Dana Marton - Broslin Creek 05 - Broslin Bride Read Online Free PDF Page B

Maybe she’d changed since he’d known her. “You have his phone number?”
    She shook her head.
    A one-night stand? He hated the idea, frankly, but it wasn’t his place to judge, so he went on with his questioning.  
    “Anybody see you with him?”
    “We had drinks at Finnegan’s.”
    “Who was at the bar?”
    “Tayron.”
    He nodded. “I’ll check with him.” He watched her for a second or two, trying to see her impartially, instead of as the first girl he’d fallen in love with, even if all that silky hair and those supremely kissable lips made the task difficult. “What time did you get home?”
    “I’m not sure.”
    “Alone?”
    She hesitated. “Yes.”
    Okay, by an exhausting date, maybe she’d meant dancing. He liked that idea much better. “Any idea who might want Earl dead?”
    “Every woman he ever met?” Even as the last word left her lips, she slapped her hands over her mouth, her eyes turning large and horrified. “I’m so sorry.” She looked genuinely stricken. “What’s wrong with me? What a terrible thing to say.” She really did look like she might cry.
    “Relax. It’s pretty much what everybody else told me.” How did he not know that Earl was such a colossal jerk, taking advantage of his employees? “Anyone hate him in particular? Enough to do him harm?”
    “I don’t know.” She clutched her hands. “He was the boss. He wasn’t well liked, but…” She gave a resigned shrug.
    Right. Earl was a jackass, but he was the jackass who signed the paychecks.
    “When did you see him last?”
    “Near the end of my shift.” She wrung her hands. “Here at the motel.”
    She seemed to struggle with the interview. She was probably dead tired after being out most of the night. Chase saw her from time to time but hadn’t been this close to her in a while. He hadn’t realized how skinny she was. When had she lost weight? According to the other maids, she put in a full shift here, worked Saturdays at the library, plus took care of two toddlers.
    From what he’d picked up from general town gossip over the years, after her parents’ divorce, her father had gone up to Alaska. He’d always been a hard-core alcoholic. Whether he was still alive or not was doubtful. Luanne had gone off to business college once her mother moved in with a new man. The guy—not into crying babies—took off after the twins were born, never to be heard from again. A year later, Luanne’s mother died of breast cancer. Luanne took guardianship of her sisters, quit school, and came home to work.
    Regardless of the fact that she’d single-handedly ruined Chase’s manly reputation back in their younger years, he had nothing but respect for her. She was a hell of a woman.
    Even if she currently had trouble meeting his gaze.
    Maybe she felt embarrassed at having to tell him that last night she’d hooked up with a stranger whose last name she couldn’t remember.
    She cleared her throat. “Anything else?”
    “Earl ever try anything with you?” He hated the idea and the images popping into his head.
    She pressed a hand over her stomach.
    His muscles tightened. “Like what?”
    “Some…touching. Trying to talk me into…more under the guise of becoming his housekeeper.” She repeated what the other maids had already told him.
    “Sounds like a gem.” He swallowed his anger. “Has he ever pushed anyone too far?”
    She looked at her feet. “I wouldn’t be surprised. But not that I know for sure.”
    Chase nodded. He put away his notebook. He didn’t see much point in questioning her further right now. He had plenty to do this morning — subpoena Earl’s financial records to see if he’d been in some kind of money trouble, track down next of kin, interview his neighbors, go to the morgue in West Chester and see if he could hurry along the autopsy.  
    He had only one thing left to do here. He stood and turned toward the group of employees chattering around the front desk, six maids and two