Free Under the Dog Star: A Rachel Goddard Mystery #4 (Rachel Goddard Mysteries) by Sandra Parshall Page A

boy’s face had gone slack with fright.

Chapter Eight
    The Halls’ front door opened a crack, and a blue eye peered out over the safety chain. “You’re back,” Rayanne Stuckey said when she saw Tom, her voice faint with dismay.
    “Mrs. Hall around?”
    “But you were just here.”
    “And now, like you said, I’m back. Can I come in?”
    “Mrs. Hall told me not to let anybody in. She’s scared. And she doesn’t want to see anybody that’s comin’ to sympathize either.”
    “Well, she’s not scared of me, and I’m not here to sympathize. I’m investigating a crime. Open up, Rayanne.”
    She hesitated a moment longer, then unlatched the door and swung it open. Tom stepped across the threshold into the foyer. “In there.” Rayanne waved a hand toward the living room.
    He was on his way into the living room when footsteps pounded down the staircase. He swung around to see Beth Hall charging toward him.
    “You’ve got no right!” she screamed. She came to a halt three feet from Tom, hands clenched into fists, her whole body trembling. “Who do you think you are?”
    “Beth?” Vicky called from the living room. “What on earth?”
    “What’s wrong?” Tom asked the girl, although he had a good idea.
    Outrage twisted Beth’s delicate features into an ugly mask, and her eyes glittered with tears. “You have no right to accuse Pete of killing my father. It’s a lie! You’re just a big dumb cop trying to mess up our lives because you don’t know how to catch real criminals.”
    “ Beth. ” Vicky stood in the doorway from the living room. “That’s enough. Stop this right now.”
    Soo Jin stood behind Vicky, a derisive smile on her lips as she watched the little drama play out.
    “Just calm down,” Tom said to Beth. “I don’t know what Pete told you, but all I want to do is ask him some questions.”
    “You called him a murderer!” Tears spilled over and streamed down Beth’s cheeks. “Just because you’ve got that dorky uniform and that stupid badge, you think you can push people around. But it doesn’t mean shit, do you hear me?”
    Beth shot out a hand, grabbed the badge on his uniform shirt and tried to yank it off. Tom caught her arm and forced her to let go. When he released her, she cradled her arm against her body and howled as if he’d broken it.
    “Oh, for pity’s sake,” Soo Jin said.
    “Elizabeth Ann Hall, you stop this nonsense right now,” Vicky said. “I am ashamed of you.”
    The girl plowed into her mother and shoved her with enough force to make her stumble backward. Tom and Soo Jin both darted to Vicky and grabbed her arms before she fell.
    When Vicky was steady on her feet, supported by Tom’s arm around her waist, Soo Jin marched over to Beth and slapped her face. The loud pop! of the blow echoed in the foyer.
    “Hey!” Tom said. “That’s not necessary.”
    But Beth was already flinging herself at Soo Jin, hands outstretched to rake fingernails across her face. Soo Jin caught Beth’s wrists and held her at arm’s length.
    “You bitch!” Beth struggled but couldn’t free herself from Soo Jin’s grip. “You told him about Pete, didn’t you? You’re always trying to suck up to somebody, you’re always trying to tear me down. You’re not part of this family, do you hear me? You’re just a dirty little bastard somebody found on the street, your own mother didn’t want you.”
    Soo Jin slammed Beth against the wall. Beth wailed and slid down until she sat in a heap, bawling, her face pressed to her knees.
    “Oh, dear god,” Vicky whispered. She breathed rapidly through bloodless lips. “I don’t know how much more I can take.”
    “Come on and sit down,” Tom said. He glanced at Beth to make sure she was going to stay put, then guided Vicky to the living room sofa. Soo Jin followed.
    Vicky was weeping by the time she sat down. In the foyer, Beth bellowed like an animal being torn apart. Tom looked back at the girl in amazement. He would never