Read Online Crowned and Moldering by Kate Carlisle - Free Book Online
Authors: Kate Carlisle
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ever thought to search for her inside the deserted lighthouse mansion.
Could she have been saved? We would never know.
A dreadful thought occurred to me. Even if someone had thought to search for her in
the mansion, would they have found her curled up inside the dumbwaiter? As soon as
I pictured it, I had to shake off the image of Lily inside that cramped space. I jumped
out of the car and ran through the rain into the market.
As I reached the dairy section, I heard a man say my name. “Well, well. Shannon Hammer.”
It wasn’t a friendly greeting. My stomach clenched as I turned to see Cliff Hogarth
standing near the orange-juice display. He was impeccably dressed in a well-tailored
black suit with a white shirt and a gold silk tie. He looked wealthy and dangerous
and not at all at home in the dairy section of the local supermarket.
Cliff had grown up in Lighthouse Cove, but moved away after high school. Rumor had
it that he’d made a killing in the real estate business in Chicago. Then a few months
ago he’d returned to town to open a construction company. Ever since then, he’d been
making life miserable for me and the other contractors around town. He had tried to
poach our crews and thought nothing of drastically underbidding our jobs. It was infuriating
and a little scary. The man had no integrity at all when it came to his professional
dealings, not to mention his personal interactions. But why would I expect him to?
He’d hounded me and a lot of other girls all through high school.
And staring at him now, I remembered that Cliff had dated Lily Brogan during her senior
year in high school. How was that for a coincidence? Seeing him on the same day that
Lily’s remains were discovered made me question his real motive for moving back to
Lighthouse Cove.
Ordinarily I might not be so suspicious of someone, but Cliff was a jerk of the highest
order. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out he’d been involved in Lily’s death. Maybe
that was unfair of me, but I couldn’t help it. The man was purposely aggressive and
intimidating.
Paying no attention to him, I opened up the dairy case and took a quart container
of half-and-half off the shelf. As I started to walk away, Cliff took hold of my arm.
“Hands off, pal,” I said in my toughest voice.
“You’re still a snob, aren’t you?”
I wrenched my arm back. “And you’re still a clueless oaf.”
He moved closer. I backed up a step. He was big and loathsome, a real bully, yet his
breath was minty fresh. It was unexpected and creepy. Without warning, he grabbed
my arm again and squeezed.
I struggled to pull away. “I told you to get your hands off me.”
“When are you going to learn that it pays to be nice to me?” he said through clenched
teeth.
“You’re wrong. Now let me go.”
“Maybe once I’ve put you out of business you’ll realize you should’ve paid better
attention to me.”
“Fat chance of that.” I tried to push him, but he was as solid as stone. “I’m going
to scream if you don’t leave me alone.”
“Of course you’ll scream, because you’re nothing but a weak little girl.” He laughed,
but his eyes were hard. “By the time I’m through destroying your little company, you’ll
be begging me for a job.”
“You’re crazy.” I finally managed to break loose. “Stay away from me, or you’ll be
sorry.”
His upper lip curled as he snorted. “Now I’m scared.”
I walked away as fast as I could, but I could hear his evil laugh all the way up to
the cash-register line.
Minutes later, I was home and dashing to the kitchen door. I let myself inside and
quickly locked the door, concerned that Cliff might’ve followed me home. I tried to
shake him from my mind as I stomped on the rug to dry my shoes.
I took a careful peek out the window and didn’t see anyone loitering outside. The
lights were on in the garage apartment, and I wondered if Mac
Could she have been saved? We would never know.
A dreadful thought occurred to me. Even if someone had thought to search for her in
the mansion, would they have found her curled up inside the dumbwaiter? As soon as
I pictured it, I had to shake off the image of Lily inside that cramped space. I jumped
out of the car and ran through the rain into the market.
As I reached the dairy section, I heard a man say my name. “Well, well. Shannon Hammer.”
It wasn’t a friendly greeting. My stomach clenched as I turned to see Cliff Hogarth
standing near the orange-juice display. He was impeccably dressed in a well-tailored
black suit with a white shirt and a gold silk tie. He looked wealthy and dangerous
and not at all at home in the dairy section of the local supermarket.
Cliff had grown up in Lighthouse Cove, but moved away after high school. Rumor had
it that he’d made a killing in the real estate business in Chicago. Then a few months
ago he’d returned to town to open a construction company. Ever since then, he’d been
making life miserable for me and the other contractors around town. He had tried to
poach our crews and thought nothing of drastically underbidding our jobs. It was infuriating
and a little scary. The man had no integrity at all when it came to his professional
dealings, not to mention his personal interactions. But why would I expect him to?
He’d hounded me and a lot of other girls all through high school.
And staring at him now, I remembered that Cliff had dated Lily Brogan during her senior
year in high school. How was that for a coincidence? Seeing him on the same day that
Lily’s remains were discovered made me question his real motive for moving back to
Lighthouse Cove.
Ordinarily I might not be so suspicious of someone, but Cliff was a jerk of the highest
order. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out he’d been involved in Lily’s death. Maybe
that was unfair of me, but I couldn’t help it. The man was purposely aggressive and
intimidating.
Paying no attention to him, I opened up the dairy case and took a quart container
of half-and-half off the shelf. As I started to walk away, Cliff took hold of my arm.
“Hands off, pal,” I said in my toughest voice.
“You’re still a snob, aren’t you?”
I wrenched my arm back. “And you’re still a clueless oaf.”
He moved closer. I backed up a step. He was big and loathsome, a real bully, yet his
breath was minty fresh. It was unexpected and creepy. Without warning, he grabbed
my arm again and squeezed.
I struggled to pull away. “I told you to get your hands off me.”
“When are you going to learn that it pays to be nice to me?” he said through clenched
teeth.
“You’re wrong. Now let me go.”
“Maybe once I’ve put you out of business you’ll realize you should’ve paid better
attention to me.”
“Fat chance of that.” I tried to push him, but he was as solid as stone. “I’m going
to scream if you don’t leave me alone.”
“Of course you’ll scream, because you’re nothing but a weak little girl.” He laughed,
but his eyes were hard. “By the time I’m through destroying your little company, you’ll
be begging me for a job.”
“You’re crazy.” I finally managed to break loose. “Stay away from me, or you’ll be
sorry.”
His upper lip curled as he snorted. “Now I’m scared.”
I walked away as fast as I could, but I could hear his evil laugh all the way up to
the cash-register line.
Minutes later, I was home and dashing to the kitchen door. I let myself inside and
quickly locked the door, concerned that Cliff might’ve followed me home. I tried to
shake him from my mind as I stomped on the rug to dry my shoes.
I took a careful peek out the window and didn’t see anyone loitering outside. The
lights were on in the garage apartment, and I wondered if Mac
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