Volume Three - WordPress.com — Get a Free Blog Here

More documents

Recommendations

Info

“Hell, no. When a damsel’s in distress, my father expects me to slay the dragon, no matter how big it is.” Judge Salvatore Renzi expected his only son to uphold the family honor at all times. Now, more than ever. “Dragon slayer?” Miller rumbled a bass chuckle. “Frank, we just a couple of NOPD homicide dicks on a task force loaded with State cops and FBI agents. Boss-man wants us to re-canvas the vic-three neighborhood, catch folks at home after work, ruin their dinner, we best get on it.” Miller cracked his window and lit a cigarette. They’d been partners for two years and got along well for the most part, but he wished Miller wouldn’t smoke so much. He’d quit ten years ago. The craving was gone, but the memory was tempting: sharing a smoke with a partner after a near disaster. An image flashed in his mind, a little girl sprawled on a filthy carpet, tears glistening like diamonds on her Hershey’s chocolate skin, eyes wide and staring, killed by a cop’s bullet, his or his partner’s. Four years later, the vision still haunted him. He’d never told anyone, not the Boston PD shrink they sent him to, not his partner, not the guys he played hoop with, not even his wife. When he’d still had a wife. “Media blitz brings out the freaks,” Miller said. “Now we gotta waste time writing up our go-round with that three-hundred-pound sack of shit.” “She said he’s been stalking her for a week.” Grizzly wasn’t the Tongue Killer, but ever since the first murder two years ago violent crime against women had increased dramatically, as if the Tongue Killer now served as a sick role model for men who thought they had a license to batter, rape and kill women. “Well, he got his ten minutes on CNN.” Miller turned onto a tree-lined side street and looked over, eyes mischievous. “Good lookin babe, seemed like she was coming on to you.” “I noticed.” He also noticed the lime-green Dodge Neon behind them, clocking the wing-mirror as the car settled in a half-block behind them. “So? Give her a call. She’s not married.” “A reporter? No way.” On the job twenty years, he’d dealt with plenty of media types. Reporter or not, when it came to women, he went with his gut. It hadn’t prevented his marriage from going in the toilet, but he knew how to read most women. He also knew a tail when he saw one. The lime-green Neon, operated by a black female, was still behind them, mirroring their every turn. “Someone’s following us.” Miller’s eyes flicked to the rearview. “The Neon?” “Yes. Can you get behind her so I can make the tag?” “You bet.” With a gleeful expression, Miller zoomed past a Rite Aide and turned into Prescription Drive-up at the rear of the building. Avoiding the line of cars, Miller circled the building in time to see the Neon join the Drive-up line. He kept going and pulled up behind a row of parked cars in front of the store. Seconds later the Neon sped past them, slowed to a crawl and stopped near the exit thirty yards away. Frank got on his cellphone, called in the tag and got put on hold. “Maybe she’s a secret admirer. You been playing around?” Miller stared at him, aghast. “You shittin' me? You know what would happen if I was playing around and Tanya found out?” He drew a finger across his throat in a slicing motion. “The average guy thinks about sex ten times a day.” “Not me. Get up at six, drive two kids to school, work all day and half the night, get home at ten if I’m lucky, who’s got time to think about sex?” Miller waggled an eyebrow at him. “You best get yourself a girlfriend, Frank.” He refused to take the bait. He wasn’t about to discuss his love-life with Miller, or anyone else for that matter. To most cops gossip was sport, a diversion to keep them awake on stakeouts. DMV came back with the information, which he relayed to Miller. “The Neon’s registered to Rona Jefferson, no wants on her, no moving violations.” “Fuck all!” “You know her?” “Woman writes a column for the Clarion Call that manages to piss off half the town.” Miller grinned. “The white half.” “Good looking? Not that you’re interested, of course.” “If you like barbed wire with attitude.” Miller’s grin faded. “Frank, I been a cop long enough to know that
having a reporter on your ass can be a problem.” His cellphone chimed. Miller pulled it off his belt, took the call, listened for a bit and said, “How’d you get my number?” He glanced at Frank and rolled his eyes. “I don’t care what kind of tip you got. I’m not meeting you alone, you got that? Hold on.” Lowering the phone to his lap, Miller said, “It’s Rona, says she’s got a hot tip about the Tongue Killer, wants to tell me about it. Alone. Ain’t gonna happen tonight. We re-canvas the vic-three neighbors, be ten o’clock by the time we finish.” Irritated, Frank snapped. “So?” “And get home at midnight?” “You think she’s angling for an inside scoop?” “Not necessarily. I don’t know her that well, met her at an NAACP banquet once. But she’s written some good articles. Rona’s