A Kiss Gone Bad Read Online Free PDF Page A

freaking now.’
    ‘And I want to tell you. But inside,’ Claudia said.
    ‘Jesus,’ Velvet said, but she allowed herself to be led tothe marina office. The wind gusted against them once, smelling of rain.
    Inside the office, Claudia gently steered Velvet to a couch and sat down with her. ‘Velvet – pardon, but is that your real
     name?’
    ‘Yeah, it’s what I go by. But Mojo’s made up,’ Velvet said, as if that could be a revelation.
    ‘So what’s your real name?’
    ‘Velvet Lynn Hollister.’ Her gaze darted back and forth between Whit and Claudia.
    ‘I’m Claudia Salazar with the Port Leo Police Department, and this is Judge Whit Mosley. He’s our justice of the peace.’
    ‘Is Pete in trouble? Did he—’ She stopped.
    ‘Pete has died,’ Claudia said. ‘He was found shot to death this evening. I’m terribly sorry.’
    Velvet accepted this news without screams or tears. Her throat worked in the dim light of the office for a few moments. ‘Dead?
     On the boat?’ She held herself very still, hands fixed in her lap, eyes dry.
    ‘Yes,’ Whit said. ‘He had been shot in the mouth. The gun was in his hand.’
    They let Velvet digest that bit of news for a moment. She didn’t move.
    ‘Did he own a gun?’ Claudia asked.
    ‘No. He hated guns. Didn’t want them around.’
    Claudia glanced at Whit. ‘Would one of his family perhaps have lent him a gun?’
    ‘I avoided his family,’ Velvet said. ‘I wasn’t up to their tight-assed snuff. His mother’s an A- I bitch and his ex-wife’s her understudy. They didn’t want us around.’
    So Faith knew Pete was in town. Why didn’t she tell me?
Whit touched Velvet’s shoulder; she didn’t flinch away. ‘Where would Pete have gotten the gun from?’
    ‘The boat belongs to a friend of Pete’s. He might havegotten the gun from him. I don’t know.’ Velvet began to shiver.
    ‘Who’s this friend?’ Claudia asked.
    ‘A guy named Deloache. Junior Deloache. He lives in Houston, but he’s got a weekend condo here.’ Velvet grabbed Whit’s arm.
     ‘Did a doctor look at Pete? Are you sure he’s dead?’
    ‘I’m quite sure. I’m sorry.’
    ‘Did you see any sign of depression in Mr Hubble?’ Claudia asked.
    ‘You think he killed himself?’ Velvet sounded incredulous. ‘No way. No way, no way, no way.’ She stood, pacing away from the
     couch, shaking her head.
    Claudia stood. ‘I know this is hard …’
    ‘You never knew him, Miss Thing, and you’re gonna pretend to know him better than me? He … didn’t … kill … himself.’
    Whit asked the obvious question. ‘How can you be so sure?’
    Her glare would have savaged a tank. ‘Because. He liked himself way too much. He wasn’t depressed. If he’s dead, someone killed
     him.’
    ‘Fine,’ Claudia said. ‘Who would want him dead?’
    Velvet’s tongue dabbed her lips. ‘Well, first of all, not me. I know how cops work and I didn’t have any reason to want Pete
     dead.’
    ‘What’s your relationship with him?’ Whit asked.
    ‘We’ve been friends for a long time. We’ve worked together on a bunch of art films. Dozens of them.’
    ‘So was he your boyfriend?’ Claudia asked.
    ‘Boyfriend. How milk-and-cookies. No.’ Velvet frowned. ‘Look, go talk to Jabez Jones. He used to be a famous wrestler, now
     he’s a Jesus jumper on cable TV. You know him?’
    ‘We know him,’ Whit said.
    Velvet nodded. ‘Pete’s working on a new film project and he wanted some cooperation from Jabez, but Jabez told us to fuck
     off. But yesterday, I came home from the grocery and Jabez is here and he and Pete are talking on the boat and I can tell
     Pete’s upset – his face was lipstick-red, like his head was about to burst. Jabez was smirking like he’d just popped a good
     money shot.’
    Her choice of metaphors, Whit decided, was clearly influenced by her career.
    ‘We’ll talk to Jabez,’ Claudia said. ‘Anyone else?’
    Velvet pinched her lip between finger and thumb.