Person of Interest (A Celeste Eagan Mystery) Read Online Free PDF Page A

of newspapers off the coffee table and onto the floor. And maybe a magazine or two. “Oops.”
    “What did you do?”
    “Nothing. Why would you think I did something? Shame on you.” The garage was off the kitchen, two closets and the laundry room narrowing down the last door being the garage. Colin’s truck sat inside. I walked around the Chevy and saw no sign of the owner. “His truck’s here. Hood’s cool.”
    “So he hasn’t driven it in the last few hours. That doesn’t tell us much.”
    “I could push the OnStar button and see if they logged his GPS whereabouts.”
    “You’d do that?”
    I twisted up my mouth in disgust, not that Levi could see me, but the sentiment was just the same. “Like hell. They might tell him I was here .” I ran my fingers through my hair and retraced my steps. “I’m at a loss. Him being a no-show for work is weird enough. But it looks like he just fell off the face of the earth.”
    It was time to bite the bullet and call his mom. I could have Paige do it. She has a decent relationship with her grandmother. At the very least the woman didn’t loathe her as she does me.
    “I’m going to have to call Big Bertha.” Her name was really Babette, but that name was far too genial for the woman who never approved of me. So I hit her son with a car and he fell maddeningly in love with me. Then I divorced him. Was that a reason to hold a steady grudge for nearly fifteen years?
    I glanced at Colin’s house phone across the room. Big Bertha was more likely to answer if the caller ID came from his number rather than mine. It was amazing how often she wasn’t at home when I called for Paige.
    As I passed the front door headed for the phone, a heavy knock resounded. I sucked in a deep breath and froze in place. “Someone’s at the door. What do I do?”
    “Answer it.”
    “Yeah, no. I’m not supposed to be here, remember?”
    “You have a key. It’s not like you shimmied down the chimney or something.”
    The visitor knocked again.
    On my tiptoes, I peered out the peephole. “Crap. Stay on the line, Levi.” I dropped my phone to my side and opened the door. “Detective Muldoon. What brings you here?”

Chapter Three
    The detective looked down at the notebook in his hand, to the number on the door, the notebook again then at me. “Mrs. Eagan?”
    “Hiya. How are you doing?” If it sounded overbright and false to him, he didn’t show it. He never showed much emotion at all.
    He removed his sunglasses and hooked them on the front of his white button-down shirt. “What are you doing here? Is Colin here?”
    “Nope.” I rocked back on my heels and tilted my head up to look at him. The man was taller than I remembered. Then again pretty much everyone was taller than me. I came up to maybe his chin, if I had my heels on. “Just me.”
    “Does he often let you hang out at his house?”
    “I, uh...” I bit my lower lip. “I have a key.” Shirtless Justin hung off my forefinger.
    Muldoon’s dark eyebrows rose up. “I took you more for a Liam Hemsworth gal.”
    I don’t know what shocked me more, that he knew who Justin and Liam were or that he would joke about it. “Funny.” I pasted on a smile. “Were you needing something, Detective?”
    “To speak with Colin Eagan.”
    “He’s not here.”
    He tucked the little notebook in the pocket of his sports coat. “You’ll have to understand if I don’t take your word for it.”
    “Come on in and see for yourself.” I stepped aside and let him enter the house. I really wasn’t sure of protocol when you invited a policeman into your ex’s home. Should I offer him coffee—assuming Colin has any in his cupboards—and give him the grand tour? Did I keep my lips sealed and trail behind him just to observe? Play coy and hop from door to door like Bugs Bunny, saying, “No, officer, he isn’t in this closet.” Which I supposed only worked had I truly been hiding someone. Still, I didn’t know what to do.
    After