Six Killer Bodies Read Online Free PDF Page A

he’d imagined himself in with
    Meg, this wasn’t even in the top five.

    5
    “I’d like to see Cooper Craft, please.” Carlotta’s grip on her
    shoulder bag was slippery—she was a nervous wreck at
    the prospect of facing Coop, but she’d barely slept last
    night from worrying over him. She desperately needed to
    make sure he was okay.
    The lady officer behind the counter at the Atlanta City
    Detention Center leaned forward and eyed her
    suspiciously, as if she might be hiding a metal file in her
    slingbacks. “Are you his attorney?”
    While the idea of impersonating Liz Fischer gave her a little
    thrill, she decided it would be too easy to check. “No.”
    “Reporter?”
    “Definitely not.”
    “If you’re some kind of serial-kil er groupie, you’re wasting
    your time.” The officer’s eyes narrowed. “I’ve heard about
    kooks like you.”
    “I’m not a groupie. My name is Carlotta Wren. Brooklyn at
    the midtown precinct can vouch for me.”
    “Yeah, I know Brook,” the woman conceded with a wary
    nod. “But that ain’t gonna get you a free pass into my jail.”
    Carlotta realized she would have to change tactics to get
    past the cranky gatekeeper. She glanced at the officer’s
    name badge and offered her a sad smile. “Officer
    McHenry, is it?”
    “Uh-hm.”
    “Officer McHenry, surely there must be some way for me
    to see Coop.”
    “No can do. In case you haven’t read the papers, sweetie,
    this is a high-profile case. Technically, he’s not supposed to
    see anyone except his lawyer and immediate family. So
    unless you’re his sister, you ain’t getting in.”
    Carlotta angled her head. “What if I’m his girlfriend?”
    “Uh-uh.”
    “Fiancée?” she asked hopeful y.
    The woman’s eyes widened. “You’re engaged to this guy?”
    Beneath the ledge of the counter Carlotta discreetly
    moved a costume jewelry butterfly band to her left ring
    finger, then lifted her hand in reply. “I just need fifteen
    minutes.”
    “I don’t think—”
    “Ten minutes?” She worked up some tears to seal the
    deal. It wasn’t hard because she was starting to feel
    panicky about not seeing Coop. She couldn’t bear him
    thinking that she’d set him up to be arrested. “Just long
    enough to break it off. Surely you can understand.”
    The woman crossed her arms and nodded. “Girl, you gotta
    get out of that mess, for sure.”
    Carlotta sagged in relief. “I knew you’d understand.”
    “Course, he’l have to agree to see you,” Officer McHenry
    said, picking up the phone. “Give me your name again.”
    She told the woman, then chewed on a ragged thumbnail.
    Would Coop blow her cover and refuse to see her?
    The woman talked to someone in low tones and was on
    hold for several long minutes. Finally, she replaced the
    receiver and tapped on a keyboard before pushing it
    toward Carlotta.
    “Sign the computer log,” she said. “I’l need your purse,
    and I have to search you.”
    The officer had typed Coop’s name in the Inmate column.
    In the Visitor column, Carlotta typed in her own. Under
    “Relationship to Inmate” she hesitated, but with Officer
    McHenry watching, she slowly typed in F-I-A-N-C-É-E. If
    Peter knew she was pretending to be engaged to Coop,
    he’d have a stroke.
    The officer waved Carlotta around to a door that she held
    open. When Carlotta walked through, the woman said, “I
    have to warn you—your man’s in a bad way.”
    Her heart skipped a beat. “What do you mean?”
    McHenry took her purse and set it aside, then began to
    methodically pat her down. “He’s a drinker, right?”
    “He’s had some issues with alcohol,” Carlotta hedged.
    “Wel , there’s no alcohol here,” the cop said pointedly.
    “Take off your shoes.”
    She stepped out of the slingbacks. So Coop was going
    through withdrawal. Jack had commented that at least in
    jail Coop could dry out.
    “Nice shoes,” the officer said, setting them back down for
    Carlotta to step