Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 84002 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84002 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Detective Sparks was barely listening while her body hummed with renewed excitement at the words embossed on the little card in her hand. Don Wilson, Attorney at Law. She hid her feelings well as she thanked Amber for her help and made a hasty exit. Though it was late in the evening, she took a chance and drove by the address listed on the card that happened to be a mere few streets away from the club.
It seemed she was in luck as she pulled up outside and saw a light on in the upstairs of the two-story building. She sat in the car wondering if she should call for backup, but saw no reason for it. The building was on a relatively busy street in the town square, and besides, she wasn’t planning in an arrest just yet; she was just here to get the lay of the land, size him up, so to speak.
She thought of the fact that everyone she’d shown his picture to though not recognizing him straight off the bat had given a second look as if he seemed familiar, but they just couldn’t place him. And then Amber’s comments about his change in appearance.
There could be a million reasons for someone to so drastically change their appearance. But if she were right, and this was the same guy, why did he change his last name? The man in the picture was one Donald Simpson. An attorney who had disappeared after being questioned in the murder of a woman who he’d claimed to know only as a client.
What are the odds that this same attorney has now been found to have been acquainted with her victim, who just so happens to have died under very similar circumstances? She pulled out her phone to call Officer Bailey to meet her here after all as she exited the SUV and looked around.
There was no answer before she tried the door, which opened beneath her hand. She could turn back now and come again tomorrow, giving him time to pull another runner. Or she could go ahead and do what she came here for.
CHAPTER 25
Don saw the very beautiful woman step into the doorway of his office just as he hung up the phone. His secretary had just left for the day, and he was getting ready to do the same after another uneventful day. His nerves had been much better as the day went on with no one showing up to question him about the dead girl, leaving him with the impression that the connection between the two of them had not been made.
“Hello, may I help you?” Don put on his most charming smile as he stood from behind his desk to meet the beauty. He was already imagining what it would be like to have someone like her in his bed. The thought died a quick death when she reached into her pocket and held out the badge to him.
“I’m Detective Sparks; I wonder if I may ask you a few questions?” Don tried not to sweat or swallow too hard as saliva pooled in his mouth, and his knees threatened to buckle beneath him. In his mind, he was wishing he’d followed his gut and left town as soon as he heard the news. Now it was too late. Then again, maybe not. He hadn’t left anything to chance with Melissa, nothing that couldn’t be explained away anyway.
And there’s no way a detective in this one-horse town could ever make the connection between him and the other unsolved case that he’d ran away from when the heat got too close. He’d researched the local law enforcement in this town and the closest ones to it and knew that they were little more than glorified volunteers.
Since crime in these parts was almost nonexistent, the police forces tended to be vastly undermanned. It’s one of the reasons he’d chosen to stay here out of all the other places he’d visited in the last few years when he was looking for a place to settle down. “Sure, Detective, have a seat.” He motioned towards the visitor’s chair on the other side of his desk.
“That’s okay; I don’t plan to be here that long. Your name just came up in my line of questioning, and I wanted to see what if anything you could add to my investigation.”
“I’m sorry, what investigation would that be?” He felt a little more relaxed now at her laid back attitude.
If he was reading her right, she didn’t suspect him of anything, but how did his name come up? “Have you perchance heard of the murder that took place on the outskirts of town a few nights ago?”
“I did yes, but I can’t say that I’ve heard too much about it. What does this have to do with me?”