Free WHO KILLED EMMALINE? by Dani Matthews

look very well.”
    His eyes skim over me slowly, and I can tell when his focus zeroes in on my hips and breasts. “I think you pull it off just fine.” His eyes lift to mine. “There is no unwritten rule that you have to wear all black, or dye your hair, or wear as much body jewelry as you can. Everyone who comes in here likes to create their own unique style, so find your own for when you’re here, and you’ll fit in just like everyone else.”
    Warmth spreads through me. “Thanks. I didn’t realize you worked tonight.”
    “I don’t. I’m just doing a couple of things in the back before taking off.”
    An uncomfortable silence descends over us.
    “I need to clean out the fitting rooms,” I murmur.
    I step around him and make my way to the cave-like hall. All the doors of the rooms are open but for two, which means they are in use. I enter the first door on the right, and a motion-censored light flickers to life inside the room. There’s discarded clothing hanging on a hook, and I walk over to pick up the half-dozen or so shirts. When I turn around, I find that Cord has followed me.
    He leans into the doorway, his hands braced on either side of the doorframe as he blocks my exit. His body language is relaxed, and his expression is curious. “I didn’t realize you were the one Dane hired until tonight.”
    I pause before him. The lights from the hallway behind him cast red shadows along his body, causing him to look faintly sinister. “Does my working here bother you?” I ask. He doesn’t seem annoyed by my presence or anything.
    “Depends on your motives,” he says simply.
    “What other motive do I need other than life sucks in Ambler Ridge? Can you move, please?” I ask lightly, motioning that he’s in my way.
    He shifts his masculine frame and backs up into the hall, giving a grand sweeping gesture to show that I can now pass through the fitting room doorway.
    “Smartass,” I toss at him.
    Then, I walk past him and enter the next fitting room to find some men’s clothing scattered on the floor. I add it to the pile of clothing in my arms and turn around to find that Cord is standing in the doorway again, silently watching me. There’s something strange in his expression and most definitely unsettling. I motion that he’s in my way again, but this time he doesn’t budge.
    “What?” I ask, gazing at him hesitantly now.
    “We don’t scare you, why is that?” he asks as his eyes roam over my face.
    We hear one of the fitting room doors open, and a lanky guy walks past us, glancing at us briefly before exiting the hall and disappearing back into the store.
    “I don’t know,” I say honestly. “The brutality of Emmaline’s death is horrific, but I have a hard time connecting you and Dane with it.”
    “You don’t even know us,” he points out.
    “I know.” I give him a shrug. “Maybe it’s easier for me to be disconnected from it, because I didn’t know her,” I offer.
    “Possibly.”
    His facial expression is hard to read, and because I’m not moving around and have been standing still, the motion-censor light blinks out overhead, leaving me encased in darkness while the red lights from the hallway outline Cord.
    I should be frightened, but I’m not. Since I’m not feeling threatened, I make no move to draw the light back on. “You don’t mind talking about her?” I ask cautiously.
    Even in the dim light, I can feel him cooling towards me, his earlier curiosity replaced by detachment. “I didn’t love her. I don’t even think I liked her.”
    Okay, now that causes a trickle of apprehension to surface, but I still make no move to retreat or draw the light back on. There’s a part of me that wants to prove to him that he doesn’t frighten me, though after that chilling comment, it might be wise to ignore my pride and bolt.
    His eyes burn into mine, and they are black from the shadows. “Does that scare you, that I can be so disconnected from it as well?” he asks, his