Beneath the Bleak New Moon
Page 24
“And it will.” Although Casey despised courtrooms, she looked forward to bringing Mueller down.
“The cops told me that the reward money will be split between you and me,” Danielle said. “I’m buying a good secondhand car and a laptop. What about you? Isn’t it about time you bought a rust-free car?”
“I still like mine.”
Danielle laughed again. “Hey, thanks so much for all your help. If it wasn’t for you, Mueller might still be running people down.”
“You’re welcome, but don’t take any more risks, okay? No story is worth your life.”
“It wasn’t about my life.” She paused. “It was about Ben’s. Keep in touch.”
“Count on it.”
Casey pocketed her phone, then picked up the Contrarian and found herself again drawn to the last paragraph of Danielle’s article.
Although Roadkill’s hardcore racers have been sidelined, street racing hasn’t stopped. More idiots could form clubs, and more greedy cowards might pay to watch the carnage. Whether vehicles are racing or not, pedestrians are struck down every day by speed, recklessness, sleep deprivation, substance abuse, and other careless acts. Don’t let your guard down any time soon. I won’t.
Casey folded the paper and looked out the window. The evening reminded her of the night Beatrice was killed, just over a month ago, but without the looming Halloween madness. Instead, Christmas was coming . . . good times with Summer, a deepening love for Lou. Life was just fine.
A powerful car engine behind the bus broke Casey’s reverie. She looked out the window as a Jetta zoomed past, its red lights shrinking into the distance.
Acknowledgments
Once again, many thanks and much gratitude to the members of Port Moody’s Kyle Centre Writers’ Group. They patiently critiqued every chapter in this book and offered many insights and more enthusiasm than I could have hoped for.
Another huge thank you to Ruth Linka for continuing to believe in my work and for her collaborative approach to publishing. Also, huge thanks to Frances Thorsen and Cailey Cavallin for their amazing editing skills and to talented cover designer Pete Kohut and publicist Emily Shorthouse, who work so hard.
Endless thanks and much love to my family for their support and patience during my daily retreat into the world of fiction. Thank heaven everyone in my house knows how to cook and do laundry.
Although many settings in this book are real, others are not. Monty’s Diner, River’s End Pub, Regency Fitness Center, Winnie’s Donuts, and Clint’s Collision are all products of my imagination.
DEBRA PURDY KONG’s first Casey Holland transit security mystery, The Opposite of Dark, was released in 2011, and the second, Deadly Accusations, appeared in 2012. She is also the author of the Alex Bellamy white-collar crime mysteries, Taxed to Death and Fatal Encryption, and has published more than one hundred short stories, essays, and articles for publications such as Chicken Soup for the Bride’s Soul, BC Parent Magazine, the Vancouver Sun, Lynx Eye, Orchard Press Mysteries, Crimestalker Casebook, Futures Magazine, and Shred of Evidence. In 2007, she won an honorable mention at the Surrey International Writers’ Conference for her short story “Some Mother’s Child.” Debra has a diploma of associate in criminology and has worked in security as a patrol and communications officer. She lives in Port Moody, BC, with her family. More information about Debra and her work can be found at debrapurdykong.com. Follow her on Twitter at @DebraPurdyKong.
THE CASEY HOLLAND MYSTERY SERIES
Beneath the Bleak New Moon
Deadly Accusations
The Opposite of Dark
The Casey Holland mystery series is fast-paced and action-packed and features public transit security officer Casey Holland.
THE CAIT MORGAN MYSTERY SERIES
The Corpse with the Golden Nose
The Corpse with the Silver Tongue
The Cait Morgan mystery series is a a classic whodunit series featuring the eccentric Welsh-Canadian professor and criminologist Cait Morgan.
THE DANUTIA DRANCHUK MYSTERY SERIES
Unholy Rites
Sitting Lady Sutra
The Danutia Dranchuk Mysteries, featuring RCMP Constable Danutia Dranchuk, is a compelling detective mystery series that travels from the Pacific Northwest to the United Kingdom.
Long Gone Man
by Phyllis Smallman
Singer Brown’s life takes a nosedive after the suspicious death of her lover, Michael, a roadie for a rock band called Vortex. Twenty years later, she is looking for revenge. In a thick fog, a ferry docks on Glenphiddie Island and Singer’s decrepit van unloads. The homeless singer is there to find the man who destroyed her life all those years ago. But she arrives too late. Someone has already killed Vortex’s lead singer, Johnny Vibes. And now the murderer is coming after Singer.
Each of the former band members is hiding sins, both old and new—secrets worth killing for. But Singer has one potential ally: Johnny Vibes’s wife, who has just as much to lose as Singer. While trying to clear her name and solve the mystery of Michael’s death, Singer enters a dangerous and deadly world of jealousy, greed, and murder.
Set in the Gulf Islands of British Columbia, this series follows Singer Brown, a homeless woman who sings on the streets for coins and watches life ebb and flow around her. With a knack for being in the right place at the wrong time, Singer is one of society’s invisible people. And being unseen is an incredible advantage to have when you’re digging for secrets.
Copyright © 2013 Debra Purdy Kong
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise—without the prior written consent of the publisher or a licence from The Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency (access Copyright). For a copyright licence, visit accesscopyright.ca.
TouchWood Editions
touchwoodeditions.com
library and archives canada cataloguing in publication
Kong, Debra Purdy, 1955–
Beneath the bleak new moon [electronic resource] / Debra Purdy Kong.
(A Casey Holland mystery)
Electronic monograph issued in various formats.
Also issued in print format.
ISBN 978-1-77151-028-8 (HTML).--ISBN 978-1-77151-029-5 (PDF)
I. Title. II. Series: Kong, Debra Purdy, 1955– Casey Holland mystery.
PS8571.O694B45 2013 C813'.54 C2013-901759-3
Editor: Frances Thorsen
Proofreader: Cailey Cavallin
Cover image: Speeding cars: Notorious91, istockphoto.com
Texture overlay: Dimitris Kritsotakis, stock.xchng
Author photo: Jerald Walliser
We gratefully acknowledge the financial support for our publishing activities from the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund, Canada Council for the Arts, and the province of British Columbia through the British Columbia Arts Council and the Book Publishing Tax Credit.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.