Horse of a Different Killer Read Free

“He vouched for you. I think you should know that.” She let the silence stretch out between us as she studied me.
    I didn’t know what to say, so I kept my mouth shut.
    â€œSo.” She leaned in, eyes locking on mine. “Why are you playing with me?”
    â€œPlaying with you?”
    â€œYou’re not answering my questions.”
    I started to weave an elaborate line of BS but thought better of it, deciding a partial truth was the best bet.
    â€œLook, Detective, this situation is . . .” I paused, searching for the right word. “It’s surreal. Quite honestly, it’s freaking me out. When I get upset or nervous I either babble like an idiot or clam up completely. As I believe the second option is not what you’re hoping for, I’ve been doing my best to answer your questions.”
    I was lying, but only about the last part.
    â€œYou’re doing your best?”
    I nodded. I
was
doing my best—to misdirect, deflect, and stall. Though I still wasn’t sure why. Kai’s warning had fallen pretty short in the clarity department.
    â€œBut it’s hard,” I said. “I’m worried about my sister and I’m afraid I’ll say something that will give you the wrong idea.”
    â€œLike what?”
    â€œNothing. There’s nothing I can tell you that will help because, I promise you,” I said, looking her dead in the eye, “my sister would never kill anyone.”
    â€œEven her ex-husband?”
    â€œHer—” I stopped as the words sank in. Drawing in a slow breath, I tried to will the color to remain in my face. “Tony Ortega is dead?”
    â€œHe is. And your sister was caught standing over his body—minutes after his death.”
    She waited for a response. I exercised my right to remain silent. I was pretty sure anything I had to say about Ortega could be used against me. Especially since the first thing that popped into my head was,
He probably deserved it.
    Boyle amped up her stare, honing it to a hard point. I could almost feel it pressing into me. I’d been right about the cold, granite cop under the pixie dust.
    Luckily, as a woman who faced apex predators on a regular basis, I was not easily intimidated. People can try to posture and pretend, but very few can beat me in a stare-down.
    The look in her eyes made one thing clear: She would no longer be playing nice.
    Worked for me. I had always been more of a runs-with-scissors than a plays-well-with-others kind of a girl.
    â€œYou knew Anthony Ortega.”
    I nodded.
    She glared at me for a long moment, waiting for me to elaborate.
    â€œHe was married to my sister, of course I knew him.”
    â€œWhen was the last time you saw him?”
    I shook my head with a shrug. “I’m not sure.”
    â€œGuess.”
    I thought about it. I knew I’d seen him a few weeks before he and Emma divorced, right before he’d put her in the hospital. “I haven’t seen him in years.”
    â€œNot at all?”
    â€œNo. Not at all.”
    â€œBut he has contacted you.”
    I shook my head, though I knew where she was going with her question. “He won the bid for my services at a silent auction last weekend, but I’ve had no contact with him.”
    She angled her head to study me.
    â€œYou say your services. You mean as an”—she opened the file in front of her for the first time—“animal behaviorist?”
    â€œIt’s the only thing I do.”
    â€œAren’t you also a veterinarian?”
    â€œI keep my license current, but I don’t have a practice.”
    â€œWhy’s that?”
    â€œSometimes it helps to be able to treat or quarantine an animal in the field.”
    â€œRight. You helped with the Richardson murder a few months ago.”
    â€œI did.”
    â€œThe dog—a Doberman, wasn’t it? Had to be put down after you’d given the okay for it to be