got her sources.” “And we’ve got three dead women and no leads.” “Rona’s not gonna tell us anything that can’t wait till tomorrow.” “Jesus Christ! I’ll do it myself then, help you interview the vic-three neighbors till nine, meet Rona at ninethirty.” “She don’t want to talk to you, she wants to talk to me.” “I don’t give a fuck what she wants. Tell her to be at Café du Mond at nine-thirty. I’ll take it from there.” Miller looked over, his dark eyes full of resentment, lower lip jutting out. “Suit yourself, Frank. But she’s gonna be pissed.” Fin Chapter Two - Jen Hilborne – Madness and Murder I was born in England, and currently live in Southern California. Now a dual citizen, I spend a good deal of time traveling back and forth between the two. In fact, eleven hours cramped up in coach, next to a total stranger, has been the perfect opportunity to develop many ideas for my stories. For as long as I can remember, I've enjoyed writing fiction, I began writing my first novel in 2007, an idea originally stemming from the competitive real estate world, and the industry I've worked in for many years. However, as the storyline developed, I noticed the plot taking on a mind of its own and followed it with interest. The result, one year later, is Madness and Murder, a mystery suspense that begins in Oakland, takes us all the way to New Zealand, and then back to San Francisco. Madness and Murder was scheduled for release early July 2010 but it's available now. Why not check it out at Amazon. I am currently working on my second novel, another murder mystery, set in San Francisco. A number of people have asked me where my inspiration comes from. Truthfully, I don't how to sum that up in any other way than it being the result of an active imagination and a love of writing mysteries. Writing inspires me. When I'm not writing, I enjoy reading, traveling, the movies and a good meal out. Author website: http://jfhilborne.com/index.html Amazon author page: http://tinyurl.com/2cqfq42 Publisher website: http://www.echelonpress.com Copyright © 2010 Jen Hilborne Sacramento 1982-1983 Madness and Murder "You have committed the most heinous of crimes, and you have shown no remorse. The court imposes the maximum sentence the circumstances will allow…life without parole." A woman's penetrating scream drew every eye in the courtroom. From his seat in the back, Detective Mac Jackson looked over at the family of the convicted and at the boy glaring back at him with dark, hate-filled eyes.
Page 2 and 3: www. BestsellerBound.com Sample Ant
Page 4 and 5: Cloaked in the darkness of his car,
Page 8 and 9: Even when his mother's cries grew l
Page 10 and 11: Judd sounded miserable. "Me, too. B
Page 12 and 13: “Just to give you a heads up,”
Page 14 and 15: Abe and Bert Ladies and Gentlemen -
Page 16 and 17: Bert paused to assess Abe’s react
Page 18 and 19: He had a particularly low tolerance
Page 20 and 21: with vine designs carved around the
Page 22 and 23: “Okay,” I said running out of h
Page 24 and 25: It was ridiculous, of course. Not j
Page 26 and 27: The women hissed again. The first o
Page 28 and 29: She opened her mouth, then closed i
Page 30 and 31: My journals from that time period s
Page 32 and 33: “Henry Blackheart Hanover.” Ecl
Page 34 and 35: “I didn’t mean you shouldn’t
Page 36 and 37: “I’m coming,” said a middle-a
Page 38 and 39: another night. The thin, hard mattr
Page 40 and 41: and midnight black detonated behind
Page 42 and 43: “Shut your mouth, Van.” Brody,
Page 44 and 45: Marla nodded her head. “Only a co
Page 46 and 47: The last of them were approaching,
Page 48 and 49: “Just tell her someone needs some
Page 50 and 51: “Thanks,” I jumped up and rushe
Page 52 and 53: As his eyes adjusted, he took in hi
Page 54 and 55: their squad had been assigned to de
Page 56 and 57:
“Well how the hell was I supposed
Page 58 and 59:
“You are the crème de la crème,
Page 60 and 61:
actual happiness. Eleven years ago,
Page 62 and 63:
He didn’t even look at her as he
Page 64 and 65:
opening up the gate to Greg’s lif
Page 66 and 67:
She lifted her glass for another si
Page 68 and 69:
“Mr. Crowe, you were the last per
Page 70 and 71:
The sound of a 15 passenger van pul
Page 72 and 73:
“What is it?” McAffey directed
Page 74 and 75:
And for no reason he could fathom,
Page 76 and 77:
on Earth—or rather below the seas
Page 78 and 79:
His wide shoulders, height, and goo
Page 80 and 81:
Melissa breathed a barely perceptib
Page 82 and 83:
Maybe this would be the last sessio
Page 84 and 85:
Melissa looked at her watch. Time t
Page 86 and 87:
He stalked to a small desk under th
Page 88 and 89:
No one waited on either side. She s
Page 90 and 91:
She was thin next to his roundness
Page 92 and 93:
“I seem to recall that you could
Page 94 and 95:
Just as she started to think she im
Page 96 and 97:
his two apprentices pull the great
Page 98 and 99:
Lower, between a cleft in the hills
show all

Volume Three - WordPress.com — Get a Free Blog Here

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?