Anything but Mine Read Online Free PDF Page B

lips. Traces of lipstick had crawled into the feathery lines around her mouth. “Did I say who it was?”
    “No, ma’am.” Why the hell hadn’t he sent Tick on this call? Because Tick was still in Moultrie, dropping off the evidence from Autry’s house. Damn it, he probably should have handled that himself. “That’s why I’m here.”
    She shook her head. “Well, I just don’t know…wait…maybe…”
    He struggled for an encouraging expression. “Yes?”
    “It could be Doreen Beall. Is she missing?”
    The county commission owed him a raise for dealing with her. No way this was in his job description. Damn it, he didn’t need to be here. He needed to be running down leads on Autry’s case. He rubbed a hand over his neck. “Ma’am, I don’t know.”
    “Well, you’re the police, aren’t you? You’re supposed to know when someone’s missing.”
    Teeth clenched until his jaw ached, Stanton nodded. “Yes, ma’am.” He looked down at the petite elderly woman. She blinked at him. He pulled his notebook from his pocket. “Mrs. Milson, why do you think it might be Doreen Beall?”
    She blinked again and narrowed her eyes. “Well, she’s not here.”
    He lifted an eyebrow. “Is she supposed to be?”
    Confusion twisting her wrinkled brow further, Mrs. Milson tapped a finger against her lips once more. “I’m not sure.”
    Shaking his head, Stanton stepped backward down the steps. “How about if I call Miss Doreen’s daughter over at the grocery store and see if she knows where she is?”
    Mrs. Milson’s eyebrows snapped into a mistrustful frown. “You do that.”
    Pulling his cell phone from its belt clip, he dialed the grocer. After a brief discussion with Doreen Beall’s indignant daughter, he moved back up the steps. “Mrs. Milson? I’ve located Miss Doreen. She’s safe and sound at home. So you don’t have to worry about her anymore today.”
    Mrs. Milson nodded, still eyeing him with suspicion. She latched the hook. “Well, thank you. I guess.”
    He tapped the rim of his campaign hat. “Anytime.”
    The county’s other unmarked unit pulled to a stop behind his in the driveway and Tick stepped out. “Having fun?”
    Stanton tossed his notebook on the front seat of his unit, the movement short and irritable. “Working a missing person who’s not really missing.”
    Arms crossed over his chest, Tick leaned a hip against the car’s trunk. “Mrs. Milson lose Doreen Beall again?”
    Stanton chuckled, the sad humor finally sinking in. “Yeah. Took her to her appointment at Dr. Shirah’s and left her there. Miss Doreen’s daughter is pitching a fit.”
    “Maybe she should start driving her mama around then.”
    “Well, she had to drive her home from the doctor’s office. How did things go in Moultrie?”
    “We’re in the queue. Price said she’d see if she could get them to hustle our results since it’s Autry we’re talking about, but no promises. She’s already running the fingerprints through the system.” Tick hooked his thumbs in his pockets. “Came by Autry’s place. Took another look around. Didn’t find anything else. She’s got Damon Watson over there, fixing her door.”
    Stanton frowned. “She’s not staying at your place again?”
    Tick shrugged. “Guess not. We offered, but she said she wanted to go home. Something about not running scared from some psycho.”
    “Son of a bitch.” Stanton yanked his hat off and tossed it on the seat. What was with her? Didn’t she realize how serious the situation was? She didn’t need to stay alone in that house, not until they knew where the threat came from. “I’ve got to go talk to her.”

    Studying the evidence reports laid out on the dining room table, Autry rubbed at her aching temples. The rules of discovery required that Tom McMillian turn over copies of everything. The autopsy reports horrified her, but she owed Schaefer to go through everything, find a chink in whatever case Tom was building.
    The idea