by BJ Bourg
Once Susan and I had packaged everything in the evidence lockers, we met with Melvin and Amy in the conference room. A pot of coffee was on the table and they’d each had a cup, so Susan and I poured one for ourselves. The liquid was hot and strong.
Melvin scratched his bare head. “Chief, how’d you know it was William?”
I explained how the old newspaper article mentioned Sandra’s babysitter, which told me she had a child. “When we searched her house, we found a picture of William—well, a million pictures of William—in her living room. One of the pictures was of him shooting a bow with his real dad, Spencer Tucker.”
“I still can’t believe I’ve been working with a killer all these nights,” Amy said, shivering. “Do you know how many times I’ve turned my back to him, trusting he would cover me? He could’ve taken me out at any time.”
“Yeah, and we’ve been friends for years,” Melvin said. “He doesn’t look like a murderer.”
“Do they ever?” I asked.
CHAPTER 56
One week later…
The sun was setting in my back yard on the first Monday after William’s arrest and I still couldn’t shake the feeling I’d gotten when I found out he was the killer. Susan and I had talked about it often in the past week, but we couldn’t put it to rest. William was one of our own. If he could betray us, anyone could.
Chloe was trying to wrestle a toy away from Achilles, but he wasn’t having any of it. He jerked it from her grasp and raced off, taking a victory lap around the yard. Chloe approached me at a stumbling jog and plopped down on the steps. “He’s got a lot of energy!”
I flipped the chicken on the grill for the last time and joined Chloe on the steps, smiling as I watched Achilles finish his lap and drop the toy at her feet, begging her to pick it up again. She rubbed his face and told him she was too tired to play anymore, but he pretended not to understand. He dropped to the ground, his face in his paws, and made a motion like he was going for the toy, but stopped. When Chloe didn’t respond to his teasing, he grabbed the toy and bolted off, stopping a few feet away to see if she’d given chase. When he saw that she hadn’t, he dropped the toy and ambled toward a shady spot in the yard and lay on his side, panting.
“He’s such a beautiful dog,” Chloe said.
I agreed with her and put my arm around her shoulders. “And you’re such a beautiful girl.”
She snuggled against me and smiled. “I love it when you say things like that.”
“I love it when—”
A sharp ringing sound interrupted my sentence. I’d been expecting a call from Jennifer Duval to update me on the status of the Parker case, and I hoped that it was her. I jumped to my feet and rushed into the house.
“Wait,” Chloe called, trying to catch up with me. “Finish what you were saying.”
I snatched up my phone and looked at the display screen. It was Jennifer. I swiped the screen and pushed the phone to my ear, asking her what was up.
“It’s not good, Clint.”
“What is it?”
“I spoke with the assistant handling the case and he said the Parker brothers are set to be released in two weeks if they can’t come up with more evidence.”
“What?” I leaned against the counter, feeling as though the wind had been knocked out of me. “Released? How can the DA’s office just release them? They murdered Michele and Abigail!”
“I know,” Jennifer said, “but they said the case is purely circumstantial and they don’t feel they can win. He said he’d rather let them out now and wait for more evidence, rather than trying them on a weak case and losing. You know yourself if that happens they can never be tried again because of double jeopardy.”
I knew she was right, but I didn’t like hearing it. Numb, I told her goodbye and ended the call. Before I could put my phone down it rang again. I absently put it to my ear and said, “This is Clint.”
“Chief, you need to get here quick!” It was Melvin and he was so excited he was stumbling over his words.
“What’s going on?”
“It’s Susan—she just got arrested.”
My jaw dropped. “What?”
“Two sheriff’s deputies just took her into custody. They got a call from Bill Hedd saying the grand jury had indicted her for murder and she was to be taken into custody immediately and...”
I didn’t hear the rest, because I snatched up my keys and sprinted for the door, leaving Chloe and Achilles wondering what was going on.
To find out what happens next to Clint and his crew, download Book Three in this series:
NOVELS BY BJ BOURG
Clint Wolf Mysteries
But Not Forgotten
But Not Forgiven
But Not Forsaken
But Not Forever
But Not For Naught
But Not Forbidden (May/June 2018)
Magnolia Parish Mysteries
Hollow Crib
Hollow Bond
London Carter Mysteries
James 516
Proving Grounds
Silent Trigger
Bullet Drop
Elevation
Blood Rise
Stand-Alone YA Mystery
The Seventh Taking
About the Author
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BJ Bourg is an award-winning mystery writer and former professional boxer who hails from the swamps of Louisiana. Dubbed the "real deal" by other mystery writers, he has spent his entire adult life solving crimes as a patrol cop, detective sergeant, and chief investigator for a district attorney's office. Not only does he know his way around crime scenes, interrogations, and courtrooms, but he also served as a police sniper commander (earning the title of "Top Shooter" at an FBI sniper school) and a police academy instructor.
BJ is a four-time traditionally-published novelist and his debut novel, JAMES 516, won the 2016 EPIC eBook Award for Best Mystery. Dozens of his articles and stories have been published in national magazines such as Woman's World, Boys' Life, and Writer's Digest. He is a regular contributor to two of the nation's leading law enforcement magazines, Law and Order and Tactical Response, and he has taught at conferences for law enforcement officers, tactical police officers, and writers. Above all else, he is a father and husband, and the highlight of his life is spending time with his beautiful wife and wonderful children.
http://www.bjbourg.com