Colorful Death Read Online Free Page B

reveal Jack Eason.
    “Mr. Eason.”
    “Miss Ruiz! Are you all right?”
    “I…” Jade felt her chin tremble. “Now that the police are here, yes.”
    “What happened? I saw the police cars and I was worried.”
    “Someone was pounding on the door, asking to be let in.” Jade felt her voice shake and she looked at the policeman defiantly. “It was Maddox.”
    “Ma’am…” The policeman gave her a look that said she was either crazy, or a terrible liar. “How do you know that?”
    “He said it,” Jade said, affronted.
    “Well, he doesn’t seem to be here now,” the policeman said.
    “Officer, a moment?” Jack waved the man away. His eyes were concerned. “Miss Ruiz, I have to leave, but here—here’s my number. If you hear anything, call me there and I’ll come back, all right?”
    “You don’t think I’m crazy?” Jade tried for a smile. She was well aware of how disheveled she looked.
    “Not at all.” He squeezed her hand. “Be safe, Miss Ruiz.”
    As he got back into his car with a little wave, a shout came from the side of the house.
    “There’s no one here!” The woman who must be Constable Jones came into sight, shrugging her shoulders.
    “Have a nice night, ma’am.” The other policeman gave a nod to Jade.
    “Wait! He could just be waiting until you leave. Are you actually going to go?”
    “Ma’am, you probably just heard the wind.”
    “I didn’t!” Jade said, stung. “I swear to you—”
    “Ma’am, you seem very determined to accuse Maddox Smith of—”
    Jade screamed. A moment later, Constable Jones saw it, too. They ran, Jade dropping the knife into the grass, and skidded to a halt at the bushes by the road.
    There, bleeding heavily from wounds in his torso, lay Maddox Smith. He seemed to have hidden himself as best he could, and though his eyelids flickered when they shook him, he was unconscious.
    “Oh, no,” Jade whispered. There was a murderer on the loose—and they’d just taken out another one of her neighbors.

Chapter Five
    “Miss Ruiz?”
    There was a hand on her shoulder, and Jade woke with a start. Fluorescent lights buzzed and she squinted against the glare, peering up at the police officer who stood above her.
    “What is it?”
    “Mr. Smith is expected to make a full recovery.” He looked at her awkwardly. “Given that you stayed here all night, I thought you might want to know.”
    “Yes, thank you.” Relief coursed through her, and Jade shook her head in wonder at the news. “How is that…he was bleeding so much…how is it possible?” She shook her head again. “It’s a miracle. Was he able to tell you who did it?”
    “No. He hasn’t woken up. In the meantime, miss, you should get some sleep.”
    “I should.” Jade sank her head into her hands.
    “Miss, are you all right?”
    “I’m perfectly okay.” Jade stood up, and felt the guilt shining on her face. “If I hadn’t been so short-sighted…if I hadn’t locked him out…”
    “You couldn’t have known,” the police officer said diplomatically.
    “It was stupid,” Jade said flatly. “Did I think I was in some movie? I thought I was the only one who could see the truth, and there were a hundred reasons he might have been out there that night.”
    “Miss.” The police officer crouched next to her chair. “We understand why you thought what you did. We were skeptical when Mr. Smith came to us with suspicions about you, and your suspicions about him…complicated things.”
    “Why did he think I did it?” Jade demanded. Now that it seemed Maddox wasn’t to blame, there were more questions she needed answered.
    “Well, it’s in today’s paper, so I guess it wouldn’t hurt to tell you.” The man took a seat across from Jade and leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “Mr. Smith was going to visit Ms. Acker on the night of the murder. They studied together—you knew that, yes? So he walked to visit her, with one of his paintings, and when he arrived, he saw