Devoted Defender Read Online Free PDF Page A

shift is over to pick you up to take you to the Inn,” he said.
    He’d been escorting her to the Inn each evening. “Thank you.” All a sudden, Annie hoped for an influx of customers, but that was highly unlikely at three in the afternoon.
    “Why don’t we have a seat and chat,” Gabby said.
    Annie forced a smile and sat down at the booth across from Gabby.
    “So my brother filled me in on the situation.”
    Annie nodded. “Okay.”
    “But I still have some questions.” Gabby leaned forward in her seat.
    This all of a sudden didn’t feel much like a chat and much more like an interrogation. She had flashbacks of her police interrogations in Florida after the shooting when she was only seventeen. Yes, she’d claimed self-defense and rightfully so. But the police had never acted like they had believed her. They’d accused her of wrongdoing—of telling lies—even though she had visible injuries. She tried to steady herself and focus on Gabby. “Sure. I’ll answer whatever I can.”
    “You said that you went back to the Perry house the night of the murder because of a recipe?”
    “Yes. I’d left some notes there for the dessert I was planning to do the next day and I wanted to pick them up to test it out. I like to try to perfect recipes before I serve them.”
    “There was no other reason?”
    “No. I’m sorry, but I feel like I’m missing something.”
    Gabby cocked her head to the side. “It just seems strange that you’d want to go to work on your night off.”
    “Being a chef is a way of life for me. I’m constantly thinking about recipes and ideas. I’d been working on a complicated soufflé recipe, and I wanted to test some changes on my day off.” She tried to keep her voice even, but she couldn’t help being a bit annoyed about what Gabby seemed to be questioning.
    “And you never heard anything before that night that seemed suspicious at the Perry household? Anything at all?”
    “No. It was very much what you would expect.” It didn’t matter that this was Caleb’s sister. She wasn’t going to sit back and take the bullying. “I’m sorry, Gabby. But if you want to accuse me of something, please just come out and say it.”
    Gabby smiled which puzzled Annie even more.
    “You’ve got a backbone. I like that,” Gabby said. “And I’m sorry if you think my questioning is out of line. But the way I see it, I don’t only have your safety in mind, but also that of my big brother.”
    “I wouldn’t do anything to try to harm your brother.”
    “It would be very convenient if you were working with Silva. You could be one of his moles.”
    Annie couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, because I’m so the type that would work for an organized crime boss. Just look at me. I’m a chef. I have no criminal abilities or desires for that matter. I live a very modest lifestyle. Feel free to verify that for yourself.”
    “So you think you were just at the wrong place at the wrong time?” Gabby asked.
    “Yes, and now I appear to have a huge target on my back. You have to understand that I feel a bit ill equipped to handle that.”
    Gabby nodded. “I’m going to help you because my brother has asked me to, and I’d do almost anything for him. But let me make one thing abundantly clear. If I find out that you’ve been lying to Caleb—or to me—then there will be consequences. No one messes with my family.”
    She couldn’t help but appreciate Gabby’s fierce protective streak. Annie didn’t have that in her own family. Growing up it was Annie always trying to protect her mom. Not the other way around. And now Annie was all alone in the world.
     “I’m going to do some digging and see what I can figure out about Doc’s connection to Silva and how Phil Perry comes into play.”
    “Isn’t that dangerous?” Annie asked.
    “Yes, but it’s what I do. Don’t worry. I live and operate under the radar.”
    “Is that why you’re a PI instead of law enforcement? You like that