Killer Heat Read Online Free PDF

going to such lengths except to hurt her? If he was truly concerned that she might’ve stolen from him, he could’ve jotted down her license plate number and called the cops. He knew she wasn’t getting away with anything. She’d even left her purse behind.
    The old lady wrung her hands. “This is so wrong! Idon’t understand what’s going on. Everyone knows Butch wouldn’t hurt a soul.”
    â€œCalm down, Elaine,” the elderly man, presumably her husband, said. “All this upset isn’t good for you.”
    It wasn’t good for anyone. Struggling to control her emotions, Francesca filtered out everyone and everything except Butch, who was spinning the tale of the afternoon’s events to his own benefit. “What have you done with it?”
    His pained expression didn’t change. “With what? ”
    â€œWith the body. I saw it there. If it’s gone, you must’ve moved it. Where?”
    â€œI didn’t move anything! It was a mannequin. That’s what you saw. This is a junkyard, lady. You never know what you’re gonna find.” A mannequin? Could that be true? There was nothing else remotely similar to a mannequin in the yard. For the most part, Butch collected metal. A mannequin would’ve been an unusual item, even here. But that had to be what he’d shown Hunsacker. Otherwise, Finch’s partner wouldn’t have reacted so oddly when she arrived. You didn’t tell her?
    A hard knot formed in the pit of Francesca’s stomach. “No,” she said, shaking her head. She’d smelled death, hadn’t she? Yes. Maybe. Had she imagined it?
    Spreading his arms wide, Butch appealed to the cops as if to say, See? She’s irrational.
    â€œStop it!” she snapped. “You know what happened here as well as I do.”
    â€œAnd I’ve told the truth. But if you won’t believe me, come on. Let’s go take a look.”
    He was too eager to prove himself. The knot in Francesca’s stomach grew bigger.
    Investigator Finch caught Butch’s arm as he started off. “Why don’t we let Ms. Moretti do the showing?”
    Butch didn’t appreciate being touched. His gaze lowered pointedly to Finch’s hand and a muscle flexed in his cheek. But as soon as Finch released him, he laughed and shrugged. “Fine by me. She likes to make herself comfortable on other people’s property.”
    â€œSpare us the unnecessary commentary,” Jonah growled.
    Butch seemed to notice him for the first time. Until that moment, he’d been looking only at Francesca—at least, when he wasn’t pandering to the cops. “Who are you? ” he asked with apparent disdain.
    Jonah coolly assessed Butch, as he might look at a man with whom he was about to step into the boxing ring. “Jonah Young.”
    Butch’s eyes swept over Jonah as if taking note of his smaller but more defined body, assessing him in return. “A cop?”
    â€œA consultant.”
    â€œThey bring in consultants for assault cases, do they?”
    Jonah’s lips curved into a thin-lipped smile. “I’m not sure this is an assault case.”
    That shut Butch up, told him that there might be at least one person present who wasn’t buying his act. When his nostrils flared, Francesca decided he didn’t like having a skeptic, any more than he liked being touched or having to suffer this influx of policemen. Still, he adjusted his expression and, if anything, broadened his insolent grin. “Well, you can always ask Investigator Hunsacker. I’ve given him and the rest of these boys access to the whole yard. They’ve poked through it all. If there was a body here, they would’ve found it.”
    Hunsacker joined them just in time to confirm it. “That’s true.”
    Francesca could feel Hunsacker’s support of Butch. Finch’s partner regretted being here. But she