Read Guarding the Socialite for Free Online

Charlotte back into her mental theater and nearly flinched at the sting. That was better. Best to remember what was at stake. “Agent McIntyre, please tell me you have a suspect in mind? Some clue as to who this person is so you can stop him before he kills again?”
    He sobered, the mention of Charlotte serving to douse the teasing light in his eyes. “We’re doing our best to catch this person before that happens but that’s all I can divulge at this time,” he answered, a weight settling heavily around his shoulders that even Emma could see pulling him down. She wondered what caused him to withdraw into himselflike that. A previous case? This case? Her curiosity was distracting. As was this overwhelming sense of impropriety that caused her to wonder if he had someone special in his life or if he were a solitary type person, like herself.
    She heard the footfalls of Chick and the boarders willing to talk and she rose from her seat. Agent McIntyre followed suit and she smiled for his courtesy. “I’ll leave you to your questions,” she murmured before taking her leave, brushing past Chick with a quick look of gratitude for her hand in convincing the girls to cooperate.
    She wanted whoever killed Charlotte, Sweetie and Tiffani to get his due and if Agent McIntyre could accomplish that, she’d give him every resource she had.
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    With Emma gone from the room it was much easier to concentrate, which, considering how tough Chick seemed to be with her harsh haircut and equally menacing demeanor, was a good thing.
    â€œWhat do you want to know?” Chick cut in, wasting no time on chitchat, idle conversation or even pleasant banter.
    â€œWhat do you know of Robert Gavin?” he said.
    She gave him a quizzical look as if to ask what’s your angle and then answered, “He’s a man with soft, girlie hands who’s never seen a day of hard work in his life but he has plenty of money and he likes to give some of it to Iris House, so whatever. Why?”
    â€œWhat do you think of him?”
    She shrugged. “He’s all right.”
    â€œJust all right? Did you know Charlotte had a picture of him on her mirror in her bedroom? To your knowledge were he and Charlotte an item?”
    â€œChar and Robert? Hell no. Maybe there were feelings on Charlotte’s side, but everyone knows Robert has had a thing for Emma since the day he laid eyes on her.”
    Dillon mulled that information over in his mind for a moment. That just made Robert public enemy No. 1 and someone he wanted to get to know better.
    â€œWhat makes you think that?” he asked.
    Chick gave him a look of amusement. “How do you think? When she walks into a room, his eyes are glued to her. He falls all over himself to get a smile from her and then if that wasn’t enough I’d say the dinner invitations were the clincher.”
    â€œDinner? Did she accept?”
    Chick hesitated, as if suddenly realizing Emma might not appreciate her spilling such personal information, and hit the brakes. “What does that have to do with Charlotte?” she asked, frowning. “Robert Gavin ain’t your guy. He’s more likely to faint at the sight of blood than to spill it. You feeling me?”
    â€œDeviant people are more adept at hiding their true nature,” he supplied mildly then shrugged. “But you may be right. I’m just curious as to his association with Charlotte.”
    Mollified but still wary, Chick admitted, “I don’t know what Char was doing with Robert. Maybe you ought to ask him.”
    At that Dillon smiled. “Oh, I plan to,” he assured her. It could be nothing and this Gavin character could be exactly as Chick described but Dillon had a niggling sense that there was more to Charlotte’s relationship with the man than Emma or Chick seemed to be aware of. And that made the man just this side of suspect.
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    Later that night as Emma sat