Killing Me Softly Read Online Free Page B

with an exasperated sigh. “Look, we have a lot more to go over, Kendall. We need to take you in, get your statement, get a list of every other person who was at the party, get the name of this ex-boyfriend of hers, and anyone else you can think of who might have had a motive, notify her family—”
    â€œHell,” Nick muttered. “Worst part of this freakin’ job.”
    â€œWhat freakin’ job?” MacNamara blurted. “You’ve gotta be real clear about something, Di Marco. You’re retired. You teach criminal justice now—you don’t practice it.”
    â€œI teach criminal profiling,” Nick corrected. “And I just decided to un retire.”
    â€œThat’s not—”
    â€œDon’t say it, Mac. Don’t say it’s not possible when we both know it is.”
    â€œYou’re the kid’s mentor, practically a father figure. You don’t call that a conflict of interest?”
    â€œIt’s my case.”
    Chief MacNamara met Nick’s steady gaze.
    â€œIf it’s anything to do with the Nightcap Strangler, Chief, even a copycat who somehow had inside information, then it’s my case. Always has been. Nobody knows more about it than me. Nobody else is gonna have the foundation of information and knowledge that I have. And if it turns out I fucked up and sent an innocent man—”
    â€œYou didn’t,” MacNamara said.
    â€œIf I did, then I’m damn well gonna be the one to make it right.”
    The chief nodded. “I might be able to pull some strings.”
    â€œThen pull them. Cut through the red tape. Call me a consultant or some bullshit like that if you have to, but get me in on this— officially in on this.” Then he turned to Bryan. “You said your dad’s on his way?”
    â€œYeah.”
    â€œCall him and tell him to meet us at the station, okay? While you do that, I’ll call you a lawyer and your union rep, have them meet us there, as well.”
    â€œCome on, Nick. I don’t need a lawyer.”
    Bryan saw the grim look that flew between Nick Di Marco and Chief Mac, and for just a second his heart seemed to freeze in between beats. “Damn, is it really that bad?”
    Nick met his gaze, but his wasn’t steady, and his smile was clearly forced. “Probably not, kid. But we might as well prepare for the worst, just in case. Don’t you think?”
    â€œNick…” Bryan could hardly ask the question, but he had to know. He had to. “Nick, tell me you don’t think I did this.”
    â€œNo, kid. I don’t think you did this.”
    Bryan looked at the chief, hoping and maybe even half expecting him to say, “Neither do I.” But Chief MacNamara only lowered his eyes, shook his head and led the way to his waiting SUV.
    Bryan thought he was going to throw up again before he got in.
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    Dawn pulled the pillow over her head and hugged it around her ears, but the damned phone kept right on ringing. It was set to go to voice mail after four rings, because four rings was more than she ever wanted to hear. But this caller had just hung up and dialed back when that had happened. And then had done it again.
    At ten rings total, Dawn peered out from beneath the pillow. She could see, from the Caller ID feature on her television—which had been left on all night long, just as it was every night—that the call was coming from her mother. Her birth mother, not the one who’d raised her. Blackberry Inn, the screen announced.
    She reminded herself that she was lucky to have found her birth mother at all, after fifteen years with each of them believing the other to be dead. She adored Beth, and had been raised beautifully by the woman she considered her mother, Julie Jones. But even though she loved Beth dearly, Dawn wasn’t ready for another conversation where every other sentence revolved around the life and times of Bryan