MYSTERY SUSPENSE: Boxset
Page 12
"Who gave you the job, Charles? Was it Brushoff?"
I hear a snap and another snap and Charles fell to the floor, dead. I look to the window to see two holes in the glass. I knock the desk lamp on the floor and crawl behind the desk. My heart was pounding loud in my ears.
Chapter Ten
It had to be a rifle from the roof across the street. At least he died trying to prove himself innocent for a murder he didn't commit.
I checked the pistol he was carrying, and it was empty. Tonight wasn’t a great time for Charles to be carrying an empty weapon.
The door knob turns. I remove my pistol from its holster and hide behind the desk.
"What are you playing, Randall, hide and go seek?"
"You picked the perfect time to drop in, Lieutenant. Someone just shot a visitor."
"It looks like he's dead."
"Yes, someone didn't like him."
"Want to tell me what's going on here?"
"I'll tell you what I know, Vic. Please sit down." I said, pointing at the chair and then looked out the window.
"I don't like walking through the park unless I have a beautiful woman by my side."
"Were you out tonight where someone murdered the stripper? Don't bullshit me, because the night security guard got your license plate number."
"Didn't he tell you I was alone?"
"Why were you there?"
"I wanted to be alone."
"Two minutes after you arrived, a girl shows up dead."
"What are you saying, Vic?"
"I'm not saying you did it. I just don't understand why where ever you go, bodies show up."
"Maybe I'm just unlucky, pal."
"Randall, you better be careful with whatever you're doing. If something happens to you, my wife will kill me. I don't want the same thing to happen you that happened to Drake."
"Who's Drake?"
"He’s a private eye who got shot last night at the Waterfront."
"Are you sure he was a private eye?"
"Yes, he comes into town just in time to get a bullet in the back."
"Do you know why he was at the Waterfront?"
"His answering service said he was following a cheating spouse."
"He was following a woman whose husband was out of town."
"How did you know?"
"I have to make a call, Vic."
"Who are you calling?"
"A friend of mine,” I said, grinning from ear to ear. “Hello, Mrs. Hood, it’s Randall Stone. Could you come down to my office?"
"I hope you have some good news, Stone."
"I have your ring."
"You are wonderful. I'll be right down."
"Okay, I will be waiting."
"What’s this about a woman's ring?" Vic asked.
"Stick around and you will find out."
"Who are you calling now?"
"I’m calling another friend. Hello, Bob Brushoff, this is Randall Stone."
"What can I do for you, Stone?"
"I want you to come down to my office. I found the redhead in the picture."
"Are you kidding me?"
"You want to come down and talk business?"
"I'm on my way."
Chapter Eleven
I explained as little as I could to Lieutenant Morgan without going into too many details. He agreed to wait in the back room while I did my thing.
Almost an hour had passed when there was a knock on my door. It was Bob Brushoff.
"Good evening, Mister Stone. I came here to talk business. You want to talk inside the office?"
"No, we have to talk out here. I have a body back there. A guy named Charles. The little guy you hired to pull that robbery last night. You remember, when the customer won the $150,000, and you wanted your money back. So you hired Charles to rob your business. I know everything, Mister Brushoff. He returned the money, but you let him keep the jewelry. You were worried if he was caught selling the stuff, he would talk. So, when he sent his girlfriend to sell me the ring, you got there first and took the ring after stabbing her."
"Mister Stone, you are full of shit."
"You owe me $200 for a new window. That wasn't too smart, shooting my client through the window. Because now the only thing the police crime lab has to do is match the bullet in Charles's back with a bullet at the range.”
The door opened and Judy Hood walked inside.
"You have my ring, Stone?"
"I guess you know Bob Brushoff?" I said, pointing at him. "Okay, Mister Brushoff, give the lady her ring."
"Are you trying to tell me he robbed his place?"
"Yes, I did, ma'am. I have your ring. I was about to return it to you, but something came up." Bob said.
"Mister Stone, he has a gun."
"What are you going to do, Bob, kill both of us?"
"You are right, Mister Stone. I have no choice but to kill both of you."
Gunfire exploded, and Bob grabbed his chest, falling to the floor.
"Nice shooting, Mrs. Hood."
"Please give me my ring. I can't get involved in this. Please give me my ring and let me go home."
"I'm sorry; I have to tell you something about private detectives. We pretty much look after each other."
"What are you talking about, Stone?"
"I'm talking about a private eye named Drake, who was hired by your husband and sent to the club last night to get the dirt on you. He got it, and you knew it. During the robbery, you had the chance to kill him, just like you did when you killed Bob Brushoff. To prove I am right, we will have a talk with your husband when he comes home."
