“The police say I killed a man named David Dean. He was Mayor Rydell’s campaign manager. If I did, I don’t remember. I was found unconscious in the master bedroom of David’s condo. David was in the bed next to me. He was...he was dead.”
Silence fell as he digested the information. “How did he die?”
“He was shot in the chest.”
“Have they found the murder weapon?”
She nodded, softly curling dark red hair sliding around her shoulders. “The gun belongs to me. I carry a Smith and Wesson .380 handgun in my purse for self-defense. There have been a couple of muggings in the neighborhood around the office, so I’ve been taking it with me to work. I have a legal carry permit.”
This was Texas. Half the women in the state were licensed to carry.
“So you had the gun with you last night.”
“Yes. The police found it in the bedroom. My purse was open, lying on the floor next to the bed. The gun was lying beside it.”
Jonah released a slow breath. “I presume you have a good attorney.”
Her bottom lip trembled. It was plump and perfectly curved. Desire slipped through him and his blood heated, pooled low in his groin. He liked women in general, but this one appealed to him more than most. He wished he’d met her under different circumstances.
“Ross recommended a lawyer named Nathan Temple,” she said. “He was at the station while the police questioned me.”
“Temple’s good. One of the best.”
She swallowed and her spine went a little straighter. “I don’t think I killed David, Mr. Wolfe. We weren’t dating. I’m not the type of woman who enjoys one-night stands. I need to know what happened last night. How I ended up in David’s bedroom, in his bed. I need to know who killed David Dean. And I pray to God it wasn’t me.”
WOLFEEXCUSEDHIMSELFto get them some coffee, and April used the time to collect herself. The man was not what she had expected. Not at all.
Her best friend, a woman with discerning tastes, had gone out with him a couple of times so she figured he’d be attractive. She hadn’t imagined he would be at least six feet two inches of handsome-as-sin, black-haired, lean-muscled male. With his perfectly symmetrical features, slashing black eyebrows and brooding dark eyes, Jonah Wolfe was beyond good-looking.
Though in a way she was surprised she’d noticed.
With the election bearing down on them, she had no interest in men, hadn’t dated in nearly a year. More importantly, her thoughts were consumed by the murder of a man she worked with and the terror of what might happen to her.
Murder was a dangerous business. She needed help, and Jonah Wolfe appeared to be exactly the kind of help she needed. Wolfe’s wide shoulders stretched the seams of the button-down shirt he was wearing. The short sleeves revealed impressive biceps and corded forearms. His shrewd brown eyes assessed her every move and seemed to miss nothing.
The private investigators who worked for Chase Garrett were reputed to be the best in Dallas. Wolfe wouldn’t be there if he weren’t extremely good.
He returned to the conference room with a yellow pad tucked under one arm and two foam cups filled to the brim with freshly brewed coffee. He set a cup down on the table in front of her, black, as she had requested, and returned to his seat, stretching his long legs out in front of him.
“Ross told me the amount of your fee,” she said, toying with the rim of the cup. “I know you don’t work cheap, Mr. Wolfe, but I can afford to pay you.”
“Good to know. If we’re going to be working together, let’s stick with first names, all right, April?”
“All right.”
“Start at the beginning. Give me a quick run-through of your day, into the evening as far as you can remember.”
She took a fortifying drink of coffee, then set the cup down on the oak conference table. “It started off as usual. I got up, got dressed and went into the mayor’s campaign office. I had a meeting scheduled with members of my staff to work on poster designs. Mark is up for reelection in November so we have plenty of work to do.”
“I’ll need a list of everyone in the office. Separate the ones on your personal staff.”
“All right.”
“What happened after the meeting?”
“I took the designs down to the printer to get things started.”
“And afterward?”
