“Right.” Mike’s facial muscles were strained, and he looked every day of his fifty-five years. “I’m so glad you were available, Harv. Thanks.”
Harvey nodded and headed for the fence, and Eddie followed. The recent tracks were obvious in the snow. The two children had gone out the back door from Mike’s kitchen and meandered about, scooping up a little snow here and there. A small scoop shovel and a blue plastic igloo brick mold lay abandoned ten feet from the door, and a yard to the side, two snow angels completed the Norman Rockwell view.
Mike’s tracks cut straight through the children’s trail. The smaller footprints stopped a few yards before his, then turned back in a beeline for the house.
Harvey had zeroed in on the body near the fence at the back of the lot. He stood a yard from it, just looking, when Eddie reached his side.
“He hasn’t been here all night.”
Eddie nodded. Only a half inch or so of snow draped the man’s form. He had on gloves, the red-and-black jacket Mike had described, dark pants, and pac boots. The hood was flipped up and covered most of his head, which was turned to the side, away from the detectives. From what Eddie could see, he was at least thirty, no older than forty, hadn’t shaved in forty-eight hours, and had fallen in his tracks.
Eddie looked at the fence. It was a nice, textured wooden one that people like Mike bought for privacy. Along the top, the snow tapered into a ridge at least three inches high, but a short distance away, there was a stretch at least a yard long with much less snow.
“Look, Harvey. See the top of the fence? That’s where he climbed over.”
Harvey looked. “Possibly. Get pictures now.”
Eddie dug out his phone and moved along the fence, taking photos of the undisturbed part and the place he figured the man had crossed the barrier. He looked down at the ground below it. Depressions in the snow had been layered over with new snow, but not completely filled.
Harvey was carefully searching the man’s pockets when Eddie got back to him. “No I.D.” His phone rang, and he stood to take the call.
“Yeah? Okay, Brad. Thanks.” He put the phone in his pocket and gave Eddie a sour look. “It’s going to be another half hour before the M.E. gets here. Let’s see if there’s anything under him.”
Eddie crouched to help him lift the body partway, and Harvey patted the ground underneath with his gloved hand. He froze for an instant then slowly pulled his hand out. In his grasp was a Smith & Wesson pistol.
End of Excerpt
To continue this story, look for the book, Heartbreaker Hero: Eddie’s Story, publishing date July 1, 2017.
Turn the page for discussion questions about Found Art.
Discussion questions for Found Art
for Book Clubs and other groups
Harvey agonizes over his choices for new detectives in his unit. Who would you have picked first? Why?
“Wonder Boy,” the governor’s nephew, is slowly working his way into Harvey’s enclave. What factors work against Tony? What does he have in his favor?
Lying becomes a bigger stumbling block for Harvey in this book. He has intended to talk to his men about not lying in a professional capacity, but then has to admit he lied to some of them for personal reasons. Harvey is demoralized and convinced he’s a failure in a lot of ways. Does lying have a place in undercover or other law enforcement operations? Do you have any words for Harvey?
Jennifer’s sister Abby starts a new relationship with an airline navigator. Is Greg just too good to be true? How does one tell, at the start of a new acquaintance? What would you tell Abby to look for?
What do you think of the way Harvey handles his first meeting with Neil Daniels? Is he wimping out or taking the high road?
Nate is so eager to succeed in his new position, he’ll do anything to please Harvey. How does one temper one’s enthusiasm without losing the forward momentum?
How do you protect your more valuable possessions? Have you ever wondered if it’s worth having “nice things”?
Eddie has avoided spending time with his family for weeks because they are vocally opposed to his spiritual conversion. Is this just one more area in which he needs to grow up, or could he use some counsel on this topic?
Jeff agonizes over an incident that happened when he was a child. Do you think Harvey is wrong when he advises him not to tell his family or Beth about it?
While Harvey finds orderliness and routine soothing, he doesn’t deal well with the rules of bureaucracy, whether it’s a mandatory suspension or a triplicate requisition form. However, he has a history of learning to cope. Where do you see Harvey five years from now? Can he accept all the new changes and survive?
More of SUSAN PAGE DAVIS’S Mystery and Suspense books that you might enjoy:
The Saboteur
The Frasier Island Series:
Frasier Island
Finding Marie
Inside Story
Just Cause
Witness
On a Killer’s Trail
Hearts in the Crosshairs
What a Picture’s Worth
The Mainely Mysteries Series (coauthored by Susan's daughter, Megan Elaine Davis)
Homicide at Blue Heron Lake
Treasure at Blue Heron Lake
Impostors at Blue Heron Lake
Trail to Justice
Tearoom Mysteries (from Guideposts, books written by several authors)
Tearoom for Two
Trouble Brewing
Mysteries of Silver Peak (from Guideposts, books written by several authors)
Empty Saddle
Lights and Shadows
Piece by Piece
Sleight of Hand
A selection of Susan’s Historical Novels:
Echo Canyon (set in 1860)
River Rest (set in 1918)
My Heart Belongs in the Superstition Mountains (set in 1866)
The Crimson Cipher (set in 1915)
The Outlaw Takes a Bride (western)
Mrs. Mayberry Meets Her Match
The Seafaring Women of the Vera B. (Co-authored with Susan’s son James S. Davis)
The Ladies’ Shooting Club Series (westerns)
The Sheriff's Surrender
The Gunsmith's Gallantry
The Blacksmith's Bravery
Captive Trail (western)
Cowgirl Trail (western)
Heart of a Cowboy (western collection)
The Prairie Dreams series (set in the 1850s)
The Lady’s Maid
Lady Anne’s Quest
A Lady in the Making
Maine Brides (set in 1720, 1820, and 1895)
The Prisoner’s Wife
The Castaway’s Bride
The Lumberjack’s Lady
Mountain Christmas Brides
Seven Brides for Seven Texans
See all of her books at www.susanpagedavis.com.
About the author: Susan Page Davis is the author of more than seventy published novels. She’s a two-time winner of the Inspirational Readers’ Choice Award and the Will Rogers Medallion, and also a winner of the Carol Award and a finalist in the WILLA Literary Awards. A Maine native, she now lives in Kentucky. Visit her website at: www.susanpagedavis.com , where you can see all her books, sign up for her occasional newsletter, and read a short story on her romance page. If you liked this book, please consider writing a review and posting it on Amazon, Goodreads, or the venue of your choice.
Find Susan at:
Website: www.susanpagedavis.com
Twitter: @SusanPageDavis
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susanpagedavisauthor
Sign up for Susan’s occasional newsletter at https://madmimi.com/signups/118177/join
Found Art (Maine Justice Book 3) Page 30