Read Online Death by Lime: A Key West Culinary Cozy - Book 5 by Summer Prescott - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Summer Prescott
Ads: Link
waiting, always lurking. If he had a crush on me or something, why wouldn’t he just come up and talk to me? It’s creepy to act like that,” she shuddered.
“Maybe he was afraid that you wouldn’t respond well,” Sam replied quietly.
“Maybe. But then there’s also poor sweet Cam. What if the stalker is the one who killed him? I’d never forgive myself,” she shook her head and wrapped her arms around her knees, resting her head on them.
“What if he thought that spoiled rich jerk was the only thing standing between him and you?” he said in a low, strange tone.
“It wasn’t like that, Camden was the sweetest person ever, and anyway, he and I…” Kelcie stopped suddenly, the hair on the back of her neck standing up. She turned to gaze at Sam, and her heart raced when she saw the darkness in his eyes. She realized at that moment that she was in the company of a madman, but instinctively knew that it would be dangerous to let him know that she recognized him for the killer that he was. She swallowed hard, trying to keep the tremor from her voice.
“I mean…once I met you, I was kind of focused on that,” she managed what she hoped was a coy smile. Apparently it worked, because the madness left his eyes and he smiled back. Heart still thumping, Kelcie wracked her brain to try and figure out a new topic of conversation that wouldn’t inflame him. He moved a bit closer and her survival instinct allowed her not to flinch, despite the roiling revulsion that she now felt in the presence of this predator.
**
“Sam?” Marilyn asked the detective, shocked beyond words.
Bernard nodded. “His prints were on both doorknobs at Kelcie’s apartment on the night that he chased Thomas away, so, on a hunch, I compared them with the prints that were found on the florist box, and they were a match. I dug into his history a bit and discovered that he has quite a nasty history of animal abuse and domestic abuse and had been acquitted of murder on a technicality. When those results came in, I took another look at the evidence from Camden Reynold’s murder scene, and found Sam’s fingerprints all over the place, including on the murder weapon. He may be a killer, but he’s not a careful one. I have a warrant for his arrest,” he explained, his tone somber.
Horror gripped Marilyn. “Bernard, Kelcie is with Sam right now!” she fumbled in the pocket of her jeans and pulled out her phone, reading Tiara’s latest message. “They left the house together in his car, but Tiara is following them.”
“Text her and find out where they are,” he ordered. “I need to know where to send backup,” his jaw was set, knowing that Kelcie was potentially in grave danger.
“ Where are you?? Kelcie may be in danger…Sam is the killer and the stalker! ” she texted feverishly.
Tiara texted back immediately with the cross streets that were nearest their location on the beach. “ I’m on it, ” she said, causing her mother immediate distress. She gave the address to Bernard, who ran for the door, with Marilyn on his heels, giving him a look that let him know not to even bother trying to tell her that she couldn’t come with him.
“ On it??? What are you talking about? Tiara, don’t you dare leave the car. The police are on their way right now. Tiara? Tiara???? ”
Marilyn was terrified when her daughter stopped responding.
Chapter 17
Turning off the dome light in Marilyn’s car so that it wouldn’t come on when she opened the door, Tiara left her cell phone in the car, face down, and slipped quietly from the vehicle, not closing the door completely, so that she could be as soundless as possible. Creeping around to the back of the car, she ran silently toward the row of palm trees and ornamental grasses that served as a border between the parking lot and the beach. Her plan was to quickly sneak up on the couple, startling the killer and hopefully putting herself in a position to subdue him with the techniques
“Maybe he was afraid that you wouldn’t respond well,” Sam replied quietly.
“Maybe. But then there’s also poor sweet Cam. What if the stalker is the one who killed him? I’d never forgive myself,” she shook her head and wrapped her arms around her knees, resting her head on them.
“What if he thought that spoiled rich jerk was the only thing standing between him and you?” he said in a low, strange tone.
“It wasn’t like that, Camden was the sweetest person ever, and anyway, he and I…” Kelcie stopped suddenly, the hair on the back of her neck standing up. She turned to gaze at Sam, and her heart raced when she saw the darkness in his eyes. She realized at that moment that she was in the company of a madman, but instinctively knew that it would be dangerous to let him know that she recognized him for the killer that he was. She swallowed hard, trying to keep the tremor from her voice.
“I mean…once I met you, I was kind of focused on that,” she managed what she hoped was a coy smile. Apparently it worked, because the madness left his eyes and he smiled back. Heart still thumping, Kelcie wracked her brain to try and figure out a new topic of conversation that wouldn’t inflame him. He moved a bit closer and her survival instinct allowed her not to flinch, despite the roiling revulsion that she now felt in the presence of this predator.
**
“Sam?” Marilyn asked the detective, shocked beyond words.
Bernard nodded. “His prints were on both doorknobs at Kelcie’s apartment on the night that he chased Thomas away, so, on a hunch, I compared them with the prints that were found on the florist box, and they were a match. I dug into his history a bit and discovered that he has quite a nasty history of animal abuse and domestic abuse and had been acquitted of murder on a technicality. When those results came in, I took another look at the evidence from Camden Reynold’s murder scene, and found Sam’s fingerprints all over the place, including on the murder weapon. He may be a killer, but he’s not a careful one. I have a warrant for his arrest,” he explained, his tone somber.
Horror gripped Marilyn. “Bernard, Kelcie is with Sam right now!” she fumbled in the pocket of her jeans and pulled out her phone, reading Tiara’s latest message. “They left the house together in his car, but Tiara is following them.”
“Text her and find out where they are,” he ordered. “I need to know where to send backup,” his jaw was set, knowing that Kelcie was potentially in grave danger.
“ Where are you?? Kelcie may be in danger…Sam is the killer and the stalker! ” she texted feverishly.
Tiara texted back immediately with the cross streets that were nearest their location on the beach. “ I’m on it, ” she said, causing her mother immediate distress. She gave the address to Bernard, who ran for the door, with Marilyn on his heels, giving him a look that let him know not to even bother trying to tell her that she couldn’t come with him.
“ On it??? What are you talking about? Tiara, don’t you dare leave the car. The police are on their way right now. Tiara? Tiara???? ”
Marilyn was terrified when her daughter stopped responding.
Chapter 17
Turning off the dome light in Marilyn’s car so that it wouldn’t come on when she opened the door, Tiara left her cell phone in the car, face down, and slipped quietly from the vehicle, not closing the door completely, so that she could be as soundless as possible. Creeping around to the back of the car, she ran silently toward the row of palm trees and ornamental grasses that served as a border between the parking lot and the beach. Her plan was to quickly sneak up on the couple, startling the killer and hopefully putting herself in a position to subdue him with the techniques
Similar Books
