Free The Devil Wore Sneakers by Nora Leduc Page A

what was she doing? She’d put herself in daily contact with a man who’d broken her heart— but she’d forgiven him. Still, she needed to be careful, not gullible. She didn’t mean to fall for him again.
    Hank walked around the room. “You’re moving in?”
    “I am. I can beat you for closeness to the Moose.”
    “Did Liam hire you?”
    “Oh, no, I gave up waitressing a couple of years ago. I wasn’t good at it. For some reason, people expected me to get their orders correct.” She flashed him a grin, one he didn’t return. So much for humor.
    “There might be an opening where my sister works. I can ask her.”
    “Don’t bother. I’m not staying in Barley long. Soon as the police make an arrest, I’m going back to work at my old job. I’m a desk clerk at a hotel. Thanks for the offer, though.”
    “Must be hard, waiting to face the person who killed your brother. I hope they find the pile of manure before someone else is hurt.”
    “Yesterday would be too late.” She fisted and unfisted her hands by her sides until she caught Hank looking at her movements. She forced herself to relax. Once she got a little rest, she’d handle her emotions better.
    The sound of Liam’s footsteps running up the stairs announced his return. He walked in, glanced from her to Hank, and raised his brows. “Everything okay?”
    “Sure, boss. I was telling Lucy that Bella will put in a good word for her with her employer if she needs a job.”
    “Thanks again, Hank, but I’ll be moving on soon.”
    “Let me know if you change your mind,” he said. “Well, I gotta get back to work downstairs.”
    Lucy waited for Hank to leave before she spoke to Liam. “Any possibility Hank didn’t want Ryan for a brother-in-law? Though killing him would be drastic, I admit.”
    “He was looking forward to his sister moving to Ryan’s permanently.”
    She rubbed her forehead, gathering her spinning thoughts of Bella, Ryan, and Hank. Small-town life involved a lot of awkward situations. Her phone buzzed, alerting her to a text.
    “Do you want me to check it for you?” Liam directed a cold stare at her cell lying on the box.
    “No thanks.” She wasn’t turning into a wimpy woman who couldn’t read her own messages. “I planned on buying a pay-as-you-go phone today. I should have waited to give you my number.”
    “Easy to change.”
    She pulled up the message: Ballistics are in.
    Grabbing her purse, she asked, “Ready to talk to Chief Sullivan?”
    “I’m at your service.” Liam held up his keys.
    She glanced out the window at Main Street. Maybe Clarissa and Bella were spying on her, trading secrets, making plans. Or maybe Matt was nearby, watching, set to run her down?
    This time, he’d make sure she was dead. The skin on her neck prickled as she left the apartment.

Chapter 10

    Matt gazed out the window of the abandoned storefront to the street below. He’d found the perfect new home, a deserted store between the Barley House B&B and the police station. The site provided a position to spy on Lucy.
    Life felt like those days when his mother had skipped out on the rent and they were in between homes. His mother’s latest boyfriend would search out an abandoned building and they’d squat for a while.
    Now he’d do the same. Once he’d settled into his Barley home, his first action had been to leave his holy card to let Lucy know he was near. A five-year-old could break into that Barley inn.
    He paced back and forth and mentally replayed the scene of the four uniforms and two state troopers leaving the B&B last night. Their grim faces and stiff postures confirmed their frustration caused by the memento he’d left behind.
    Barley’s small-town police force was out of their league, despite help from those troopers. In the afterlife, he’d thank Ryan Watson for dying and bringing Lucy home to this place policed by the Keystone Cops.
    An obstacle still remained. Liam McAllister. Lucy had walked out of the inn with him.