Candy Apple Dead Read Online Free PDF Page B

bone to pick, I suppose.”
    “A bone to pick with Brandon?”
    Wyatt slanted an annoyed glance at me. “That’d be my guess.”
    “Yeah, but who?”
    “How the hell would I know? Brandon’s pissed off so many people, it could have been just about anybody.”
    “I know a few people were upset over the Arts Festival, but that’s certainly no reason to do something so horrible.”
    “I never said it was over that.”
    “Then what?”
    Wyatt rested his elbows on the table and cradled his coffee mug in his hands. “Maybe some poor jerk found out his wife was fooling around on him.”
    I laughed uneasily. “Come on, Wyatt. I know Brandon dates a lot, but he doesn’t mess around with other men’s wives.”
    Wyatt met my gaze steadily. “You want to put money on that?”
    “Of course not.”
    “You’re sure? I could use a new stereo for the truck.”
    I’d always had strong opinions about fidelity, and learning about Roger’s affair had only made them stronger, but even I wouldn’t convict Brandon on my brother’s say-so. “That’s a pretty ugly thing to say. Can you prove it?”
    “I’m sure I could.”
    “Then do it. Who has he been seeing?”
    An odd expression inched across Wyatt’s face. “It’s not my place to say.”
    “You can’t make an accusation like that without proof to back it up.”
    “Oh, there’s plenty to back it up. Believe me.”
    “Well, I hope you’re wrong. And I hope Nate’s wrong about the arson.”
    Wyatt fixed me with a steady stare. “Why do you care? What’s Brandon Mills to you?”
    I hadn’t told him about my so-called date with Brandon, and I sure didn’t want to mention it now. “He’s a friend,” I said. “And besides that, he’s a human being. Last time I heard, people were supposed to be innocent until proven guilty. If you can’t prove that he was sleeping around, you shouldn’t spread rumors.”
    “It’s not a rumor.”
    “Well, I’ve never heard anything about him sleeping with married women.”
    “That’s because you’re new in town.”
    I kicked my feet from the chair and glared at him. “That was a rude thing to say. I’m not new around here.”
    “Might as well be.” Wyatt reached for the hazelnut creamer, sniffed, and put it back with a grimace. “You can’t leave town for twenty years and expect everything to be the same when you finally drag yourself back. Life doesn’t work that way.”
    Like it or not, he was right about that. I’d received a warm welcome from some of the people I’d known before I left, but there were some who still held me at arm’s length, and a few others who acted as if I’d committed treason by leaving. I was counting on the uncertain ones warming up once they realized I was back to stay, and I told myself the others weren’t worth worrying about.
    “I understand why people might not confide in me,” I assured him, putting my feet back on the chair. “What I don’t understand is why they’d choose you .”
    With a laugh, Wyatt propped his feet onto the last empty chair. We were mirror images of the same reflection, except that he’s a foot taller, and I don’t have a mustache. “What can I say? I’m just the kind of guy folks trust, I guess.”
    I made a face to show what I thought of that, but I couldn’t stop thinking about his accusations. I knew firsthand the depth of pain and anger a person could feel in the face of infidelity. I’d felt plenty of both after walking in on Roger and his new girlfriend. But to burn down an entire building and wipe out a man’s life work? That kind of anger was beyond me.
    To soothe my irritated nerves, I slid grape, cinnamon, cherry, lemon, and orange sticks into a jar. “Well, whoever set the fire—assuming anybody did—I’m sure somebody will have seen something. You can’t sneeze in this town without somebody knowing about it.” I wedged in root beer, butterscotch, and watermelon. “You were there last night. Did you see anybody hanging