Ring Around the Rosy Read Online Free PDF Page A

at her. What was it?
    Darn, this could have been her big
chance.
    It wasn’t fair. She got there
first. She wrote a good story and turned it in before the deadline. Her writing
was as good as Dan’s or any of the others. What was the big deal about
contacting the police and coroner’s office to find out the cause of death or to
see if they had a suspect? It didn’t involve much work. Just because she didn’t
have any sources on the police department. How was she supposed to establish a
relationship with them if she never had an opportunity?
    More than likely, Dan complained.
Big crybaby. He probably felt threatened. Couldn’t have another reporter taking
over his spot. And a woman at that.
    Good thing Ernie didn’t know she
was a suspect. A chill ran through her as she recalled Detective Morgan’s
suspicions of her. God, she hoped Dan didn’t get wind of that information. “Put
it out of your mind, sit down and write this story and get on with life.”   Bella flew off the couch at the sound of her
angry voice.
    “The heck with it.” Susan slammed
her laptop shut, fixed something to eat, and then curled up to read her newest
novel for an hour. It was dark when she decided to sit down to write.
    Someone knocked at the door just
as she finished faxing the story.
    Looking through the peephole, it
surprised her to see Detective Morgan. She opened the door cautiously. What did
he want this time? Had he come to arrest her?
    “Since I was still in the
neighborhood, thought I’d check in, see how you’re doing.”
      “I’m fine.”
    “I see you haven’t covered those
windows yet.” He nodded toward the front windows.
    Oh crap, the shades. She spent so
little time in her apartment; it didn’t occur to her she needed them. “Not
something on the top of my list when I go out shopping.”
    “Anyone can see into your
apartment even though you’re on the third floor. Every time you stood up, I saw
your every move.”
    “You watched me?” Had she heard
him right? Her cheeks burned, as she thought of what he might have seen. What
are you, a peeping Tom?” The gall of this man. She was starting to dislike
Detective David Morgan and his cocky grin and bossy attitude.
    “What’s it to you, anyway, if I
don’t want my windows covered?” Susan stamped her foot.
    “Look, I’m sorry. I wasn’t
watching you. I looked up when I parked my car. You were walking around.”
    The look on his face said he
wasn’t going to give up until she agreed to cover them. “Okay, I’ll buy the
shades first thing tomorrow.”
    “Why not tonight?” He smiled.
“I’ll give you a hand.”
    “Maybe I don’t feel like it
tonight.” Could he get any bossier?
    “Look, Susan, quit being so damned
stubborn. I’m only trying to help you.”
    She couldn’t figure him out. One
minute, he was arrogant, the next he acted concerned and considerate. Maybe she
had misread him. Part of the reason she put off buying shades was she didn’t
even know how to measure for them. Since she couldn’t think of a good reason to
refuse his help, she shrugged. “What the heck. Why not?”
    “Great. And call me Dave, okay? No
more of this, ‘detective’ stuff.”
    After taking the measurements,
they went to the Wal-Mart store and bought the shades. Shopping with Dave was
surprisingly fun. They even stopped for pizza on the way home.
    He still confused the heck out of
her. She actually enjoyed his easy, outgoing-in-a-quiet-sort-of-way manner, and
he seemed to love teasing her. Part of her enjoyed the teasing, but she
couldn’t figure out if he treated her as a friend, or a suspect whose trust he
wanted to gain. Cops resorted to that trick all the time.
    As usual, when Susan came into her
apartment, she checked for messages. The red light blinked, and she pressed the
playback button.
    The voice came on raspy and harsh.
“Tonight, Jack be nimble, look for the candlestick.” Then the line went dead.
    Chills ran up her spine. Her
stomach rolled.