Way Down There (An Allie Down Mystery Thriller Book 1)
Page 34
“Yes you should,” Dana said.
“No,” I said. “Someone lost their life. More than one person too.”
“Wait,” Leah said.
I cringed. “Listen. I can’t talk about this stuff.”
“We’re your friends,” Dana said.
I looked at both of them.
I nodded.
“A woman was mutilated,” I whispered. “Stabbed over seventy times. I was told other things happened too. What? I’m not sure of. It’s not anywhere near here. It was a call from another detective looking for help. Advice. I’ll look at the case and file and see what I can come up with. This killer though… it’s not his or her first kill.”
“Meaning?” Leah asked.
“Serial killer,” Dana said. “Holy sh-”
“Again, it’s not anywhere near here,” I said. “I shouldn’t even have told you what I did.”
“This is crazy,” Dana said. “And you’re okay with this stuff?”
“I’m not okay with murder or crime,” I said. “But it’s my job to catch whoever did this and make it stop.”
“What if he does it again?” Leah asked.
“How do you know it’s a man?” Dana asked. “Women can be serial killers. Stabbing someone over seventy times? That’s an angry woman.”
“Okay, you two,” I said. “Stop playing TV cop…”
“I run a boutique,” Leah said. “My life is nothing compared to yours.”
“You’re biggest problem is where to invest all the money you make,” Dana said.
“Be quiet.”
“The place is doing well?” I asked.
“She’s killing it,” Dana said. “Oh, sorry… maybe killing is the wrong word here…”
I sighed. “Dana…”
“Sorry,” she said. “But, hey, your girl over here… seven figures…”
“Dana,” Leah said. “I don’t like talking about it.”
“Leah, that’s amazing,” I said. “That’s a lot of business.”
“I’m lucky,” she said.
“You’re smart,” Dana said. “And you’re also buying this lunch.”
“She doesn’t have to do that,” I said.
“Yes she does. It’s a rule. The richest friend buys lunch.”
Leah rubbed her forehead. “Of course I’ll buy lunch.” Then she smiled. “Only if Allie keeps telling us about the serial killer.”
“Or,” Dana said, snapping her fingers. “Or… about the look on her face when her phone rang.”
“The look on my face?” I asked.
“Oh, yeah,” Dana said. “And that wasn’t Ben, right?”
“It was Johnny Barby,” I said as though they knew who that was. “He’s a detective. Over in Morris. I have nothing to do with him.”
“Except him calling you,” Leah said.
“For work stuff.”
“That wasn’t a work face, Allie,” Dana said.
“I was surprised to see his name on my phone. I haven’t talking to him since that kidnapping he was part of.”
“Got a picture of him?” Leah asked.
“I can find him,” Dana said.
“No you can’t,” I said. “He’s…”
Dana was busy on her phone and it took her less than a minute to find Johnny on social media.
And of course Johnny would be easily found.
He loved it.
He loved the attention.
And of course his profile picture was him in a sleeveless shirt.
“This is the guy?” Dana asked.
Leah looked at Dana’s phone. “Oh… my…”
“I’ll go shoot someone right now if this guy will arrest me,” Dana said.
I shook my head.
“Allie,” Leah said.
“What?” I asked.
“This guy is gorgeous,” Leah said.
“Your point?” I asked.
“You think he’s hot,” Dana said.
“I didn’t say that,” I said. “Okay, look, he’s good looking. Sure. He’s… classically good looking. Right? That doesn’t mean anything. He’s a jerk. He has no respect for anyone. Ever. Those who are suffering are just… I don’t know…”
“So he’s smoking hot and super rude?” Dana asked.
“Yes.”
“I’m in love,” she said. “He could break my heart… just as long as he breaks my bed first.”
“Dana,” Leah said.
“What?” Dana asked. “You’re thinking the same thing. I bet you have some flirty clothes at the boutique of yours. What would you wear to impress this guy?”
“He’d only care if it was nothing,” I said.
“Look at you getting all worked up,” Dana said to me.
“I’m…”
My phone started to ring again.
This time it was Ben.
“Another call?” Leah asked.
“It’s Ben,” I said.
Both Dana and Leah let out an oohhh sound.
I rolled my eyes.
“I’m going to have to go,” I said. “Sorry lunch got messed up again.”
“You better keep in touch about this,” Leah said.
“You want the dirty details of a murder scene?” I asked.
“No,” Dana said. “We want the dirty details of this love triangle you’re in.”
“Love triangle?” I asked. “There’s…”
I shook my head.
They both laughed.
I hurried to answer Ben’s call.
“Hey, sorry,” I said. “I’m trying to get out of this restaurant.”
“I’m sorry to bother you, Allie,” Ben said. “I know you’re busy…”
“No worries,” I said. “I assume Johnny called you too.”
“Johnny? Johnny Barby?”
“Yeah. He didn’t call you?”
“No,” Ben said.
“Oh.”
“He called you?” Ben asked, his tone going deep and protective.
“Yeah. About a case he’s working on. A possible serial killer situation.”
“Wow,” Ben said. “Well…”
“Wait,” I cut in. “Why did you call me?”
“Something’s going on and I wanted to make sure you knew about it,” he said. “Last thing I need to experience is the wrath of Allie Down again.”
“Yeah, very funny,” I said. “What’s going on?”
“It’s not as crazy as a serial killer though.”
“Try me,” I said.
“A ninety-year-old woman jumped off a bus to kill herself.”
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Did you know there’s a novel that takes place before Allie returns to Sandemor? Titled DOWN THE BASEMENT, the book follows Allie as she’s a city police officer desperate to become a detective.
A young girl goes missing in broad daylight… Allie is told to stay away from the case… but she doesn’t listen.
She catches the kidnapper. But there’s one problem.
He won’t tell Allie - or anyone - where the girl he kidnapped is…
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About the Author
PJ Fernor lives in just about the same 'sleepy town' as Allie Down. PJ's hobbies are reading mystery, crime, thriller, and romantic suspense novels, along with watching crime shows, and listening to crime podcasts. As a kid, PJ could be found with a notebook, a pen, and always off to find an adventure or crime to solve. And when most days resulted in no crime to solve, that's when PJ started writing.
The Allie Down series comes to you in order of publication date:
WAY DOWN THERE
DOWN THE DRAIN
DOWN TO THE WIRE
LETTING YOU DOWN
DOWN FOR THE COUNT
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. (This also includes the cover image and/or cover model(s) appearing on the cover. The context of this book does not in any way depict the personal life of said cover model(s). Image is licensed and used purely for fictional purpose only.)
First electronic edition August 2020
Copyright © 2020 by PJ FERNOR
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part of any form.
Copyright image iStock/DepositPhotos/SHUTTERTOCK/ADOBE IMAGES
Copyright cover Cosmic Letters