Free Paula K. Perrin - Small Town Deadly by Paula K. Perrin Page B

Yes, we love each other.  I can’t imagine a day going by without
talking to her.”  A pain in my heart reminded me of the fight we’d just
had.  “She’s the funniest, smartest, most loving person I know.  If I were
a lesbian, I’d certainly choose her to be my partner, but I just don’t have
urges in that direction.”
    “Okay.  Thanks.  I had to
ask.”
    Feeling drained, I pulled his desk
chair out. Something was wrong with one of its casters, and I had to muscle it
away from the desk so I could sit.  “This is a dreadful chair,” I
said, shifting on its lumpy seat.
    Gene smiled fondly.  “It was
Uncle Jed’s.”
    Jed had been chief for years. 
After his death, a series of incompetents had held the post for extremely short
tenures until Gene took over.
    Resting my elbows on the desk, I
cradled my face in my hands.  “This is a nightmare.”
    “Hey, there’s not a rubber
hose in sight.”  He tipped his chair back.  “Did you ever know Andre to
take drugs?”
    This was one question I’d been
expecting.  “He’d had a real problem with substance abuse before he left Hollywood,” I said.  “He’d gotten clean.  It was important to him.”
    “You never saw him smoke
marijuana?”
    “No.”  I hesitated.  It had
occurred to me that Meg’s mood swings might be drug-related.  She’d been taken
into custody with some other kids during a drug raid in college, but she’d been
let go, and she swore she didn’t use anything.  I didn’t see how Gene could
know that, but just in case—a pinch of truth might do some good.  Staring at
the dimness inside my cupped hands, I said, “Barry smoked marijuana.”
    “Andre allowed that on his
property?”
    “Yes.  It helped Barry with the
nausea.”
    Finally he said, “Now what
about these trips you and Fran take together?”
    I spread my fingers and looked
through them at him.  “What has that got to do with Andre?”
    “Could you just answer?”
    “We go on vacations.  We
enjoy traveling together.”
    “Where do you go?”
    I shrugged, folded my hands on the
desk.  “Last fall we went east to do the changing leaves thing and to
visit Meg at school, meet her boy friend, and visit Fran’s alma mater.  The
spring before we went to Hong Kong and Japan.”
    “Where do you get the money
for these trips?  They sound pretty spendy.”
    “Annamaria was great at
finding good prices.”
    “They still cost.”
    “Yeah.”
    “So how do you two come up
with so much money?”
    “I’ve never asked Fran.  I
assume James left her money.”
    “And you?”
    I stared at him.
    “Look, I know you and your
mother went through rough times after—” he paused, then plowed on,
“your father left.  Now you spend money without a thought.  You sent Meg
to an expensive school, for example.  I’ve gotta wonder.”
    “Because I might have been
blackmailing someone?”
    “It’s a thought.”
    I shook my head.  “Mother’s
got a great head for business.  If she’d been physically able to work, she
could have saved Grandfather’s store.  I assume she has some investments.”
    “You don’t know for sure?”
    I shook my head.
    “What about you?”  His
gaze was steady, remorseless.
    I stared down at my hands, drew an
arrow on the cold grey desktop with my sweaty finger.
    “Jeez, have you been
blackmailing someone?”
    “Of course not.”
    “Well, then, what can be so
bad?”
    My face grew hot.
    “Spit it out, Liz.”
    “I write,” I mumbled.
    “What?  I didn’t hear
you.”
    I looked up at him.  “I
write,” I said loudly.
    “What do you write?”
    “Romance novels.”
    “And you get a lot of money
for that?”
    “You wouldn’t believe how
much.”
    “I’ve never seen your name on
a book.”
    “I use a pseudonym.”
    “What is it?”
    “That is truly none of your
business.”
    He sat straight and glared.
    “Look, it would be hell if it
got out.  I’ve gone to a lot of trouble to keep my identity secret.”
    “No