Black Silk. Metsy Hingle

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СКАЧАТЬ told her. “You announced to a half-million people on live TV that the Stratton wedding was called off and intimated that your unnamed source told you it was because of Francesca Hill’s murder.”

       Francesca Hill was dead?

      Shocked, Anne held on to the sink. She couldn’t believe it. Oh, she’d known something was wrong, even suspected that someone close to the Strattons had gotten tangled up in something bad and had died. But she’d never dreamed it was Francesca Hill or that the woman had been murdered.

      “I guess it doesn’t matter to you whether or not you compromise an investigation—just as long as you get your story.”

      Both stunned and hurt, she said, “My God, Charlie. Do you honestly believe I’d do that?”

      Charlie hesitated, eyed her closely. “You saw me and Vince leaving the Stratton house. Then you go and do that report. What was I supposed to think?”

      “That I would never do that to you. Or anyone.”

      Charlie looked away for a moment, then tossed the sponge in the sink. “Maybe I should have,” she said. Grabbing a dish-towel from the counter, she dried her hands, then dabbed at the wet spot on her blouse. “But you made that crack about an unnamed source. The captain and everyone else thought you were referring to me.”

      “Well I wasn’t. For your information, my unnamed source was a doormen at the Mill House Apartments. He said that when he came on duty, he’d heard that the police had been all over the place and in Mr. Stratton’s lady friend’s apartment and that they carried someone out in a body bag. I thought it was Holly Stratton.”

      “J. P. Stratton’s daughter?”

      Anne nodded. “Everyone knows that she and Francesca didn’t get along. She moved out of the Mill House when her father moved Francesca in and she wasn’t at all happy about the wedding. Besides I’d heard Holly has emotional problems and even attempted suicide. When I heard someone had died, I thought she tried again and succeeded this time. I also thought she’d done it where she knew her father would find her.”

      Charlie sighed. “I’m sorry, Annie. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions.”

      “No, you shouldn’t have,” she said firmly. But she had never been one to stay mad for long. She couldn’t do so now. More softly, she asked, “Did you really get in trouble?”

      She nodded. “So did Vince. Apparently, the chief came down on the captain and he came down on us. Everyone assumed I was your source.”

      “Well first thing tomorrow morning, I’m marching down to the police station and telling your Captain he was wrong, that you didn’t tell me a thing.”

      “Thanks, but you don’t need to do that. I told the captain it wasn’t me and Vince backed me up.”

      “I should hope so,” she said.

      “The truth is, I think Vince is the one who convinced him. He told the captain that you were smart and a good reporter, and that after you’d seen us at Stratton’s house and found out the wedding had been cancelled, you put two and two together.”

      “He was right,” she told her as a trill of pleasure went through her. “DidVince really say that I was smart and a good reporter?”

      “Yes, he did,” Charlie said dryly. She eyed her closely. “You want to tell me what’s going on between you two?”

      Anne blinked, felt color rush to her cheeks. “Nothing. Why?”

      “Because you both get this sea-sick look when I mention one of you to the other.”

      “Girls,” their mother said as she came through the kitchen doors. “What on earth is taking you so long? And why is there water on the floor?”

      “I dropped the sponge,” Anne fibbed. “Don’t worry, we’re almost done.” But as she tackled the remaining dishes, Anne’s thoughts were on Detective Vincent Kossak.

      “I still can’t believe Francesca’s dead.”

      “It’s true,” Cole told his sister Holly as he set her bag down inside of her apartment. After learning from Aaron about Francesca’s murder, he’d driven to the casino resort on the Gulf Coast where he’d sent Holly the previous night. He had thought that getting Holly out of New Orleans would be the best way to ensure his sister didn’t do something foolish—like crashing J.P.’s wedding—and making matters worse for herself. But once he’d learned of Francesca’s death, he’d known he had to act quickly. Holly had always been fragile emotionally and he hadn’t wanted her to hear the news over the phone. Nor did he want her to learn about it from the media. He’d wanted to break the news to her in person.

      After the initial shock, she’d grown quiet. She’d remained quiet while she packed her bags and checked out of the resort hotel. And she had barely said ten words during the ninety-minute drive back to New Orleans. He eyed her carefully as she stood staring out of the picture window that offered a view of the Mississippi River and the night sky.

      Unsure whether to be relieved or concerned by his sister’s silence, Cole took off his leather jacket and laid it on the chair beside Holly’s. He wasn’t blind to his sister’s faults, he admitted. Holly was spoiled, often unpredictable and gullible. Her emotions ran high—be they happy or sad. She also had the most tender, generous heart of anyone he knew. And despite the angry scene with Francesca the previous night, he didn’t doubt for a moment that she was already regretting the ugly words that had passed between them. She was probably also feeling a loss. After all, she and Francesca had been good friends at one time.

      Until J.P. had come along.

      The selfish bastard. He had ruined the friendship between his own daughter and her friend simply to satisfy his own twisted ego. He hadn’t been concerned about how his actions would affect Holly or anyone else. But then, J.P. Stratton had never cared about anyone other than himself. He’d learned that lesson firsthand a long time ago. What he didn’t understand and never would was why Holly continued to love J.P. after everything he had put her through. But then, he’d never understood why his mother had continued to love the man who’d used and abandoned her, either. Maybe he hadn’t been able to help his mother all those years ago, but he could help his sister now.

      Walking over to the window, he stood beside Holly and stared out into the night. The rain that had come through earlier in the day had washed away the clouds. Stars glistened against a black velvet sky with a crescent-shaped moon that looked as though it was suspended above the river. It was a quiet, peaceful scene, but he knew the woman beside him was not at peace. “You want to talk about it?”

      “No.” Turning around she said, “What I want is a drink.”

      When she started toward the bar, Cole blocked her path. “I don’t think that’s a good idea right now,” he told her firmly, knowing his sister had used alcohol as a crutch in the past and worried at her dependence on the stuff.

      “Well, I think it’s a great idea,” she argued. “My nerves are shot. I need it to calm me down.”

      “No, you don’t,” he insisted and caught her hands in his. “The booze is a crutch and you don’t need a crutch. You’re stronger than that.”

      “No, СКАЧАТЬ