Shock and Paw by Conte Cate

Author:Conte, Cate [Conte, Cate]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781250883971
Google: QIroEAAAQBAJ
Amazon: 1250883970
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Published: 2024-08-19T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 24

Friday

7 p.m.

I froze, feeling my heart start to pound uncontrollably in my chest. Still, I tried to force my voice to sound normal since Becky sounded so freaked out. Both of us freaking out wouldn’t be good.

“What are you talking about? How can she be”—I dropped my voice to a whisper—“dead?”

“She’s … outside on the ground. Not moving. There are”—I heard her draw in a shaky breath—“lights wrapped around her neck. Christmas lights.”

What?

“Becky. You’re not saying…”

“Can you just come?” Her voice hit a pitch that made me pull the phone from my ear.

“Me? Why me? Did you call nine-one-one?”

“Of course I called nine-one-one! But I don’t know what else to do.” Her breath hitched and I knew she was on the verge of hysteria. “I mean, I tried to check her pulse but I didn’t feel anything, and anyway, I have no idea how to check a pulse so I don’t think I did it right anyway, and then—”

“I’ll be right there,” I cut into her babbling, suppressing my questions. Why was she at Donna’s house? Did this have something to do with Brandon and the offer? I thought back to my conversation with him earlier. The thinly veiled threatening tone his words had underneath them. And what exactly did she mean that there were lights wrapped around her neck? Like, she’d gotten tangled in them? Or someone had wrapped them around her neck and choked her with them? I didn’t really want to ponder that theory for very long.

But I didn’t say any of that. “Craig’s here. I’ll bring him,” I said instead.

“Thanks.” She hung up.

I threw my stuff in the bag and burst out of the stall, texting Craig as I headed for the door.

I need help. Women’s bathroom.

Less than a minute later I heard footsteps running toward me. I stepped into the hall. He slowed when he saw me. “What’s wrong?”

“I just got a call from Becky. She’s at Donna Carey’s house.” I took a breath. “She found Donna outside in the yard. She says she’s dead.”

“Dead,” he repeated, his voice flat.

“Dead,” I confirmed, lowering my voice and glancing around. “With lights wrapped around her neck. Can you take me over there?” I hoped he would agree. I hated to ruin his evening, but he was a newly minted detective and I was betting that he would want to be in on the action.

“Wait.” He held up a hand. “Lights around her neck? What do you mean?”

“I’m not sure,” I admitted. “Like, Christmas lights I think. I’m just telling you what she told me.”

His jaw set. “Why do these things always happen when you get involved in something?”

“What am I involved in? All I did was answer my phone!!”

He gave me a skeptical look but let it go. “Did she call nine-one-one?”

“She said she did.”

“I’m on my way. But you don’t need to go over there.”

“I do,” I insisted. “At the very least I need to take her home. She’s distraught.”

He glanced behind him as if calculating what that would mean for his evening, then nodded with barely a hesitation.

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