Read Deborah Brown - Madison Westin 06 - Revenge in Paradise for Free Online

Besides, the two little grass strips we currently had weren’t big enough for the mammoth mower.
    “I’ll tell Kevin so that I can get a report number in case someone commits a felony with the yard tools. Do you think Dead Ed interrupted a robbery? Why would he come here by himself?”
    Thank goodness we both have alibis .
    “He’s a first-class dirtball. Got the background check back and it was the worst I’ve ever seen. I asked around quietly about his life in the Cove, not wanting the snooping trail to lead back to me.” Mac got up and pulled the aspirin bottle out of the drawer.
    “I hope Jami’s okay.” I picked up my phone and called her number, which went straight to voicemail. “Hit the highlights of the report.”
    “He’s a convicted sex offender, drug dealer, and has pending charges of assault and battery.”
    “Wow! I wonder if Jami knew?”
    Mac looked at some notes she’d scribbled. “He’s forty and, according to his rap sheet, was recently released from prison where he’s spent most of his life. Originally he’d been sentenced to life for aggravated kidnap and rape, but the parole board felt sorry for him since he committed the crime at sixteen, so they reduced his sentence to time served for a total of fifteen years.”
    I stared at Mac, wide-eyed.
    “He managed to stay out of trouble for a couple of years, then got busted dealing large quantities of weed. Rumor has it he did the time for the guy at the top; he could’ve rolled, given names, but decided to keep his mouth shut. He did almost the full eight, got released a few months ago.”
    “Every once in a while you manage to shock me, and this is one of those times,” I said, and gave her a lackluster smile.
    “Let’s not forget his current charges. He’s been charged with assault and battery, resisting arrest, and intoxication. I’m working on getting the events surrounding the arrest.”
    I closed my eyes and sighed. “No homeowner on this block has had a single murder or dead body, but we make up for all of them. Why did you go out to the shed?”
    “I had my feet propped up in the barbeque, reading. I’m obsessed with historical romance right now. Got distracted by the annoying ice cream truck––should I or shouldn’t I?”
    “Could you focus, please?”
    “I decided against the ice cream, almost forgot I’m eating healthy these days. Oh yeah,” —her eyes went wide, remembering—“then I noticed a red stain under the door. I wish I’d ignored it.”
    “That means the killer had a key. There’s three: yours, mine, and Jami’s. I hope she’s alive and has a verifiable alibi.”
    The door flew open and Fab blew in. “What happened? Didier told me you squealed out of the driveway.”
    “Remember icky Edsel from the other day? He’s gone on to the afterlife with a bashed-in head,” I told her.
    “I’m gone a few hours and something interesting happens and I missed it.” Fab swore in French.
    I laughed because I didn’t need a translation for one of the words.
    “Here you go,” Mac said, and held out her phone.
    Fab turned the phone several times, examining the crime scene in detail. “Somebody had a hate-on for him. I bet there’s brain ooze inside the shed.”
    Mac made a retching noise. “I’ll call the crime scene cleaner dude once the shed’s been released. He should give us a repeat-customer discount.”
    “Oh, almost forgot,” Mac continued. “Jami never showed up for her advance.” She handed Fab the background report.
    Fab peeked through the window blind. “I bet the next stop for Kevin and Ivy—who are still out there, trying to look incognito and failing—is Jami’s house.”
    “I wish I hadn’t told Kevin she was his girlfriend but he’d find out I withheld information and there would go our truce. I didn’t mention that she might be staying at the Trailer Court.”
    Fab scanned the report and threw it on the desk in disgust. “Don’t you think the professor would call the