"You are a smart man, Stone. Too bad you are not going to live long enough to tell anyone. I shot one private dick for snooping into my business; I just have to kill another."
She raises her pistol and Vic steps out of the room, taking it from her.
"He killed him, Mister, and he’s now going to kill me." she screamed.
"Judy, I like for you to meet my friend, Lieutenant Vic Morgan, homicide."
She turns and her mouth drops open.
"Vic, if you match the bullet in Bob Brushoff with the one in Drake's back, you will find your killer."
"I want to talk with my attorney." she demanded.
"You are going to need one, Mrs. Hood. You are under arrest for murder."
Chapter Twelve
Bob Brushoff died on the way to the hospital. The crime lab matched the bullet in the private detective with the one inside Bob Brushoff's chest, and Judy Hood was charged with two counts of murder.
The insurance company that insured Judy's ring paid me a $5,000 reward for returning the ring to them. And as for me, I'm still chasing cheating spouses as a penny-pinching private eye named Randall Stone.
Visit the author’s websites:
https://sites.google.com/site/mysterybysavage/
Follow me on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/Bsavage50S
Two Free Gifts
As a way of saying thanks for your purchase, I’m offering two free mysteries that’s exclusive to my readers. Double Cross and Dead On Impact fast-paced, suspenseful plot… The story’s complicated and intriguing twists and turns keep the reader guessing until the chilling ending.
Sign up for the author’s New Releases mailing list and get a FREE copy of the latest novels Double Cross and Dead On Impact Randall Stone Mysteries…
http://bit.ly/1HvvhAD
MYSTERY THRILLER: BOX SET (8 books in 1) Keeps readers guessing as twists & turns unfold….
FLAT RATE Sale Price $0.99 limited time. MYSTERY, CRIME & SUSPENSE: BOX SET (8 books in 1)…
(Download Here)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SQRMJU8
MYSTERY, CRIME AND SUSPENSE: BOX SET (10 books in 1) Keeps readers guessing as twists & turns unfold
New Release Sale Price: $0.99 for a limited time. Purchased individually, the books in this set would cost $29.99. You save $29.00!
(DOWNLOAD HERE)
ht
tp://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PA8VV1Y
FROM THE B.A. SAVAGE
Alex French Series
Book 1
Into Darkness
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LNR86F0
Book 2:
The Scorned
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L4T3MHO
Book 3:
Dangerous Game
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LNR8966
Book 4
Deception
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LR0O7S8
Book 5
Extortion
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LZFW3Z4
Book 6
Suspicion
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MBQNWNI
Book 7
Skyjacker
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N0DGUH6
Book 8
Judgment
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NDJ9ULU
Book 9
Suicide
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NQJ5L5Q
Book 10
Psychopath
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O3YPP8G
The Vanishing Corpse
An Randall Stone Mystery
B.A. Savage
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
This Novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locates is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2014 B.A. Savage
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the permission of the author.
Visit the author’s websites:
https://sites.google.com/site/mysterybysavage/
Follow me on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/Bsavage50S
Two Free Gifts
As a way of saying thanks for your purchase, I’m offering two free mysteries that’s exclusive to my readers. Double Cross and Dead On Impact fast-paced, suspenseful plot… The story’s complicated and intriguing twists and turns keep the reader guessing until the chilling ending.
Sign up for the author’s New Releases mailing list and get a FREE copy of the latest novels Double Cross and Dead On Impact Randall Stone Mysteries…
http://bit.ly/1HvvhAD
MYSTERY THRILLER: BOX SET (8 books in 1) Keeps readers guessing as twists & turns unfold….
FLAT RATE Sale Price $0.99 limited time. MYSTERY, CRIME & SUSPENSE: BOX SET (8 books in 1)…
(Download Here)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SQRMJU8
MYSTERY, CRIME AND SUSPENSE: BOX SET (10 books in 1) Keeps readers guessing as twists & turns unfold
New Release Sale Price: $0.99 for a limited time. Purchased individually, the books in this set would cost $29.99. You save $29.00!
(DOWNLOAD HERE)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PA8VV1Y
FROM THE B.A. SAVAGE
Alex French Series
Book 1
Into Darkness
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LNR86F0
Book 2:
The Scorned
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L4T3MHO
Book 3:
Dangerous Game
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LNR8966
Book 4
Deception
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LR0O7S8
Book 5
Extortion
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LZFW3Z4
Book 6
Suspicion
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MBQNWNI
Book 7
Skyjacker
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N0DGUH6
Book 8
Judgment
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NDJ9ULU
Book 9
Suicide
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NQJ5L5Q
Book 10
Psychopath
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O3YPP8G
Content
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter One
My girl, Jennifer Long, had been on my ass about taking a vacation. After listening to her bitch for over six weeks, I agreed. I wanted to go to New Orleans, but she had her heart set on Miami.
