Page 86 of Deadly Designs

“You did.”

That seemed to perplex him. “Really? I’m completelyintrigued. How did you know I was the same guy?”

She thought about not telling him, but she might aswell get a dig in about his fashion sense while she could. “Thatstupid, ugly hat you’re wearing.”

He frowned and took it off, and she gasped. “You’rethe man who held me at gunpoint at the Sinclair’s house.” She’dnever forget that spiky white hair.

“Might I remind you that you were trespassing?”

She rolled her eyes and wobbled as the move sent herhead spinning. “Again, since you seem incapable of understandingEnglish, I was invited,” she ground out.

He chuffed out a laugh. “Questioning my languageskills? Low blow. However, that’s neither here nor there.”

“You’re the one that shot at me. Twice.”

He shook his head. “Nope. Not me. If I’d have taken ashot, it would’ve hit its mark, and you would currently be a bigred blood splatter on the pavement.”

Ew, gross.The visual almost made her upchuckthe tainted bubbly. “Who was it?”

“Not a clue.”

“You seriously don’t know?”

“I had nothing to do with it, so you must’ve pissedoff someone else. Wow, Aja Blue, it seems like you’re racking upenemies right and left.”

“Do not call me by my name,” she snapped. “Who triedto kidnap me?”

Johnny scoffed. “He was a petty thief we hired to doone job, and he couldn’t hold up his end of the contract.”

“The so-called nurse killed him.”

“He failed! We don’t employ losers.”

They hired you, she wanted to scream butclamped her lips shut. “The first cop who arrived on the scene wasworking with you, wasn’t he?”

“I don’t even know Officer Cranny.” He smileddeviously.

Apparently, he did since he knew his name. “Whathappened to him?” When he started to shrug, she said, “No, don’ttell me. Another loser.”

“Nasty things, those loose ends.”

They were human beings! Maybe not great ones, but shewas sure they had families and loved ones who would mourn them.Johnny was answering questions all too freely, and she needed himto keep going. No sense in antagonizing him. “Why are you admittingto murder and various other crimes?”

His smile could only be described as predatory. “Youthink you’re getting out of here alive?”

Fear gripped Aja Blue, and she started to stand, buther legs had other ideas.

“Sit your ass down.”

“Do not talk to me like that. I’m leaving.”

“No, you’re not. We’re waiting for—”

The door burst open, and Aja Blue gasped as a manstrolled in like he owned the place . . . which, she guessed, hedid.

“You’ve been a hard lady to capture, Ms. LaLonde,”Heathcliff Sinclair drawled. He dropped behind a massive metal andglass desk, watching her with undisguised disdain.

Nothing made sense. What did he have against her?She’d never even met him. “Is this about the pool house?”

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