Dead Giveaway by Brenda Novak Page A

by mad.”
    Her voice dropped. “I’m sorry, if that helps.”
    She sounded contrite, which made it even more difficult to hold what she’d done against her. Maybe she wasn’t the finest person in the world. But she wasn’t the worst, either. And Clay didn’t think he’d be nominated for sainthood anytime in the near future. “It happened. It’s over. I think we should both forget it and move on.”
    â€œI agree,” she said eagerly.
    Did that mean they could move on? He squeezed his forehead, anxious about what he might learn in the next few minutes. It was unlikely that Beth Ann was pregnant—but unlikely wasn’t impossible . “Just tell me one thing.”
    â€œWhat’s that?”
    Thunder boomed in the distance and rolled across the sky, loud enough to rattle the windows. “Is it true, what you said?”
    He thought she’d immediately know what he meant. But he realized that wasn’t the case when she answered.
    â€œNo. Whatever Allie told you, she must’ve made it up. I was upset and I mouthed off. But she’s the one who wouldn’t let me go until I’d signed that silly statement.”
    At this point, the damage from last night had already been done. All that mattered to Clay was whether or not there was a baby. But Beth Ann’s words were so unexpected they managed to distract him. “Are you trying to tell me it was Allie’s fault you said I confessed to murder?”
    â€œYes! She took advantage of me. Maybe you haven’t heard, but she’s planning to solve your stepfather’s case. I guess she wants to show all us country bumpkins what a detective from the big city can do.”
    Allie’s image appeared in Clay’s mind. She wasn’t a beauty like Beth Ann, but she had a unique face. Short dark hair framed large brown eyes, a handful of freckles dotted her small nose, and her chin was, perhaps, too sharp. Because of her diminutive size, the freckles made her look almost childlike. But she had a beauty mark on her right cheek that added a degree of sophistication. And there was nothing childlike about her mouth. Full andsoft-looking, it seemed a little misplaced juxtaposed against that nose and those freckles, but it was a very womanly feature and somehow pulled all the disparate parts of her face together.
    â€œStop blaming Allie,” he said, growing irritated. Allie was honest. He could tell. But that didn’t make him trust her. Because it was the truth that posed the biggest threat to him.
    â€œIt was her.”
    â€œBullshit. Allie’s not that kind of person.”
    â€œSince when do you know her so well?”
    He could read the jealousy in Beth Ann’s voice. But he had no patience for that, either. “You don’t have to know her. All you have to do is meet her. She takes that badge seriously.”
    â€œShe’s a chip off the old block, Clay. And the police have been out to get you for a long time.”
    â€œAllie’s not out to get me, Beth Ann.” At least not yet. But that could change once she discovered that her father was having an affair with his mother. Or when she dug a bit deeper into the disappearance of Lee Barker.
    â€œI wouldn’t have signed that statement without her, Clay. I promise.”
    Beth Ann obviously thought it’d make a difference if she passed the blame. Clay understood that, but he couldn’t admire it. “I don’t care about the statement you gave Allie. If that was enough to put me in prison, I’d be there already. I just want to know about…”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œThe baby.”
    â€œWhat baby?”
    â€œYou told her you were pregnant, remember?”
    â€œOh, well—” she laughed uncomfortably “—like I toldyou, I was upset and said some things I shouldn’t have. But I retracted them right away.”
    Closing his eyes, he let his breath seep