Everywhere She Turns by Debra Webb

Author:Debra Webb
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Village Medical Clinic, 7:18 PM

CJ paced the pavement between her rental car and the clinic’s rear entrance. Where the hell was Cost?

She’d called him half an hour ago. How long did it take to get from Governor’s Bend to here? Ten, fifteen minutes, tops.

The entire day had passed with her combing the city for Celeste Martin. CJ had started with a door-to-door search in the village. No one admitted to knowing the woman, much less having any idea where she might be.

Jenkins or one of his colleagues had followed her every step of the way. She’d gotten worried that no one would talk to her with him around, so she’d given him the slip.

It hadn’t been easy. She’d had to park down a narrow little road that only longtime residents of the village knew about. It paralleled the train tracks off the west side of Holmes. She’d waited a good twenty minutes and then she’d taken a back way through Huntsville Park to get back to the village.

It infuriated CJ that no one would open up to her. Every damned one she asked pretended not to know Celeste. That was bull. The girl had been working the streets around here for months. Prostitutes were like actors or secretaries or any other group of professionals: they chatted amongst themselves about work.

She’d questioned folks at the Kroger parking lot. Then she’d moved to the Wal-Mart lot across the street. She hadn’t bothered with the mall across the parkway—too much security for any of Celeste’s friends to mark that territory.

How could the girl have simply disappeared?

It wasn’t possible.

Unless . . .

Guilt congealed in CJ’s gut.

That girl was missing or in trouble because of CJ’s meddling.

Ricky Banks was dead. CJ had pushed him for answers about Shelley’s murder. Celeste Martin was missing. CJ had questioned her extensively. The girl had been too trusting or naive or maybe just desperate for someone to care not to realize her mistake until well after she’d made it.

Dammit.

CJ folded her arms over her middle and fought to contain her emotions. Her sister was dead. The police had no idea who had killed her. CJ’s efforts to solve the mystery were only causing more trouble.

Braddock had begged off the briefing he’d promised her. He and his partner were busy with this latest homicide. CJ understood. She’d decided to try to locate Celeste.

Celeste wouldn’t be missing if it weren’t for her . . . would Ricky be dead?

CJ had no idea what she was doing.

Edward’s words echoed amid the whirling thoughts.

This is clearly further indication that you should go back to Baltimore. There’s nothing more that would prove constructive you can do here.

He was right about one thing. This morning had been a warning. She hadn’t told him about the cat’s blood. It was bad enough she’d had to explain about the rabid addict at the clinic. He’d noticed the bandage on her throat.

But last night had been about her work at the clinic yesterday. She was certain. Tyrone wanted CJ to know that her digging around in this investigation was not appreciated.

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