Deadly Double Read Online Free PDF Page A

approaching with tears in his eyes.
    Whatever Tyrese was saying he stopped in midsentence and turned to see what had caught her attention.
    “Hi, I’m Detective Delaney,” she said, moving toward the man. “Did you know the victim?”
    The giant nodded as his kind brown eyes continued to swim through shallow films of tears. “I’m Theodore Watts, lead nurse on third shift. I believe I might have been one of the last people to see Dr. Bancroft before she was killed.”
    Ming’s brows stretched upward while simultaneously flipping her notepad open again. “When was the last time you saw her?”
    “Early this morning. I-I think it as sometime around 2: 00 a.m.” He wiped at a stray tear.
    Surprised at the large man’s waterworks, Ming cast a quick glance back at her partner, only to be rewarded with another shrug.
    “And your relationship with Dr. Bancroft was strictly...professional?”
    Sniffing, he nodded but continued to scrutinize the man while he relayed the events of his last encounter with Dr. Bancroft.
    “Did you notice anything odd about her behavior? Was she nervous or jumpy?”
    Theo thought the question over before he responded. “No. She seemed normal.”
    He seemed genuine, but in murder cases, Ming had discovered that there was a world of great actors outside of Hollywood. “If we have any further question is there an address and phone number where we can contact you?”
    Theo, as he liked to be called, gave them his contact information and, before he left the two officers, he stole a glance to the yellow crime tape around Bancroft’s BMW. “It’s a real shame. I hope you catch whoever did this.”
    Ming studied him again. “We’ll do what we can.”
    Theo nodded as his eyes glazed over, but he spared the partners more tears as he turned and walked away.
    “That was interesting,” Tyrese said. “Do you think that he was lying?”
    “About what part?”
    “The strictly professional colleagues part. He seemed awfully torn up about this.”
    Ming’s gaze remained locked on the departing giant as she mulled over her answer. “I’m not quite sure what I think. Right now I’m focused on finding Michelle Andrews, preferably alive.”
     
    Josephine Ferrell held her temper in check as she was escorted into Marcus Hines’s office, but as her eyes met the practice administrator’s, she actually felt her skin crawl with irritation.
    “Ms. Ferrell,” he began with an unsure smile. “What a surprise. I was just about to call…”
    “Spare me,” she said, sliding open her mid-length, coffee and cream chinchilla to settle her gloved hands against her hips. “The first thing I want to know is how your reputable that was the word you used last week, wasn’t it?”
    Mr. Hines cleared his throat and gave her a slow nod.
    “Good. I didn’t want to get it wrong. How is it that your reputable institution failed, not only to provide the possible care for my sister, but also manage to lose her in the process?”
    Once again, Hines cleared his throat and squirmed beneath her hard gaze. “Ms. Ferrell, I know that you’re upset.”
    “Pissed.”
    “Very well. I know you’re pissed. But I want to assure you that we’re doing everything we can to get to the bottom of what happened here last night.”
    Josephine’s lips curled as utter loathing for the short balding man hit her like a whip. “And what about finding my sister?”
    Hines paled to the point of looking ghostly. “Of course, we’re working closely with the authorities in locating Michelle.”
    Josephine’s sneer turned into a wicked smile. “Are you now?” She glided over to a vacant chair in front of his desk and took her time settling into its soft cushions. “May I ask when exactly were you going to tell me about all of this?”
    He hesitated a second too long.
    “After discussing your position with your attorneys?” she guessed, and waited to scrutinize his reaction. “Maybe you’re worried that I’ll sue the hell out