A Quiet Kill

by Janet Brons

  “Liz,” said Hay abruptly.

  “Yes?” she asked, startled by the sound of her first name. He always called her Forsyth.

  “I believe,” he said, looking at her intently, “that you and I might, perhaps, have some unfinished business of our own.”

  She was locked in his intense gaze, slightly immobilized. “Perhaps—you might be right,” she replied, her voice a bit unsteady.

  “I believe we said the Bull’s Head, didn’t we?” he asked, rising but keeping his eyes fixed on hers.

  “I believe we did,” she agreed, allowing herself to be propelled toward the door without a backward glance.

  Ouellette and Wilkins watched them leave the room. Wilkins turned to Ouellette, raising his eyebrows and shooting him a quizzical glance. Ouellette didn’t know the answer to that particular question, although he had been wondering the same thing. He shook his head slightly and shrugged his shoulders. They started on their paperwork.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  A great many thanks are due to Ruth Linka and her professional and dedicated team at TouchWood Editions in Victoria for giving me the opportunity to publish my crime fiction story. I am especially grateful for the expertise, informed comment, and great support of my editor, Frances Thorsen.

  For their generosity in sharing their expertise in their fields, I owe a great debt to RCMP Chief Superintendant Lynn Twardosky (ret’d) and coroner Barbara McLintock.

  I am very grateful for the love and support of my brother, Clifford Wilkinson, and his family, and for the great encouragement and thoughtful suggestions of my dear friends Ian Hill, Alison Green, Ann Cronin-Cossette, Frank Haigh, and many others too numerous to mention here. You know who you are.

  I owe more than I can possibly acknowledge to my sister-in-law, Chantal Ouellette, who was there at the inception of the story, who continues to encourage and assist me in my writing, and whose generosity with the red wine resulted in an outline for the second book.

  Finally, I would like to thank Margaret Bechard and Nicola Furlong for lighting a fire under me and making me believe that this could happen.

  Before taking to crime writing, JANET BRONS worked as a foreign affairs consultant following a seventeen-year career in the Canadian foreign service, with postings in Kuala Lumpur, Warsaw, and Moscow. She has also been a researcher in the Alberta Legislature and at the House of Commons. Janet holds a master of arts in political science and international relations.

  MORE MYSTERIES FROM TOUCHWOOD EDITIONS

  The Corpse with the Emerald Thumb

  by Cathy Ace

  A dream vacation at a Mexican beach resort swiftly dissolves into a nightmare for criminologist and foodie Cait Morgan when her significant other, Bud Anderson, is wrongly arrested for the murder of the local florist, a gifted plantswoman.

  With Bud’s freedom, and maybe even his life, at stake, Cait has to fight the clock to work out which member of the small Mexican community might have killed the respected florist, and why. Investigating under the watchful gaze of the local police, Cait has to keep her relationship with Bud a secret, and she soon discovers she’s not the only one with something to hide. Peeling back layers of deceit to reveal even more puzzles, Cait struggles with a creeping sense of unreality as she desperately tries to save Bud . . . and, ultimately, herself.

  The third book of the beloved Cait Morgan Mysteries, The Corpse with the Emerald Thumb travels to the idyllic Mexican countryside and a tequila plantation as Cait races to clear her partner of murder.

  A Quiet Kill

  by Janet Brons

  The head of the Canadian High Commission’s trade section is found brutally clubbed and stabbed to death in the Official Residence in London, England. Scotland Yard’s Detective Chief Inspector Stephen Hay is called in to investigate, while Royal Canadian Mounted Police Inspector Liz Forsyth is dispatched from Ottawa. There are a number of suspects from the diplomatic community: the High Commissioner and his beautiful wife, the smarmy head of the political section, the charming military attaché, the high-strung Deputy High Commissioner, and a deeply troubled engagements secretary. After a second murder, the case takes a turn and radical environmentalist Dr. Julian Cox becomes a suspect.

  A Quiet Kill is the first in a new mystery series featuring Forsyth and Hay. Paired up for the first time, the two investigators must overcome insecurities and suspicions as they find themselves wading into the murky waters of the diplomatic community and navigating through a melee of international conspiracy, nationalism, and murder.

  Dark Moon Walking

  by R.J. McMillen

  It’s been more than eight years since ex-cop Dan Connor put a troubled criminal named Walker behind bars, and a year since he handed in his badge after losing the woman he loved. The remote islands off the Pacific Northwest coast seem like the perfect destination for his retirement. That is until a wave of increasingly sinister events disrupts his peace.

  When a mysterious boat drives Connor from his anchorage and a marine biologist working in the area goes missing, Connor is forced to team up with his former nemisis, Walker, who has been released from jail and is struggling with his own demons. They have little in common, but when a life hangs in the balance and others are threatened, the knowledge and skills of these two men from very different cultures are the perfect mix.

  With an eclectic cast of characters and a riveting plot, the first Dan Connor Mystery, Dark Moon Walking, is a fast-paced, suspenseful thriller that will keep you turning the pages until its explosive conclusion.

  Copyright © 2014 Janet Brons

  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

  Brons, Janet, 1954–, author

  A quiet kill / Janet Brons.

  Issued in print and electronic formats.

  ISBN 978-1-77151-061-5 (html).--ISBN 978-1-77151-062-2 (pdf)

  I. Title.

  PS8603.R653Q54 2014 C813’.6 C2013-905949-0

  Editor: Frances Thorsen

  Proofreader: Cailey Cavallin

  Cover image: Hammondovi, istockphoto.com

  Fog texture: elisafox.deviantart.com

  Author photo: © Lindsay-Mae Photography

  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.

  The physical layouts of the Canadian High Commission and the Official Residence of the Canadian High Commissioner in London as portrayed in this book are entirely fictional and are not intended to resemble the actual locations in any way.