.”
    She turned and walked away. I watched her
until she had turned the corner by the cash register and
disappeared into the kitchen. When I looked at Carlos, I realized
he had been watching me watching her. He smiled teasingly. “You old
dog, you.”
    My face grew flush. “What?”
    “You know what. You were watching her
ass.”
    I pulled back in mock disgust at his
accusation. “I most certainly was not.”
    “Yes you were. I watched you.”
    “I was thinking.”
    “`Bout what, how to get into her…” he did the
cutesy finger quotation marks in the air, “good graces?”
    “No, I don’t want to get into her good
graces.”
    “You don’t?”
    “No!”
    He leaned in across the table some. “Ahem,
you do know that by good graces, I mean her pants.”
    “Yes, Carlos. I know that.”
    “Oh.” He looked back over his shoulder, I
assumed to make sure Trish was not standing there. “Because I
wouldn’t mind getting into her—”
    “Drop it, Carlos. She’s a subject in an
ongoing