Gina Cresse - Devonie Lace 03 - A Deadly Change of Heart by Gina Cresse Page A

when she fell.  I wonder if this was hers?”
    Jason stood up straight.  “If it was, what was it doing way over here, so far from the trail?” he wondered.
    “That’s a good question,” I said.  I crawled around on the ground and searched for the other weight.  I pushed leaves and dirt around and inspected every unusual looking twig.  “What are we doing over here, so far from the trail?” I said.
    “Taking a short cut to the car,” Jason offered.
    “Right.  And if you were running from someone who might want to hurt you, wouldn’t you go for the shortcut, too?” I speculated.
    Jason nodded.  “And I’d probably try to lose those ankle weights if I could.”
    I stood up and brushed the dirt and leaves off my knees.  “Come on.  The other one’s not here.  Let’s get back to the car.”
    I dropped Jason off at his shop.  Before returning home to the Plan C , I stopped to pick up a bottle of wine and a few things to fix the fabulous dinner I’d promised Craig later that night.  He tells me he loves my cooking.  Every time he takes the first bite of a meal I’ve prepared, he stops chewing, rolls his eyes and acts as though he’s died and gone to heaven.  The moment I knew I just had to hang on to him was when he asked for seconds of my whole-wheat pizza with tofu-cheese and turkey-sausage topping.  How many men can there be out there who would actually look forward to that?  He’s got to be one in a million.
    As I strolled down the aisles of the grocery store, I came to the conclusion that I was going to need Detective Wright’s help if there was any connection between Diane Parker and the ankle weight we’d found.  That wasn’t going to be easy.  I wandered down the aisles until I found the row I was looking for.  I gazed at the overwhelming collection of school supplies dangling from a million hooks and pegs.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Six
     
    I sat across from Sam Wright at his desk and gave him the biggest, brightest smile I could muster.  I’d worried about this meeting all night, and as a result, didn’t get much sleep.  He didn’t return my smile.
    “What are you doing here, Miss Lace?” he asked, with a discouraging tone in his voice.
    I didn’t say anything.  I kept smiling, opened my purse, and pulled out a brand new box of fresh pencils.  I laid them on his desk and meekly pushed them across the blotter until they were directly in front of him.  He eyed them curiously, then picked them up.
    “What the…?”
    “It’s sort of a peace offering,” I said.  “And apparently a tension reliever, too.”
    I watched his face for a reaction.  For a moment, I thought the man was made of stone.  If he dared smile, his face might crack.  He regarded the box of pencils as though I’d just handed him a hand grenade.  Finally, he took his eyes off them and turned his attention to me.  I raised my eyebrows in anticipation.  Was he going to throw me out?  Charge me with detective abuse?  Have me arrested for criminal pestering?  I slumped in my chair, waiting for the tongue-lashing that was sure come.
    He didn’t yell at me.  His face broke out into the biggest grin I’d seen since I met him.  I sat up and smiled back.  “You’re not going to yell at me?” I asked.
    “Oh, you can bet I’m going to yell at you.  But this is cute — real cute.”
    My smile faded a bit, but I remained hopeful.
    His voice returned to its normal, serious tone.  “Now.  Tell me what you’re doing here and why I’m going to be yelling at you.”
    I reached across the desk a nd opened the box of pencils, then removed one and handed it to him.  “Here.  You might want this.”
    He leaned back in his swivel chair, folded his arms across his massive chest and frowned at me.
    I swallowed hard.  “I read the newspaper articles about Diane Parker’s death.  They said she was jogging when she fell.”
    Detective Wright nodded, but did not offer any words.
    “I