Stevenson Bernard, a world famous modeling agent, had put together some of the nation's top models, displaying the 2015 swim wear. I found myself a ringside seat and dark sunglasses so Jennifer couldn't see my eyes and waited like a kid in a candy store for the models to walk down the runway.
A sexy, shapely redhead steps on the stage with a towel wrapped around her. She lowered the towel and the audience applauds. She spins around and the towel drops to the floor, displaying all her curves, and the audience applauds louder.
“Randall, isn't that a gorgeous swimsuit? Randall, sweetheart, did you hear me?" Jennifer asked.
A model walks past and I turn my head to see what she looks like from the rear.
"She even looks prettier if you were not wearing sunglasses. I think it's a sneaky thing to do, watching ladies behind your dark sunglasses."
"What am I supposed to do, Jennifer, close my eyes?"
"I want you to enjoy the looks of beautiful women, but I'm afraid I have bad news for you."
"What’s that, my dear?"
"That gorgeous looking woman who turned your head is a lady I met this morning at a gift shop. Her name is Mrs. Amber Smith."
"What's the bad news?"
"I believe she said she had a ticket tonight for a flight to New York City, she's going to meet her husband there. Guess what, you and I, my dear; we’re going to Central City."
"She's married, right?"
"Yes, she's married hot stuff."
I looked at her, and we both laughed.
Chapter Two
We had a lovely dinner at the North Star. Jennifer orders a garden salad, light dressing and white wine and I order a salad, steamed white fish, and wine. We talked about everything for over an hour, caught a taxi back to the hotel, and the same driver dropped us at the train station.
"See, Randall, I told you we had plenty of time."
"Yes, we still have 30 seconds to find our seats," I replied.
Two women walk past us, almost knocking me over.
"Hi, Mrs. Young, I thought you said you were going to New York City?" Jennifer asked.
The other woman looks at her and frowns. Jennifer noticed Amber had handcuffs attached to her wrist as the woman pulls her away.
"Come on, honey, it's not our business," I said, taking her arm.
Chapter Three
As I sat in our room, reading a magazine, I could see the wheels turning in Jennifer's head.
"I don't understand you at all, Randall. You were interested in Amber back at the show."
"Who are you talking about?"
“She’s handcuffed to that old mean woman. At the show today, you couldn't take your eyes off her."
"Amber’s not my type, Jennifer. Once I saw those handcuffs on her wrist, the thought of a relationship just flies out the window."
"I'm serious, Randall."
"I'm serious, too."
"Well, I don't understand any part of it. She told me she was taking a plane to New York to meet her husband and the next thing you know, she’s on our train."
"From the looks of the woman she’s handcuffed to, I don't think she was on this train by choice."
&n
bsp; "But you’re a private eye, can't you find out why?"
"What do you want me to find out?"
"Why was Amber on the train in handcuffs?"
"I don't know and I don't want to know. I’m still on vacation."
"But maybe she needs your help."
"And maybe I can get arrested for interfering with a policewoman performing her duty."
"You think she could be an international spy, Randall?"
"I think you’ve lost your mind."
"Just think, Randall. I was friends with a real female James Bond. She stays in the same hotel as us and she’s right in the next room."
"I'm hungry, let’s go get something to eat," I said, hoping to change the subject. But something told me it was just beginning.
Chapter Four
We took a seat near the middle. I was sitting facing the door. I ordered the baked white fish, a small salad, and white wine. Jennifer ordered vegetable soup, a garden salad, and tea. As we enjoyed a tasty meal, the door opens, and Amber walks in, followed by handcuff lady and two hard looking thugs.
"Don't look now, Amber just walked in with her friends," I said.
"Oh, my God, I hope she is not handcuffed." Jennifer replied.
"No, but she made a few friends."
"Who’s she with?" Jennifer looked over her shoulder.
"Don't turn around; they're taking a seat behind you."
The waitress walked to Amber’s table and handed out menus. "My name is Karen; I will be your waitress this evening. Would you like to start with a salad?"
"Give us a bottle of Chardonnay wine, please, and four glasses." said one of the men.
"Okay, please look over your menus and I'll be right back."
Jennifer and I are quiet, listening to the conversation when Jennifer gets a tug on her dress. I see her looking at something under the table, and a sad look covers her face.