Just Intuition
Page 25
Erin relaxed.
"We talked at the grocery store after—well, after everything happened. She was so nice and genuine. Then when she came over with the grave marker that she had made by hand, I realized she is a really special person. I'm glad she looked after you in school."
"Yeah, I had no idea," Erin said. They rounded the corner and she pointed out the rebuilt convenience store. "Hey, check it out! The new sign is up!"
Allie slowed when they passed the lot. The illuminated sign still featured a big fish but the wording had been amended. It now read Gina's Stop 'N Go. "Gina told me that the store is twice its original size with a row of fridges and tanks in the back. She can sell live bait so all the tourists and local fishermen coming in will improve sales."
"Wow, she's hit the big time! Jimmy and the twins will be happy to hear that. They can spend all next summer trapping minnows and catching worms to earn money. It's the best job ever for a kid."
"I'm sure she will be well stocked with lizard treats for Chris."
"I'll bet." Erin laughed.
Allie parked the Jeep in the driveway and they walked hand in hand to the house. Erin shoved the door open with her foot and, ill-at-ease, hesitated in the hallway. With its absence of wagging tail and toenails skipping on hardwood, the silence was louder than noise. This was the time that she missed Fiona the most and she wondered if the hole in her heart could ever be filled.
It had also been an especially hard year for Allie, with her workouts at the gym stretching to hours sometimes. She pecked Erin on the cheek, scooped the three legged cat up from her hiding spot in the front hallway and wordlessly carried her upstairs to the bedroom.
Erin headed to the kitchen and made herself a decaf. She sat at the kitchen table with The Journal of Forensic Science and her computer tablet. Halfway done her introductory home study course, she was hoping to be selected for training by fall. Since last summer, Dave struggled with his career. His suspension from lab duties in the Forensic Identification Unit had ended but he was not doing well and there was talk of firing him outright. With a possible opening in the Unit, it might be a good move for her.
"I'll be up in just a minute, baby!" Erin called out and there was a grunt in response.
Allie would wind down by reading a Tracey Richardson romance novel. She and Erin had settled into a new pattern since last summer. She knew that 'just a minute' really meant that the grandfather clock in the living room would be striking twelve long before Erin came to bed.
In the kitchen, Erin hunched forward over her tablet's bright screen and rubbed dry eyes. The text of Winnipeg's news headlines flew by when she scrolled down the page and she scanned each local online source for crime reports. The lines furrowing her forehead deepened. TWO KILLED IN HIGHWAY CRASH, one headline read. She clicked on it for the full story. After a few seconds, she returned to her original page and read the next headlines. CHILD INJURED AT DAY CARE and CHARGES LAID IN BOATING ACCIDENT also proved fruitless. Her eyes were bleary and her coffee had long since grown cold when Erin spotted it, buried at the bottom of the page. Her heart thudded in her chest when she clicked the link and read the article.
HOUSE FIRE SENDS ONE TO HOSPITAL
A LOCAL WOMAN IS RECOVERING IN WINNIPEG REGIONAL HOSPITAL AFTER BEING RESCUED FROM A BURNING HOME THURSDAY NIGHT. HOSPITAL SOURCES REPORT THAT BARBARA SCHMIDT, AGE 46, SUSTAINED SERIOUS BURNS BUT IS IN STABLE CONDITION. HER HUSBAND WAS NOT AT HOME AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT AND POLICE REPORT THAT A FEMALE TEEN WHO RESIDED AT THE HOME ESCAPED UNHARMED. FIRE INVESTIGATORS ARE EXPLORING THE ORIGIN OF A GAS LEAK SUSPECTED AS THE FIRE'S CAUSE.
"Allie! Allie! It's happened!" Erin's voice climbed to a high pitch and she bolted up the stairs to the bedroom.
THE END.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Makenzi Fisk grew up in a small town in Northwestern Ontario. She spent much of her youth outdoors, surrounded by the rugged landscape of the Canadian Shield.
Moving west to the prairies. she became a police officer with experience in patrols, covert operations, plainclothes investigation, communications and forensic identification. Within the policing environment, she transitioned to internet and graphic design. She now works for herself.
In her novels, Makenzi draws on her knowledge of the outdoors, policing and technology to create vivid worlds where crime, untamed wilderness and intuition blend. Her novels' characters are competent women who solve crime using skill and a little intuition.
Currently Makenzi resides in Calgary with her partner, their daughter, and assorted furry companions.
Website: makenzifisk.com
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INTUITION SERIES