“You fired just one shot. It hit the brunette in the shoulder. She’s losing blood, but they’ll save her. You did what you had to do.”
“I remember...okay, here’s how it went. I never dreamed Margo would actually shoot. It seemed so wrong, I just thought she’d never do it. She shot Claudia—who was waiting for the chance to shoot me. Then Margo turned the gun on me. The gun I used, that one there, was already on the floor. What kind is it? I want one of those babies.”
“You’re not only safe you’re damn lucky.”
She saw Martin come back over, and she spoke as though she had just awakened, “What are you doing here?”
“I thought I’d surprise you with a Café Grande. When I didn’t find you parked near the spa, I guessed you’d be over here parked out back watching the place. I saw your car. I came into the hall, heard the yelling, and phoned Chip.”
“I almost got lost, Chip. I wanted so badly to prove Margo was innocent. I was all over the place. The women were in it together. Claudia masterminded everything. She’s the type to have other people do her dirty work. I’ll tell you all about it. And you’re innocent Chip. The diary was a total phony. You didn’t do any of those creepy things. You’re just a nice, normal guy who is great in bed.”
“You’re in shock, babbling nonsense,” Chip said. “I want you in the emergency room fast.”
Martin interrupted, “I’ll get her dress. It’s over there on the floor.”
“What?”
“Your dress.”
“Geez Louise,” she said looking down. Martin went over near Claudia’s body and retrieved the dress where it fell. Blood was spreading across the floor but hadn’t reached it.
As she was tying the dress around her, she said, “I always think more clearly with my clothes on.”
Martin said, “I kept trying not to look at you.”
“Thank you.”
“More or less.”
“It’s okay, Martin.”
“Congratulations,” Martin said. “You successfully defended your first murder client. You proved Margo innocent of murdering John. Of course, she’s a conspirator as far as the money is concerned, however that’s another case.”
“Conspiracy is minor,” Chip said. “Don’t forget she just killed Claudia—that’s murder, and fired at Sandy—that’s attempted murder. But you closed them down, recovered the money, and aided the FBI investigation. I’d say you had a very successful first big case as a defense lawyer and as an investigator.”
“So now I must give back the ten thousand cash in my safe.”
“Sorry about that,” Chip said. “That cash had to be from the drug batch. You did all this work, almost got killed, and didn’t make a dime.”
“Oh, but I did. The ten thousand dollar bank check I cashed came from Claudia’s business account. I had refused cash. That money was legit. I can keep it.”
“Well, you finally chased down suspect three,” Martin said. “You found him in the morgue and discovered where he lived.”
“Not so, Martin. No one will ever find the Richie Grant we were chasing. He was never in the morgue. He resides only in a very private place. I have a long and interesting story to tell you about Margo and her special lover, Richie.”
Martin said, “I can’t help worrying about the huge problem you still face. The FBI is going to yank you in front of a judge. You’ll be forced to reveal who gave you the name, Gerardo Diaz, or you’ll go to jail.”
A broad smile crossed her face. “I now realize there is only one way to get myself out of that trouble. I simply must go ahead and disclose the person who gave me his name.”
“Sandy, what are you saying? You must be in shock. You can’t do that.”
“I feel sorry for her, Martin, but she got herself into this mess. And I’m not going to go to jail for her. I hate to do it, but they are forcing me to reveal the person who gave me the name Gerardo Diaz.”
“Sandy, shut up. Don’t do this. You can’t give her up!”
“I am forced to admit it was Claudia Mertens. She told me it was Gerardo Diaz. She identified him and gave me his name. I’ll swear to it. No one else was involved.”
“Claudia? How did she know the name?”
“Geez Louise, how do I know? Why don’t you ask her? She’s lying right over there.”
The End
* * * *
Emily Dickinson
Wild Nights
By Emily Dickinson
Wild Nights! Wild Nights!
Were I with thee,
Wild Nights should be
Our luxury!
Futile - the Winds
To a Heart in port,
Done with the Compass,
Done with the Chart.
Rowing in Eden!
Ah, the Sea!
Might I but moor
Tonight in Thee!
American poet, Emily Dickinson (December 10, 1830 – May 15, 1886) was born in Amherst, MA. She never married and apparently led a solitary life. Biographers are unclear as to the source of the romantic passion revealed in her poems. Critics now consider her a major American poet.
Addenda
About the Author: Rod Hoisington has a background in education and business and lives in Florida where he devotes full-time to his compulsion to dig into the souls and lives of fictional characters.
One Deadly Sister is the first novel in the popular Sandy Reid mystery series. Followed by The Price of Candy, Such Wicked Friends, Chasing Suspect Three and Alive After Friday.
To check out all the books in the Sandy Reid mystery series: CLICK HERE!
One Deadly Sister
Four Star Mystery Novel Rating
She doesn’t carry a gun but then neither does a pit bull ~
An almost-too-clever young law student reluctantly attempts to rescue her estranged brother caught up in woman-trouble and a murder charge in a hostile Florida town. He isn't looking for trouble, but doesn't have a clue about women, and gets seduced and framed, leaving the sister in an ever-increasing entanglement of deceit, double-cross and danger.
The Price of Candy
Four Star Mystery Novel Rating
Passion makes fools of us all ~
An old acquaintance interrupts Sandy Reid’s law studies and gets her seriously involved in unraveling the mystery of a body on a Florida beach. Sandy uncovers the identity of the prominent Congressman who gave the beautiful hitchhiker a ride to Florida and confronts him. Now that the naked body has been discovered, he risks having his misdirected passion exposed and his reputation and prosperous way of life devastated.
The almost-too-clever young law student must solve the mystery surrounding the unidentified dead woman on the beach, unscramble a related child kidnapping that the mother won’t report, and clear herself of a murder charge that threatens to destroy her dream of becoming a lawyer. Along the way, she discovers she has fallen victim to a sensuous passion of her own.
Such Wicked Friends
Four Star Mystery Novel Rating
Sometimes your friends are more dangerous than enemies ~
Sandy Reid stumbles over a potential client—shot between the eyes. She believes the murdered woman is asking her to find the killer. How else to explain the mysterious spot of blood Sandy later discovers on her own hand? Then a friend kills himself. Or was it a second murder cleverly disguised as suicide? Now with two people dead, Sandy can’t resist getting involved and is drawn into a plot that stretches out to national ramifications. At the last moment, she discovers her gutsy scheme to entrap the killer is more dangerous than expected and must play out exactly right for her to get out alive. The third book in this fast-paced mystery series.
Alive After Friday
Four Star Mystery Novel Rating
Some decisions are deadlier than others. ~
Being kidnapped is only the start of Sandy Reid’s problems. When an extortion plot strikes close to home, she’s forced to come up with a world of money to save her Signif
icant Other—that’s the bad news, there is no good news. Does the feisty young lawyer call for questionable help from the Feds, or go with her own gutsy instincts? Either choice has deadly consequences.
Once again her hard-headed nature beats out the risks and with sidekick Martin she’s off on a gripping whirl around sun-drenched Palm Beach County, Florida; including confronting an sexy stranger who’s easy to brush off until the gun comes out, a cheating wife who gets more action than she can handle and a Barbi Doll beauty who would never jump into bed with just any couple who asks. Meanwhile, must straight-laced Martin resort to seduction to discover the critical secret of the attractive woman who already has two murdered men in her past?
All this because a pair of shadowy characters make the biggest mistake of their lives when they target Sandy, in this romance-splashed women-sleuths mystery.
To check out all the books in the Sandy Reid mystery series: CLICK HERE!
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Emily Dickenson
Addenda
Chasing Suspect Three Page 24