The Devil Wore Sneakers Read Online Free PDF Page B

asked.
    “Lovely,” they chirped, giving him smiles of reassurance.
    “Super. I hope I can count on your kindness and respect for Miss Watson’s privacy. She buried her brother this morning.”
    One woman gasped and the rest nodded their heads.
    “Have a nice lunch.” He hoped that would stop them until Lucy finished eating. He returned to their booth.
    Lucy leaned across the tabletop. “Tell me more about why you and Ryan fought.”
    “Glad you missed me, Luce. Are you afraid you’re going to break bread with a killer?” As soon as he said the words, he regretted them. Sullivan was the one who deserved his sarcasm.
    She winced and sat back in her seat as though trying to get farther away from him. She’d made the first move after half a decade, and he was wrecking it.
    “Okay, your brother was falling behind with his bills. He wanted me to help out, cover for him, but I refused. I explained my budget was tight and I didn’t have the spare cash. He didn’t take it well.”
    “What about his paycheck and the money left from selling our grandfather’s house?”
    “I don’t know, Luce. He had money one month and none the next. Ryan said he just needed a little extra time to come up with the cash he owed. I offered to sit down with him and the bank to figure out a different payment schedule. He got angry and refused. That’s when the fight heated up.”
    “My brother had a temper, like you.” She glanced down at her hands and then looked back at him.
    “I figured when we both cooled off, we’d discuss the situation again and crunch numbers.”
    “Ryan always loved numbers, especially when they led to dollars. His decision to become a teacher surprised me, but with the real estate crash, I guess he made a good move.”
    “Ryan plugged away until he earned his teaching certificate while taking any job to keep himself afloat. Yeah, he took a few extra years, but he’d straightened out, Luce, or I thought he had. He quit drinking, too. That was a big step for him.”
    “I was proud when he got his real estate license and married. I hoped he’d be happy, settle down, and have a family. Why would anyone kill him? Sure, he could be annoying, but murder?” She locked onto his gaze. “How much did he ask to borrow?”
    Liam’s resentment rose. “You believe I’m capable of shooting your brother because he wanted money?”
    “I wasn’t blaming you for Ryan’s death. If you’d fill in a few blanks, I’d be grateful.”
    “I don’t have all the answers. He stonewalled me when I tried to help.” Liam’s temper deflated. “I planned to talk to him again, but—” Ryan was dead. Liam was too late. The words stuck in his throat.
    Sadie swung into the room with a plate in each hand. “The special is up.”
    Liam introduced the women, and his chef set the food down and skimmed a glance over Lucy before she added, “Enjoy.”
    “Does your cook always deliver your meals to you?” Lucy asked when Sadie left.
    “Nah, she wanted to walk past Hank. They’ve got something going, but neither has admitted it yet.”
    “Not many available men move into town. Is he divorced? He mentioned he needed this job to get custody of his daughter.”
    “Yeah, he’s still working on getting his rights ironed out. He came to Barley from Vermont to start over after his marriage broke up. Lucky for me.”
    “And Sadie is single?”
    “Yes. She comes from a family of six siblings, all girls, and she’s the youngest. Two of her sisters waitress for me. They all look alike and have names that begin with S.” He shrugged and leaned back in his seat.
    Sadie paused at the bar and laughed at something Hank said.
    “New love is so exciting.” Lucy sighed. “Too bad things sour when you get to know each other.”
    She looked down at her food, but made no move to pick up her spoon. Her face reddened. “Liam, I’m sorry.”
    “For what?”
    She raised her chin. “I’m sorry for the years I wasted being mad at