Read The Ex Who Wouldn't Die for Free Online Page B

But o bviously I didn ' t do any of them. They were just fantasies . " That probably didn ' t sound right. " Anyway, I never threatened to shoot him. That ' s far too quick and easy, not enough suffering. "
     
    Her father cleared his throat. Amanda refused to look at him. She didn ' t have to. She could envision his reproving expression.
     
    "So after you threatened Charley, he let you into his apartment?"
     
    Amanda shifted on the hard, wooden chair. "Sort of. I stomped on his foot with my motorcycle boot , and when he bent down, I shoved past him."
     
    Daggett flinched. "When you were inside his apartment, did you see anything unusual?"
     
    "Greasy pizza boxes, dead French fries, empty beer cans, dirty socks. The usual. Charley was not a neat freak."
     
    " So the place was a mess. W hat happened after you got inside ?"
     
    "Nothing. We yelled at each other some more, but it was even more pointless than usual. He was obsessed with that stupid gun, and I was obsessed with divorcing him. Finally I threw up my hands and left."
     
    "This gun Charley gave you, was it a .38 revolver ? " Daggett asked.
     
    " Yes. But you already knew that, didn ' t you? I registered the gun. Law-abiding citizen."
     
    " Would you be willing to bring your gun in for us to test fire so we c an eliminate a possible match to the bullet that killed your husband? "
     
    " No, " Brian said, but Amanda overrode his protest.
     
    " Yes. I ' ll be happy to do that, " she stated firmly.
     
    " Good. " He shuffled his notes. " So, what time would you say you last saw Charley? "
     
    "About five-thirty. I left his apartment, got on my bike and rode away. I didn ' t look back because I knew he ' d be standing in his doorway, watching me. " She shivered. "He always did that, went to the door and stood there a nd watched me , trying to look pitiful and make me feel bad . Surely at least one of those neighbors saw him after I left. "
     
    Daggett shook his head, his face inscrutable. " The nei ghbors say you ran out of the apartment, slammed the door, raced down the stairs and rode away as if the devil was chasing you, but Charley never opened the door or came out. "
     
    " Oh. " Amanda bit back a brief, unexpected feeling of rejection. I t was a good thing if he did n't come to the door and look longingly after her . No reason to feel rejected. " Okay, but what about the gun shot? Surely all those people who were fascinated with our fights would have heard a loud gunshot if I blew him away while I was there. T hey apparently heard every word I said , and I can't shout nearly as loud as a gun."
     
    Daggett shook his head. " Sofa cushion. Homemade silencer. Nobody heard the shot. Nobody saw Charley after you went inside his apartment . "
     
    Amanda shifted uneasily. Apparently her father and Brian hadn ' t been overreacting when they ' d insisted on accompanying her or when they'd warned her to say nothing . This was starting to get scary. They might really arrest her. Put her in jail.
     
    "Who found Charley?" she asked quietly.
     
    "One of the neighbors. Said he went over to borrow a cup of sugar."
     
    Amanda snorted. "More like a can of beer or a baggie of marijuana."
     
    Daggett lifted an eyebrow but made no comment. "When Charley didn't answer the neighbor's knock, he tried the door. Said Charley often left it unlocked. Sure enough, it opened, and the neighbor walked in to see Charley's body. H e went home and called the cops."
     
    "I wonder if he got his cup of sugar first."
     
    Daggett looked down at his notes but not before she saw the edges of his lips twitching upward. He'd like to smile, she thought, but he sure wasn't going to let her catch him at it.
     
    " We ' d really appreciate it if you ' d bring in the gun and a list of anybody Charley had dealings with, " he said, lifting his gaze to hers, his stern look restored, " victims of scams, rejected girlfriends, buddies, a nybody . "
     
    " I ' ll bring in my gun, you can compare it to