Free Dead Wrong by J. M. Griffin

inside. Or maybe it was just the wine kicking in.
    â€œStephen Gurrelli, hmm. It sounds vaguely familiar, but I can’t place it.” Marcus’s intense gaze studied my face while he considered the name. “The whole thing must have been hard on you Vinnie. Sorry I was so short with you.”
    Yeah, and on top of that you called me stupid and foolish. I’m not stupid by any stretch of the imagination. Although, Marcus had a point when it came to my foolishness in not checking into the clinic’s reputation. Especially after I’d visited and wondered about the place where nobody seemed to come and go, but me. Weird, way too weird.
    â€œApology accepted.” That was all I could manage.
    â€œMore wine?” Aaron asked.
    â€œA gallon would do right about now,” I said with a half smile.
    â€œHave something to eat, will you?” Marcus added.
    â€œOkay, but tell me how the doctor died.” I picked at the fresh bread that Aaron passed to me.
    â€œHe had a bullet hole in his forehead and the medical examiner said he died instantly. There was no sign of Nurse Crisp at all after you found the body, huh?”
    â€œNo. She took the appointment book, all the loose papers – and even the phone was gone. I think she knew Gristle was dead back there and blew town as soon as she could.”
    His hazel green eyes stared at me from the cop face. I couldn’t read Marcus when he was like this. Most of the time, I could only read him when Mr. Winky was at attention so that didn’t say too much for my skills. Aaron topped my glass and set the bottle within reach. He glanced at Marcus and then turned back to me.
    â€œI want all the information you can think of. Anything, even the smallest and least important detail. Write it down and give it to me. Give Marcus a copy, too. Between us, we’ll run an investigation on the side. You have to stay out of it, though. Promise me, okay?”
    Yeah, right. Like that was about to happen. There were two dead people that I’d had the worst luck to become acquainted with and these guys wanted me to stay out of it. Not likely.
    I nodded and said I’d stay out of it. My toes were crossed when I said it, so the promise didn’t really count.
    Aaron rose and heated my plate of food in the microwave. In a minute or two, he set the steaming dish on the table in front of me.
    â€œEat. You’re going to have a hangover if you don’t.” Aaron warned.
    I stared at it for a moment, afraid the food would come back up. With the fork in my hand, I picked the eggplant parmesan off the plate and started eating.
    A pair of smiles met my glance when I looked up. My plate was empty. My stomach wasn’t jumping all over the place and I leaned back, satisfied. A slew of questions filled my head, but I put off asking them. I’d had enough for one day.
    â€œDid your brother arrive?” Marcus asked when he finished his dinner.
    â€œHe did. He called while I was in the bathroom losing my lunch. I’m afraid I blurted out the fact that I’d just found Gristle.”
    Two pair of eyebrows raised in question.
    â€œI know. I should have kept my mouth shut, but I was so surprised that it jumped right out of my mouth. Most times I can keep a secret, but not this time.”
    Laughter met that statement, and I glanced at them in surprise.
    â€œHoney, you couldn’t keep a secret any more than you could become graceful.” Marcus said with a chuckle. I know he referred to the way we’d met and how I’d managed to become entangled with everything and anything that crossed my path.
    â€œSo, when are you going to see him?” they both asked.
    â€œTomorrow after class is over. I’ll call and swing by the house if he’s there.”
    â€œInvite him to dinner, but make sure you show up.” Aaron’s chuckle met my glare.
    â€œI’d have been on time if I hadn’t found a stiff.