Murder by Page One by Olivia Matthews (read aloud txt) 📗

his hands into the front pockets of his pants and sent a glare around the café. “I’m counting the days until I can watch this town disappear in my rearview mirror.”

His criticism stirred my protective instincts toward my new home. “Peach Coast is a great town, and the people are warm and friendly. I’m sorry that wasn’t Fiona’s experience.”

Willy huffed a laugh without humor. “I don’t know if I agree with you about this town or the people. I haven’t felt welcome here since people found out I was Fiona’s friend. In fact, someone tried to run me over last night.”

My eyes stretched wide. “What?”

“Someone tried to kill me last night.” Willy looked to a nearby window and gestured vaguely toward the streets outside. “I was having dinner at a restaurant near the inn. When I left, a car tried to run me over in the parking lot.”

“Did it aim at you? I mean, was someone speeding through the parking lot, or were they targeting you?”

“They were targeting me. I’m sure of it.” Willy seemed insulted by the question. “One minute, it was parked in a parking space. The next, it was coming straight for me, full speed.”

How frightening! “Were you hurt?” I scanned his face and his arms, left bare by his short-sleeved shirt. I didn’t notice any scrapes or bruising.

“No, thank goodness.” He shook his head. “I was able to jump out of the way, so it sped past me. It never stopped. It never hesitated. It just sped right at me.”

“You’re lucky you weren’t hurt.”

Willy shook his head again as though overwhelmed. “Just thinking about it rattles me. I’ve been trying not to dwell on it.”

“Can you describe the car?”

Willy huffed another breath as he stared at the café’s floor. “It was a sedan. Small. A small, dark sedan. Perhaps black or dark blue or gray. But it was dark, so I’m not sure of the color.”

I held his eyes in a direct stare. “You should file a report.”

He shook his head. “No, no. I don’t want to do that.”

I blinked. “Why not?”

He waved a hand flippantly. “There’s no call to make a big deal out of this.”

My eyebrows shot up. “Someone’s already made it a big deal by trying to kill you.”

Willy shook his head again. “If I file a report with the deputies, it’ll only prolong my stay here, and I’m not looking to stay any longer than it takes to make arrangements to transport Fiona’s body and attend the reading of her will.”

I couldn’t fathom not wanting to file a police report after someone aimed their car at me and tried to run me over. In fact, if an attempt had been made on my life, I would’ve gone directly to the sheriff’s office to file a report and demand round-the-clock protection. In fact, I would’ve slept at the desk right next to Deputy Whatley.

I tightened my grip on my handbag. “You have to file a report and get this attack on record.”

Willy remained stubborn. “They were probably trying to scare me into leaving town, which is exactly what I’m going to do as soon as possible.”

I crossed my arm over my grass-green linen blouse, which I’d paired with my cream cotton pants. “Who’d want you out of town so badly that they’d try to kill you?”

Willy frowned. “I think we both know the answer to that.”

Indeed. Didn’t Bobby drive a dark sedan?

Someone tried to kill me last night.

Willy’s words replayed in my head, but now with an ominously personal meaning. When I entered my office Thursday morning, the sight of the battered blue reception chair I was using until my desk chair could be repaired or replaced stopped me midstride. Was yesterday’s accident really an accident?

Crossing to my desk, I stored my chocolate handbag and canvas tote in my bottom drawer. Then I hooked my hands on my hips and turned back to study my ruined chair, which lay in pieces beside my door. That had been a close call. Would someone have deliberately tried to hurt me? I didn’t want to believe it, but I needed the truth.

I forced my reluctant limbs back across my office and hunkered in front of the destroyed chair. Yesterday, when Adrian had helped me carry its remnants to the corner, we hadn’t taken a close look at it. Maybe we should’ve. In the light of a new day, I examined the pieces and parts of the furniture and was troubled by what I saw. Three of the four screws intended to attach the chair’s seat to its rolling legs were missing. The fourth screw had worked itself loose. None of this could’ve happened on its own.

Someone had tampered with my chair.

My blood chilled. In my mind, I relived the events from yesterday. The chair collapsing under me. Adrian catching me as I started to fall. My head had been so close to the windowsill. I was glad I’d gotten Adrian that peach-cobbler thank you.

Struck by inspiration, I pushed myself to my knees and crawled over to my desk to study the carpet.

“What are you doing?”

My heart almost stopped at the sudden and unexpected sound of Viv’s voice from my doorway. I sat back on my heels and pressed the palm of my right hand to my chest. “You scared me.”

“Sorry.” She scanned the carpet as she walked toward me. “Did you lose something?”

“No.” I pointed toward the pale gray carpet weave in front of my desk. “Do you see this indentation?”

Viv kneeled beside me, pushing the dark brown tresses of her inverted bob away from her heart-shaped face. “Yes.”

I measured it with my thumb before crawling to the left side of the desk. “And here?” I measured that section as well.

Viv followed me. “Yes.” She sounded confused.

“What are you doing?”

We both flinched as we looked up toward my doorway. Adrian and Floyd stood just inside my office, regarding us with concern.

I pushed myself to my feet and offered Viv a hand.

She gave our coworkers