by B. A. Savage
"Are you alright, Jennifer?"
"I don't feel well, honey. Can you take me to my room?"
"Sure."
I paid the bill, and we walked back to our room. As we passed the table, Amber didn't look happy, not happy at all.
Chapter Five
Jennifer was quiet until we get back to the compartment. I shut the door, and she pulls out a piece of the menu.
"I told you something wasn't right. Look,” she said, handing me a note. It said, ‘I’m in trouble, Amber.’ “What do you have to say about that, Mister Private Eye?"
"That doesn't make any sense. If she was in any real danger, why didn't she just yell for help? The car was full of people; those thugs wouldn't have a chance."
"Maybe one of them was holding a gun to her."
"Come on, Jennifer, maybe she's doing this to get some attention."
"Randall, sometimes you are so stupid. We have to find out what's wrong and help her.”
Our conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door. It was a porter.
"Mister Randall Stone?"
"Yes, I'm Randall Stone."
"I have a fax for you."
"Thank you," I told him, giving him a $5.00 tip. I read the message, and a puzzled look crossed my face.
"Something wrong, Randall?" she asked.
"You're great at solving mysteries, figure this out."
She read the note and gave it back to me. "I don't understand what this means."
"Are you saying, Mrs. Sherlock, the woman who solved the international spy on the train mystery, can't solve this?"
"You can be a smart ass, Randall."
There another knock on the door. It's an older woman, smiling from ear to ear.
"Are you Randall Stone, Central City’s top private detective? I'm sorry to disturb you two love birds, but the conductor told me you were here."
"Thanks, ma'am. What's your name?"
"I'm Alice Grace. My little Starkey is missing, and I was wondering if I could speak to you for a moment?"
"Who is Starkey?"
"Starkey is my cat."
"Why sure, Randall, invites Miss Grace inside, or is it Mrs. Grace?" Jennifer asked with a smile.
"It's Mrs. Grace, young lady. Mister Stone, I have all the newspaper articles about the cases you solved. That’s why I have my photo album with 400 pictures of my little Starkey."
"I like to talk with you about your cat, but I have an urgent fax to send out. Excuse me, please." I told her, leaving the room.
She sticks her head out the door, saying, "Hurry back, Mister Stone, I'll be waiting."
Chapter Six
I love my fans just as much as other private eyes but I wasn't looking forward to spending the next few hours looking at photos of a cat called Starkey.
I walked into the conductor office and sent a fax to Central City homicide, attention Lieutenant Vic Morgan. I asked Vic to run a nationwide check for warrants on Amber Smith. I thought this would help explain the handcuffs and get Jennifer off my ass.
As I walked through the dining area, I ordered a Scotch from the bar. Amber walked past with the two thugs close behind, going back to her compartment.
"I don't understand what could be keeping Randall. Maybe I should go and look for him." Jennifer said.
The old woman looked at her and smiled. "I understand how it is with you young people, you don't like to be apart. Just tell him I will stop in to see him tomorrow when we get back to Central City. Thank you, honey."
"Thank you, too, Mrs. Grace."
Jennifer leaves the room, looking for me. She spots a skinny man in a black suit, standing in front of Amber's compartment. He sees her, drops his head, and walks toward the dining room. Once he goes through the doors, she knocks on Amber's door. No answer. She tries the knob, and the doors open. She steps into the compartment, calling Amber’s name, noticing the figure of a body lying on the floor. The body was Amber Smith, and someone had taken her out with a rope around her neck.
Chapter Seven
The woman who was handcuffed to Amber walks into the compartment and sees Jennifer kneeling over the body.
"What did you do to her?" the woman yelled.
Jennifer turns to see a woman standing in the doorway. "She's dead."
The woman steps into the room and shuts the door, pulling out a pistol. "Now don't you give me any trouble."
"But, I didn't do it."
"I don't care." the woman said, raising the pistol.
Jennifer screams, knocking the gun from the woman's hand and running out the door. The woman picks up her gun and chases after her.
Three people are walking down the aisle and Jennifer screams, "Look out, she has a gun."
The woman with the handcuffs steps up, sticking the gun into Jennifer's ribs. "Hold it; you are under arrest for murder."
"You can't stop me; you’re not even a police officer. Now take your hands off me."
"Oh, you are a smart ass, aren't you? Well, take this."
The woman tries to hit Jennifer with the gun. Jennifer blocks her and punches her in the jaw. The two women are fighting when the conductor and I stop them.
"She is under arrest for murder." she said.
"Don't believe her, Randall, she’s not a police officer," Jennifer replied.
"Well, wait a minute, Jennifer. What's this all about?" I asked.
“The girl in the compartment next door has been murdered. I found her on the floor in their room. If anyone should be under arrest, it should be her, for impersonating a police officer. If you are a police officer, let’s see your badge and your arrest warrant for Amber Smith."
"Why, you little bitch."
"Now, hold on, ladies, that bad language isn't necessary. Take it easy, ma'am, we'll find out what's going on. Come on, girls, follow me." the conductor said.
Chapter Eight
We walked back to the compartment. Jennifer was trying her best to convince me she found Amber Smith's body.
"Alright, honey, tell me about Amber?" I asked.
