Free Suspicious Minds (Squeaky Clean Series, Book 2) by Christy Barritt Page A

I could get.
    "I would never expect it.
    "And I left notes with your name on it scattered in several places so that if I turn up dead, the police will know where to look"
    "I love a resourceful woman"
    I stopped and turned around, causing him to slam into me. "And whatever you do, don't ask about my father"
    He held up his hands in surrender. "Whatever you say"
    I pulled a piece of paper out of my purse. The first person of interest was Lynette Lewis, the woman having an affair with Elvis.

    I took a quick inventory of Lynette Lewis as she pulled open the bright pink door to her house. Bleached blond hair that needed a root touch-up, like, yesterday. Yellow but straight teeth. Fake tan. Tight clothes on a skinny body. Premature wrinkles. I was sure she'd been pretty at one time in life. Now she just looked like she tried too hard.
    I expected her tone to be obnoxious to match her looks, but she sounded surprisingly subdued. "Yes?" She blinked and looked from Chad to me.
    I extended my hand, deciding to go the professional route. "Lynette, I'm Gabby St. Claire, and this is my ... colleague, Chad Davis. We're investigating the death of Darnell Evans and understand that you were the president of his fan club"
    Water pooled in her bloodshot eyes. She quickly wiped the moisture away with the back of her small freckled hand. "That's right"
    "Can we come in and ask a few questions?"
    She opened the door. "Of course"
    Inside, the house was decorated respectably in gentle hues of white and beige. This woman seemed like one big contradiction. Her neighborhood with its moderate-sized, two-story, brick houses that all mirrored each other looked respectable enough. But then she had to have a pink door and an artificial plant in the pot on the porch. And who could miss the clash between her cultured voice and her redneck appearance?
    Lynette instructed me to have a seat on a cream-colored leather couch. I perched on the edge, careful not to relax too much or the cushions would swallow me whole. Chad stood beside me, and Lynette wrung her hands together as she walked to a chair across from us. Her big brown eyes blinked rapidly, their watery surface mirroring the shine of the glass coffee table separating us.
    "What do you do for a living, Mrs. Lewis?" I pulled out a notepad and pen from my back pocket. I clicked the pen and sat poised to take notes.
    "I sell Avon"
    I stared at her a moment, waiting for more. When she said nothing else, I simply nodded and jotted "freeloader" on my notepad.
    "Are you married?"
    "Divorced:"

    "Children?"
    "Grown."
    Was her husband paying her big-time alimony? Otherwise, how could she afford this house? This wasn't a living quarters that someone who sold makeup out of a catalogue could buy. Believe me.
    I cleared my throat and moved on. "When did you first meet Darnell?"
    She smiled, somewhat sadly, and pulled her arms across her chest. The too-long sleeves of her bright blue sweater covered her hands. The action made her seem young and vulnerable, but I doubted both.
    "Five years ago. I saw him at a concert down at the beach. Then I started going to all of his shows. A year later, I'd started his fan club and became his manager"
    "How long have you been divorced?"
    "Three years"
    Ah-ha. Had Darnell been the reason for the divorce? I needed a tactful way of finding out.
    "Did you get divorced because of Darnell, ma'am?" Chad asked.
    Well, that was one way.
    "I can't say that didn't have something to do with it, but honestly, my husband and I were just drifting apart. It was inevitable"
    I tried to mirror her motions so that she'd open up. I'd learned about it in class the other day. I brought my hands together in my lap and hunched over. "Mrs. Lewis, I heard that you and Darnell were having an affair. Is that true?"
    She collapsed into tears. "Yes, it is" Her voice broke. "Or was"
    Chad crossed his arms over his muscular chest. Not that I'd noticed those pecs or anything. I mean, I wanted to be an