Shopping is Murder (McKinley Mysteries Book 6) Read Free Page B

of her to show up now —sarcastically, of course—with the innuendo hinting toward the fact that Sara was nowhere around when Nicole had gotten married. In the Townsend’s world that was tantamount to treason.

 
     

     
    A Little Deception
     
    SEAN WATCHED SARA, HER EYES glazed over and her mind deep in thought. Her focus was on the scene below.
    “Do you think he jumped?” he asked.
    She slowly pried her gaze from the investigators. “I was just considering that possibility, and no, I don’t. Not that there’s anything there except for a gut feeling. It’s not like I knew the man.”
    “One thing I’ve learned about you, though, is your instinct is normally right.”
    “Normally?” She passed him a sly smile that had him wanting to swoop in and kiss her lips, but the timing wasn’t right.
    He caressed her cheek instead. “Most of the time.” He smirked when she narrowed her eyes slightly.
    “Better. Not perfect, but better.” Her attention was drawn back to the mezzanine.
    Sean let her be and turned to see Magnum, the man with the Tom Selleck mustache, and his wife wandering by. He didn ’t know why he had the urge, but he had a feeling he and Sara would end up getting involved with this victim’s death somehow. Whether or not he relished doing it so soon after returning home, Sara’s eyes concreted the fact that, if her childhood friend needed her, she’d leap in without thought. And—not if that happened but when it did—this man might prove to be valuable.
    He walked over and tapped the man ’s arm. “Excuse me.” Sean caught Sara in his peripheral vision as she spun to face them.
    The man stopped walking and glared at Sean’s hand, then leveled eyes with him. “Can I help you?”
    The energy coming through communicated it all—he wanted out of this mall as fast as humanly possible—maybe even faster.
    “I heard you talking to one of the other officers and I wanted to ask you about—”
    “You a cop? I don’t think so. I remember seeing you in the room being questioned too. Besides, you’re not in uniform.”
    Sean received the message in Sara’s eyes, but he was fully aware of what he was getting himself into. He debated not continuing, but did anyway. “Detectives don’t wear a uniform.” Again, not a lie.
    The man laced his arms. His wife tapped her foot and put one hand to her hip.
    “I couldn’t help but overhear that you caught the victim’s last words.” Sean stretched the truth a bit since he didn’t know at what point the man had heard the victim say he’d jump if he had to go into one more store. Sean was laying the bait and hoping the man would bite.
    “I never said it happened just before. It’s not like I saw him jump.”
    Sean remained quiet, studying the man ’s eyes. In this case, waiting things out might pay a higher dividend.
    Magnum uncrossed his arms and adjusted one of the bags he had over a shoulder. “I saw him a bit earlier when Bev was in a store. I needed a breather and came out here, you know, just to watch everyone else running around. He and I exchanged a few words and that’s when he said it.”
    “But you didn’t sense he’d act on it?”
    “Heavens no. I was at the same point then.” He paused a second and his brow knitted. “You don’t think he jumped.” He nudged his wife’s elbow. “They think he was murdered.”
    “It’s too early to conclude anything. Would we be able to get your name and number?”
    The man ’s eyes turned skeptical. “You’re not a cop. Are you with the newspaper? Come on, Bev, let’s get out of here. I have a drink with my name on it.”
    With the couple out of earshot, Sean sensed it coming. Sara ’s gaze was on his profile, but he wasn’t going to let her say what she was thinking…or, at least, he’d try to delay it.
    “If we need to talk to the guy, we’ll ask Jimmy. It was Carr who took Magnum’s statement.”
    “Magnum?” Sara laughed, the sound of it pleasing his soul.
    “Like the