With His Dying Breath Read Online Free PDF Page B

shop checking each stylist’s station electrical switches.             
    “Well, hon, that’s part of the reason. Blake and her dad were business partners at one time , and they had a terrible split—she and her dad—over it. He threatened statutory rape and everything else! Jenny begged him not to call the police. She begged until he finally said okay, but they broke as partners. Don’t think they ever spoke again, and then Jenny’s dad died of a heart attack about three or four years later.”
    “Oh, that’s pretty sad.”
    “Well, hatred can kill you. Forgiveness is probably the hardest thing to give somebody.”
    “Probably so.” A lthough JJ couldn’t think of anybody she disliked, much less hated.
    “ Well, let’s go JJ, you’ve got the place spotless, towels folded, supply request done, mirrors spotless, floor swept and mopped, shelves stocked. I don’t know how you manage to get so much done in just a few hours!” Evelyn continued to heap praise on her. “Oh, did your Dad ever call you back?” 
    “No ma’am, I just left him another message, too! He didn’t say what the story was. Maybe it was something else and not the murder. Oh, Mrs. Young, please don’t forget, tomorrow, I’ve got a makeup test after school and on Friday, of all things. Maybe it won’t last too long, and I’ll be right on over.”
    “Okay, sweetie, good luck on your test.” Evelyn set the burglar alarm and locked the door. She watched JJ buckle up, start up her car, and drive off. Evelyn turned the key in her ignition, and with the events of the day still fresh in her head, instead of taking a right for the drive home; she turned left to drive by the Brockton’s house.
    Anne Jones and Alan left the mall heading over to get a burger and fries since Austin wouldn’t be home until late. She retrieved Evelyn’s message and punched in the number on her cell as they walked toward her rental car.
    Evelyn’s cell vibrated and she checked her caller ID. “Anne, where have you been and what in this world is going on?”
    “Evelyn, can you believe it? My SUV died again and I had to get a rental. I swear I’m going to have that tin can on wheels towed to the junk yard. I had to get Alan”
    “Anne.”
    “to the doctor for his physical and then to the mall for new cleats. You know baseball tryouts start Monday. Well, actually they don’t tryout. Every kid makes the team. He’s just grown so much and needed new shoes. I was gonna call you earlier, but…”
    “ Anne, Anne, slow down. Have you seen what’s going on at the Brockton’s house? What about the murder?”
    “Murder? The Brockton’s house? I left home about noon, had to run errands before I picked Alan up. I didn’t see nothing different over there.” They almost reached the car when she clicked the remote to open the trunk. “Who was murdered?”
    “ Anne, you’ve got to turn that CD player off and listen to the real radio sometime. Have you not heard that Blake Brockton was murdered this afternoon and Sammi was arrested?”
    “What? ” Anne stopped dead in her tracks between two cars one row over from her rental vehicle.
    “Blake Brockton was murdered today and Sammi was arrested.” She heard a loud thud and a crash. “Anne, Anne.”
    “Hello, who is this?” Alan asked into the phone.
    “This is Mrs. Young, Alan, who owns the beauty shop. What happened to your mom?”
    “She just fell, Mrs. Young, she’s out cold. I gotta call somebody. Who do I call? ”
    “Hang up and call 9-1-1. Tell them you’re on a cell phone in the ma ll parking lot and what stores you can see. I’m on the way over there now. Call 9-1-1 and then call me back so I’ll know.”
    “Okay, but we’re right outside the food court, I can see the Carousel.”
    “Is your mom still out, Alan?”
    “Yes ma ’am.”
    “Okay, call them now, Alan, and tell them about the Carousel. I’ll probably get there before an ambulance does.”
    Evelyn put down the cell