All Fall Down Read Free

okay?”
    â€œFine.” She took the tissue and wiped her mouth, totally humiliated. “Thanks.”
    â€œYour first stiff?”
    She managed a yes, not meeting his eyes.
    â€œTough luck, her getting whacked in Whistlestop. A couple blocks over and you would have avoided all this unpleasantness.”
    She looked at him then. “Are you always this awful?”
    â€œPretty much.” A ghost of a smile touched his mouth, then disappeared. “It’s nothing to be embarrassed about, you know. Some people just aren’t cut out for this type of work.”
    â€œPeople like me, you mean? The kind of cop the Whistlestop force was made for?”
    â€œI didn’t say that.”
    â€œYou didn’t have to.” She straightened, furious, sickness forgotten. “You don’t know anything about me. You don’t have a clue what’s right for me or what I can or cannot handle.”
    â€œYou’re right, I don’t. And let’s keep it that way, shall we?”
    Without another word, he climbed into the Explorer, started it and drove away.

3
    B y three that afternoon, Melanie was running on nerves and caffeine. After throwing up, she had retrieved a Coke from the motel vending machine, rinsed her mouth with it, then gotten back to work. The CMPD forensic team had arrived, and she and Bobby had worked alongside them, logging in and bagging evidence. The medical examiner had come, followed by the body-removal service the county contracted to transport bodies to the morgue. She and Bobby had then reported to WPD headquarters to officially start their day.
    Melanie poured herself another cup of coffee, ignoring both her sour stomach and dull headache. She didn’t have time for queasiness or fatigue—the shit had only just begun hitting the fan. And no wonder. With this case there was plenty of it to go around: the FBI was involved, the CMPD, Charlotte’s most powerful citizen and of course, Whistlestop’s little band of blue. The victim had been young, beautiful and rich; her death gruesome and kinky.
    Front page, made to order.
    â€œMay!” Chief Greer bellowed from the doorway to his office. “Taggerty! Get in here. Now!”
    Melanie looked at Bobby, who rolled his eyes.Something had definitely sent their boss into orbit. And Chief Gary Greer in orbit was a sight to behold. Six-foot-four, built like a bull and with skin the color of fine dark chocolate, he commanded both respect and fear. But despite his overwhelming physical presence—or perhaps because of it—he rarely lost his temper. When he did, everybody hopped to attention.
    In fact, Melanie had seen him this angry only once before: when he had discovered that one of the officers on night patrol had been letting hookers walk in exchange for blow jobs.
    Melanie grabbed her notepad and jumped to her feet. Bobby followed her. When they reached the man’s office, he ordered them to sit.
    â€œI just got off the phone with Chief Lyons. Bastard politely suggested we bow out of this investigation. For the good of all involved, turn the entire thing over to the CMPD.”
    â€œWhat!” Melanie jumped to her feet. “You didn’t agree—”
    â€œHell no! I told him to kiss my hairy, black butt.” He laughed. “That put old Jack in his place.”
    Melanie smiled. Her chief had been a homicide investigator with the CMPD himself, and a highly decorated one at that. Four years ago he had been shot in the line of duty; the incident had nearly cost him his life. After he’d recovered, his wife gave him an ultimatum—the job or the marriage. Only forty-six and too young to be put out to pasture, he’d chosen the marriage and accepted this position. Although outwardly comfortable with his decision, Melanie suspected that he, like she, longed for real crimes to investigate.
    â€œThey’re not going to push us out,” he continued, yanking at his tie