A Crafter Hooks a Killer by Holly Quinn

Author:Holly Quinn
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Chapter Sixteen

Sammy’s hands flew to her lap and Bradley looked across the table, stunned by the jolt of sudden movement. Detective Nash stood at the end of the booth, hovering over them as he cleared his throat. “Please excuse me for the interruption.”

Sammy’s eyes met the detective’s directly. “Hey, what’s up?” She tried to sound casual, but her voice cracked like a croaking parrot.

“I need to speak with you when you have a moment. Preferably sooner rather than later. Do you possibly have time later today?” Nash’s eye twitched.

Was that jealousy? Sammy couldn’t gauge. Again, Liam displayed his customary poker face. She wondered whether, if Nash was ever tortured, he’d crack. Probably not. He was that good.

“No problem; I’ll make time. Have you met Bradley Schultz?” Sammy directed his attention to her very good looking friend from the old neighborhood. “Bradley, this is the detective who replaced Stan Oberon when he retired from the police department. Meet Detective Liam Nash.” Sammy gestured her hand toward the officer. For some reason, the introduction of the two men amused her. Perhaps it would be nice for Liam to see her sitting across from someone as attractive and well-groomed as Bradley Schultz. Maybe, just maybe, it would force his hand a little?

Nash held out a hand to shake. “Are you related to Barb Schultz?”

Sammy’s pencil-thin eyebrows furrowed. How the hell did he know Barb?

“Yes, Barb is my mother.” Bradley smiled as the two shared a handshake. They pumped hands as if they were old war buddies reuniting after a long, drawn-out battle.

“How do you know Barb?” Sammy blurted. She could no longer wait to hear the connection, and finally the words came out of her head for them all to hear.

“I helped shovel her driveway a few times this past winter.” Liam’s eyes swiveled to Bradley. “Your poor mother was out there struggling one morning in a large snowdrift that was darn near taller than her. I couldn’t drive by; I had to stop and help her out. After that, when we’d get more than a few inches of snow, I’d drive by to check on her. What a sweet woman. She would always bring me a homemade meal packed up in those plastic containers. I swear she watched the weather, and when the snow was coming she’d make a special dinner for me as a token of her appreciation. Great home-cooked meals, too. I loved every single one of them. I almost looked forward to the snow; we had a real good bartering system going.” He laughed. “Although now I have more than enough plastic containers to fill a recycling landfill.”

“You’re the one? Wow. Great to meet you, man. She mentioned that a nice gentleman helped her this winter, but she failed to tell me you work for the Heartsford Police Department.” Bradley smiled.

“Yup, I’m the one.” The detective mirrored Bradley’s smile.

“Man, I really appreciate that. That’s why I made the trip back to Heartsford. The handyman list has gotten way too long on that old house.

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