Where Truth Lies Read Online Free PDF

“I’m Denise Baxter, by the way.”

    Baxter. That made her the wife of Fred Baxter, the man charged with Steven’s murder.

    “I figured I’d come and tell you the dirt about me before you heard it from the townspeople. That way you’ll know the real scoop.”

    Grace wiped her hands on a paper towel. “You don’t need to tell me anything, Mrs. Baxter—”

    “Please, call me Denise. Everybody does.”

    “All right, Denise. As I was saying, you don’t owe me any explanation. And if it makes you feel better, I was never big on gossip, idle or otherwise.”

    The young woman studied her for a moment more, then bobbed her head. “Yup, you’re exactly like Steven described you—straight to the point.” Her gaze shifted to a spot on the floor, halfway between the desk and the front door. “It feels strange being here. It’s my first time since…” She stopped, as though she couldn’t say the words.

    Grace followed her gaze. “Is that where they found Steven’s body?”

    Denise nodded. “Nobody was allowed near the place while the yellow tape was on. All I saw, a couple of days later, was the chalk outline. Then the investigation was over and Mrs. Hatfield had the entire gallery scrubbed clean.” She returned her gaze to Grace. “She hated me on sight.”

    Grace smiled. “Don’t take it personally. Sarah is very hard to please. Trust me on that.”

    “Steven blamed her for the breakup between the two of you.”

    How like Steven to put the blame on someone else. “Did he really?”

    “Oh, don’t get me wrong. He told me how he messed up, but he felt that if it hadn’t been for his mother being so hard on you, you would have forgiven him and stuck around.”

    “In that case, he was deluding himself. I broke up with Steven because he cheated on me. Pure and simple. Call me old-fashioned, but trust and loyalty rank high on my list of priorities, especially between a man and a woman about to be married. As for Sarah, she had nothing to do with my decision. I had come to terms with her attitude toward me by simply ignoring it.”

    Denise looked at her with undisguised admiration. “You have more guts than I have. One look at the woman and my knees turned to jelly.” She paused before adding, “I can see why Steven was so fond of you. You don’t take any crap from anyone.”

    Grace smiled. “Is that what he told you?”

    “No, that’s what I’ve been hearing all morning. The way you fought back that robber last night is the talk of the town. Where did you learn to kick like that?”

    “In kickboxing class. When you live in the city and work until late at night, self-defense becomes a necessity.”

    “Do you have to defend yourself often?”

    “Actually, this was my first time. Hopefully my last.”

    “Are you all right? Lorraine at the café says that you spent the night in the hospital.”

    News traveled fast in a small town. “I’m fine. Just some bumps and bruises.”

    Denise sat on the stool in front of the desk, making herself at home. “You seem like a good person.”

    “You can tell that after only a few minutes?”

    “I’m a good judge of character. How about you? Are you a good judge of character?”

    “I like to think so.”

    “Let’s put you to the test. What do you think of me?”

    Grace laughed. The woman was relentless, and yet, there was something about her that was endearing. “I think you’re very pretty.”

    “That’s not what I mean.”

    “All right.” Grace sat down in the swivel chair behind the desk and put her arms on the armrests. “I think you’re honest—a little insecure, perhaps, but that doesn’t seem to interfere with your candor. And in spite of what you say, I think you’re very gutsy. The fact that you’re here proves it.”

    “Hmm.”

    “Am I right?”

    “Pretty much. You and I could be friends, you know. God knows I could use a friend. As you’ll soon find out, I’m not the most popular person in town