Think Murder Read Free

coffee at mine. Hate the stuff. But I always bring along the chocolate chip cookies. Besides, his apartment was much larger. I was kind of jealous. He had a small sitting area, complete with a two-seater sofa and a coffee table. Much better for platonic entertaining than a room that has only a bed, bureau, and two very uncomfortable chairs. Our friendship was platonic and staying that way. You’d never know by his outward appearance, but this tall, dark-eyed, dark-haired man was gay.
    I put what little remained of the ice cream back in the freezer. Then, with an unopened bag of chocolate chip cookies and diet-coke in hand, I headed out, locking my door behind me. I walked into Daniel’s apartment and collapsed into a chair with a sigh.
    Sipping his coffee, Daniel reached for a cookie and turned to look at me. “Is something wrong?”
    “Well I suppose you could say so. My friend Hilary died, or was killed, or committed suicide.” My voice aquiver, I added, “I don’t really know what happened – and I found her body.”
    Clearly not the answer he was expecting, it took Daniel a few seconds to absorb what I had said. “Wow. No wonder you look shell-shocked. Come over here.” I got up and he pulled me into his arms for a reassuring hug. When I had calmed down, he said, “Now, tell me everything.”
    I sat back down and told him what happened. “Hilary and I went to McSweeney’s after work. We drank wine and talked about work and her love life. She got a bit upset and went to the ladies’ room to freshen up. When she didn’t come back, I got worried and went looking for her. I figured she was just having a good cry. Anyway, I found her on the bathroom floor. Dead.”
    Daniel didn’t interrupt, so I continued to rattle off the events of the day. “Then I fainted. After I woke up, a detective asked me all kinds of questions.”
    Setting his coffee on the table, he piped up, “Detective? What kind of detective?”
    “Detective Saks. I think he was a homicide detective.”
    Daniel’s protective and legal-minded instincts were kicking in. “Please be careful what you say to the police investigators in the future. Where foul play is involved, the person who finds the body is often treated as a suspect or at least a person of interest.”
    I could feel my eyes scrunching up. “He didn’t treat me like a suspect, at least I don’t think he did. He asked me a lot of questions, mostly about Hilary and her state of mind, whether she was depressed, that kind of thing.”
    “How did she die?”
    “Detective Saks said that they don’t know what happened yet. Her wrist was slit, which means it might have been a suicide. The investigation has just started. But I don’t think Hilary would kill herself. It doesn’t make any sense.”
    “Did you see her wrists? Were they slit when you found her?”
    “I vaguely remember checking one of her wrists for a pulse. I didn’t see her other hand at all, she was lying on that side. I did see a lot of blood though. So I guess that would have to be from the one that was slit.”
    “Based on the scene you’re describing, it sounds like suicide is a possibility, or else somebody staged the scene to make it look like one,” Daniel suggested.
    “It doesn’t make any sense to me… I don’t know what to think.”
    He watched me nibble on a cookie in silence. “I can’t imagine what you’re feeling. But it’s obvious that you’re exhausted.”
    “It’s getting late. I guess I should be going, time to hit the shower, and try to get some sleep. Thanks for listening.” I got up and opened the door.
    “Anytime. I’m here if you need me.”
    Daniel watched from his doorway as I let myself into my apartment and closed the door behind me.
    I headed straight for the shower and took my time as the hot water washed over me. I toweled myself off, and put on my less than sexy yet exceedingly comfortable, fleece-lined sweatpants and t-shirt that double as pajamas. Normally, I blow