Kindle Edition
Amazon
It's The Journey That Counts
Category:
Mystery/Suspense
Publisher: Desert Breeze Publishing
ISBN-10: 1682949435
Type: Fiction
Pages: 160
Copyright: July 10, 2016
ISBN-13: 9781682949436
Price: $1,199.00 (eBook)
When psychiatrist Mark LeBonge's sister is murdered, he enlists her roommate to help identify the killer because neither trust the detective assigned to the case.
She appeared out of nowhere, blown into Red Gulch, a decaying mining town in the Mojave desert, on the crest of a desert breeze like the ever-present tumbleweeds that filled the empty streets in the blink of an eye. Except everyone knew where tumbleweeds came from.
Brandon O’Donnell never figured out where Melody came from, but she captured his heart with her flaming red hair, hypnotic light-grey eyes, and intense but distant way of speaking. As though, Brandon had thought for years, she knew a lot more than she let on.
Now, Brandon is about to find out how much more that really is.
Excerpt
Friday, October 28, 2005
Group Home For Convicted Teenage Sexual Abusers
City of Los Angeles
Hollie Boots sucked in a gasp of surprise at the sight of her unexpected late-night visitor.
"Come in. I was just about to make some coffee." What does he want at this hour? It's ten-thirty, for heaven's sake. She rubbed her suddenly damp hands on her jeans. "Would you like a cup?"
"Yes, thank you."
She watched him pull off his gloves and put them in the pocket of his raincoat, then turned and went into the kitchen. After pausing to close the front door, he followed.
Hollie's heart pounded. She attempted to calm her quickened breathing and hoped he didn't detect her anxiety. At the sink, she turned on the cold water tap, reached for the coffee carafe,
and filled the pot half way.
"This will only take a few minutes," she said over her shoulder.
How could he possibly know? She hadn't told anyone -- not yet. The call to work the night shift, after she'd already put in a nine-hour day, derailed her plan to talk to her brother over dinner and ask his advice. So she'd put their meeting off until breakfast. I am so tired.
"Not a problem," he said.
Behind her she heard the grating of drawers and the thunk of cupboards being opened and closed, then the clink of glass and the rattle of cellophane.
God, he makes me nervous when he snoops around.
The crinkling sound continued, and she imagined him taking the wrapper off one of his favorite candies. Hollie glanced up to catch his reflection in the window above the sink, but the crisp white curtains were drawn. She shrugged. It didn't matter. Checking the drawers and cupboards was one of the strange irritating things he always did when he came there.
"I'm surprised to see you here so late." She poured the water from the carafe into the coffee machine. Should I try to sound him out? Find out what he knows?
"I was in the neighborhood on my way home, so I decided to drop in and see how things were going." The casualness of his tone matched hers. "Actually, I've been thinking about what you said the other day..." As he paused, somewhere in the house a door opened.
"What's that?" His voice sounded suddenly anxious.
Hollie turned to look at him and wrinkled her nose. "Probably one of the boys going to the bathroom." She took out the coffee basket. "I'll check on them when I'm done here."
Down the hall, the door closed softly.
"You know, I'll have to pass on coffee," he announced abruptly. "I just remembered something I have to do before it gets too late. We can talk another time."
"Oh, well... okay." Hollie put the coffee basket on the sink and turned to walk him to the door.
"Please, don't bother. I'll let myself out." He disappeared around the corner.
Hollie stared after him, her legs weak and rubbery. She ought to feel relieved and wondered why she didn't. When the front door opened and closed, she hurried down the hall and checked in each of the three bedrooms. The six teenage boys appeared to be asleep or pretended to be.
With a long sigh, she returned to the kitchen. Just my rotten luck, the darn night man getting sick. She needed caffeine to keep her awake.
As she popped the top off the can of regular coffee, the front door opened, allowing a whoosh of cold rainy air to sweep into the house, then closed again.
She grimaced, realizing now she hadn't heard the click of the dead bolt when he'd left. I knew I should have gone with him to the door. After dark the door was supposed to be locked.
"Did you forget something?" she called in a low voice. Losing things was another one of his irritating habits.
Hollie heard his footsteps as he returned to the kitchen, but resisted turning around. She didn't want to face him. What if he'd decided to confront her right now?
Oh, God! Her heart accelerated again. Sweat beaded on her forehead despite the chill in the air presaging the full blast of autumn.
Concentrating on measuring the coffee, she sensed his presence behind her. Too close. Cold icy fingers seemed to reach through her body and squeezed her heart.
As she started to turn, a hand grasped her ponytail and knotted in her hair.
"Hey... agh!"
The sharp cry burst from her lips as the hand jerked her head back. A sharp blade sliced across her throat.
Blood spattered over the sink and drenched the organdy curtains with red.
|
