Page 58 of D for Dead

‘You could have waited outside.’

‘Troy told us to go inside.’

‘So you do everything you’re told?’ Sullivan glanced across at her again. This time there was definitely amusement in his eyes.

‘No. Well, um, I guess maybe some of the time.’

He grinned. ‘I thought so.’

‘What’s that supposed to mean? I was told not to go anywhere without Officer Boaz. I was following your rules.’

‘See, you’re doing it again.’

‘Doing what again?’

‘Doing as you’re told.’

‘Sure. Whatever.’ Amy rolled her eyes.

He was teasing her, she realised, but she didn’t mind. After what had happened with Nadine, it was a welcome relief. She didn’t like arguments and would avoid them unless necessary, and she had never been involved in a physical fight, until today. Nadine had scared the crap out of her if she was honest, sneaking up behind her, blocking the doorway. Amy had tried to defuse the situation, firstly with words, then by trying to leave the room, but the woman was furious with rage at finding her in the house and had caught hold of her by the hair, raking long nails across her face.

Huckleberry had been first on the scene, barking at Nadine and sinking his teeth into the wrist she tried to swipe him away with. That was how Heidi, Troy and Officer Boaz had found them: Nadine clinging on to Amy’s hair with one hand, the other trapped in Huckleberry’s mouth. Boaz had taken charge, tackling Nadine to the floor and arresting her, much to Troy’s annoyance.

You were such a wimp you didn’t even try to fight back.

It all happened so fast Amy hadn’t had a chance. She thought back to the room she had found, to the destroyed photograph.

‘I didn’t like that Nadine had my picture up in her house. We’re not friends. I don’t even really know the woman. Why would she have my picture up?’

‘Because she’s your number one fan?’ Sullivan suggested drily.

‘It was weird, creepy weird. She’d crossed me out in one of the pictures.’

He glanced over, raised his eyebrows.

‘With a marker pen,’ Amy elaborated. ‘It was creepy.’

‘Yeah, it is. Listen, Amy. I want you stay away from these people. No more trips to the beach. No more house visits. I’m going to check them out some more.’

‘Sure, I have no problem with that.’

‘That goes for Troy, as well as Nadine.’

‘You think there’s something up with Troy?’

‘I get a vibe from the guy. It isn’t good.’

‘Okay.’

Troy had always been polite, friendly and nice to her. But if Sullivan had seen something else, she had to trust him. ‘You think he has something to do with the murders?’

‘Probably not,’ Sullivan admitted. ‘They both have an alibi for the murders. I don’t trust either of them though. Something is off.’ He glanced over, held her gaze for a moment, his eyes warm.

Amy felt something inside her melt. She liked his eyes. ‘Stay away from them, okay?’

19

Doctor Paul Shinnick occupied an office on the second floor of a converted brownstone in part of Juniper’s older district. The quiet street with its wide pavements and verges lined with blossoming trees reminded Amy of the place her grandparents had lived. She fondly remembered summers visiting them before they passed away.