"Well, I was talking with Mrs. Grace and thought I heard a fight coming from Amber's compartment. I went over to investigate, knocked on the door, but no one answered. I checked the door like this." she said, turning the knob. The door opens, and the two thugs from the dining room were sitting inside talking.
"Excuse us, may we help you?" one of the guys said.
"What did you do with her?" Jennifer asked.
"What did we do with whom?" the man replied.
"What did you do with Amber Smith's body? She was right there, Randall, lying on the floor with a rope around her neck."
"What are you talking about, ma'am? What are you doing here?"
"We caught your friend holding a gun to this lady. And Miss Jennifer said there’s a dead woman in your compartment."
"Well, I saw her. She was lying right there. You saw her, too, lady, didn’t you?" Jennifer said, pointing at the other woman.
"It's your story. Why don't you tell them?"
"Just a second, if there was no body, what’s the deal with the gun and all that talk of arresting my girlfriend?" I added.
"I walked in on her searching through our compartment. She knocks me down, takes off running, screaming something about a dead woman. I was trying to catch her and arrest her for burglary."
"If you are a police officer, may I see your badge?" the conductor said.
She pulls out a badge and gives it to him. He looks it over and hands it to me.
"She's a bounty hunter," I said.
"A bounty hunter? What would she want with Amber?"
"Why don't you ask her when she returns?" the woman said.
"Hey, Mister, is she your girl?" one of the guys asked.
"Yes, she is. Why?"
"Then I feel sorry for you, pal. But can you keep her in your compartment?"
"I'm sorry we disturbed you, Mister Gibson. It won't happen again, sir," the conductor said.
Chapter Nine<
br />
Almost 30 minutes had passed. Jennifer and I were sitting in our compartment; she is explaining to me what happened when the train suddenly stopped.
"What's going on now?" she asked.
"Jennifer, are you alright?"
"I'll be great as soon as we get back to Central City."
"I know what you mean."
"Come on, Randall, something happened, let's find out what's going on." She grabbed my arm and pulled me out the door.
We follow the conductor and porter off the train. We heard voices and saw flashlights sweep the woods surrounding the train.
"Look over there," a voice said.
"Hey, look at that, what is it, a body?" a voice said.
"Looks like your friend, Amber Smith’s, corpse, decided to take a little walk, Jennifer," I said.
"Over here, I think I found the body. Bring the light over here," a voice said.
While everyone’s outside, Jennifer decided to go back inside and search Amber's compartment for her body.
Once inside the compartment, she stood a moment in the darkness to let her eyesight adjust. She checks the closet, and it was empty. She looks up to see a woman's hand hanging over the top bunk. The door opens and one of the guys who were in the room earlier was standing in the doorway.
"You bastard, you killed her." she yelled.
The man took off his jacket and grabbed her by the neck. "You little bitch; you should have minded your own business."
"Let her go, Brad. I was outside on the tracks and saw her coming in here," the other thug said.
"Look, Mister, he killed Amber," Jennifer said, pointing at the bunk.
He looks up and sees Amber's hand.
“Brad, you fucking lowlife, you killed my girl. Now it's your time to die."
He pulls out a gun, but Brad pushed Jennifer into him. The thug moves to the side and pumps one slug into Brad's shoulder. Jennifer screams as blood sprays over her face. She watched Brad drop to the floor and heard the other man laugh. “Now I’ll take care of you.”
Chapter Ten
The thug looks at Jennifer and an evil smile crosses his lips. There’s a gunshot.
"What was that?" the conductor asked.
"Where's Jennifer, she must be in trouble!" I said.
We run down the aisle to Amber's compartment. The thug steps out of the room and falls to the floor. The conductor steps into the doorway, and Brad knocks him down, running back into the train.
"Are you alright, Jennifer?" I asked her, taking her into my arms.
"I am now."
"Don't worry, he won't get far."
Brad runs to the back door, followed by the conductor and the porter.
"Stop, Mister Hoffman, the train is moving too fast. If you jump, you are a dead man." the conductor yelled.
He looks back at the men chasing him, trips, and falls from the door. His screams echo through the car.
"Brad killed Amber, Randall. He would have killed me if it weren't for Gibson, and he killed Gibson.”
"Well, you're safe now and all the bad guys are dead."
"What happened to the bounty hunter?"
"Brad must have killed her, too. Her body was found in the woods outside the train. You see, my dear, Amber's real name is Amber Taylor. She was arrested for shoplifting and made a deal with the D.A. to testify against her boyfriend, Tony Gibson. She witnessed Tony killing a man in a drug deal that went bad, and changed her name and left town. Gibson hired the bounty hunter to track her down. He believed if he married Amber, she couldn't testify against him. But, Brad was also having an affair with Amber. When she threatened to tell her boyfriend, Brad killed her. And once the bounty hunter found out what he had done, he killed her."
"Randall, you are a great detective. How did you pull all this together?"
"A private eye never tells his secrets."
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…
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MYSTERY THRILLER: BOX SET (8 books in 1) Keeps readers guessing as twists & turns unfold….
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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
A Witness For Murder
An Randall Stone Murder
By 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 i
n 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 One
I closed the office early Tuesday evening. I got tired of playing solitaire on the computer. It was kicking my ass. So I brushed my teeth and combed my hair, locked the office, and went out to get a glass of beer before I went home.