by E. C. Bell
“Yes,” Sylvia said. “It is. Come in, please. Now.”
“Sure,” I said, and clicked the disconnect before she could say another word.
“James,” I started, then stopped. Tried to think, but nothing would come to me. Not one thing.
“I’ll call Vinnie VanKlief,” he said.
“But he’s in Fort McMurray.”
“I don’t care!” he yelled. Then he took a deep breath in and out. “I don’t care. I’ll get him on a plane in an hour and he can put a stop to this whole business.” He grabbed my hands. “And I’ll get hold of Jasmine. I’ll tell her what’s going on. If she sees this on TV, it could freak her out.”
“Please call Karen’s parents,” I whispered. “Tell them I’ll be in contact when I can. To explain everything.”
“I will,” he said.
“And Greg,” I whispered. My stupid throat tightened. “Tell him I might not make the next game.”
“Will do,” he said. “But first, I’ll get you to Sylvia’s office, just like she asked. We have to get ahead of this thing, Marie.”
My phone rang again. Another TV station. I hit ignore and rose.
“Yeah,” I said. “Take me to Sylvia’s. But promise me you won’t leave me.”
“I’m not leaving your side again,” he said. “I told you that.”
I hoped he wasn’t lying to me. But I suspected he was. Once I was in the nuthouse there was no way he could stay by my side even if he wanted to.
I WAS IN real trouble, this time. Real trouble. What was I going to do?
THE END
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Acknowledgements
I’ve always wanted to write a novel about softball. This is it.
Softball is like baseball, but is played with a larger ball on a smaller field. The ball is pitched underhand, unlike baseball, where it is pitched overhand. It is also called fast pitch or fastball, but I call it softball, simply because I love the quip “there is nothing soft about it!” (Believe me. There isn’t.)
I needed a lot of help this time, because I had to work out the history of a relatively little known part of Edmonton, John Fry Park, where the Edmonton Ladies Softball Association has played ball since the mid-seventies.
Thanks to Al Schwartz, president of the Edmonton Ladies Softball Association, and Michele Party at Softball Alberta, for helping me connect with Jane and Brian for the history.
Thanks to Jane Kornelson and Brian Jacobs, who were involved with the Association when it made the move to John Fry Park. They were wonderful enough to share their memories with me—and that helped me develop the timeline for this book.
Thanks to Patriyca Thenu, Media Relations for the EPS, for connecting me with Sgt. Steve Sharpe. And thanks to Steve, for giving me the words I needed for a vital scene in the book.
If there are mistakes, they are mine alone.
Thanks to Guillem Mari for the art and Lucia Starkey for the set up for another fantastic cover. I think this one is definitely the best!
Thanks to Ryah Deines for the layout. And to Rhonda Parrish for editing—you made the words sing! I’m so glad you still love this book. Makes me think I have something special here.
And, thanks to Margaret Curelas, my publisher, for letting me run with this whacked out idea and keeping me honest about how many games could be played in one day of a tournament. (That wasn’t the only thing she kept me honest about, but it was important.)
My family is still standing behind me, and I can never thank them enough for all their support. Without it, I don’t think I could have finished this one.
And to Buddy the border collie. Sorry, Millie’s still the only dog in the series. (Man! He never forgets anything!) I hope another cookie will help ease the pain.
About the Author
E.C. (Eileen) Bell’s debut paranormal mystery, Seeing the Light (2014) won the BPAA award for Best Speculative Fiction Book of the Year, and was shortlisted for the Bony Blythe Award for Light Mystery. The second book in the series, Drowning in Amber, (2015) was nominated for an Aurora Award for best novel. Dying on Second is the fourth book in the series, and she has plans for a fifth. In her spare time (!) she edits for On Spec, The Canadian Magazine of the Fantastic. When she’s not writing or editing, she’s living a fine life in her round house with her husband and two dogs. And yes, one of them is a step-on dog.
For more info, check out her website: www.eileenbell.com
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Table of Contents
Title Page
Prologue
Stage One Learning the Game
Marie: Oh Yeah, Sunshine and Fresh Air Will Fix Me Right Up
Karen: First Game of the Season
Marie: But She’s looking at Me!
Karen: Apparently, We Are Doing Something About the Girl
Marie: Missing Girls and Metal Cleats
Karen: Making Friends with the Devil
Marie: Exorcisms and Poltergeists
Karen: The Post-Swarming Talk
Marie: Ribs and Advice
Karen: Making Joanne Feel Better, for Some Reason
Marie: Sergeant Worth Wants to Talk
Marie: Meeting Bobby Kimble
Karen: Why Shunning Is Bad. For Real
Marie: Ella Comes to my Game
Karen: My Turn to Call a Meeting
Marie: The Coffee Factory, and Millie’s Pee Dance
Marie: Meeting Rory
Karen: Marie Opens Up
Karen: The Nightmare
Stage Two Playing the Game
Marie: Moving Rory On, and the Pink Invoice
Karen: Blowing Up
Marie: The “What If” Scenario
Marie: Calgary Henry and the Old Man
Marie: That Good Old Second Revenue Stream
Karen: Deciding What Was Right
Marie: The “I Love You” Conundrum and Miriam Kendel’s Rise Ball
Karen: I Need More Time
Marie: Contacting Sylvia, Who I Hate
Stage Three Winning the Game
Marie: The Weekend Away
Karen: Finding Me
Marie: Losing Karen
Karen: So Much for the Guarantee
Marie: Back to Diamond Two
Karen: My Welcome Home
Marie: Handbills and More Fresh Air
Karen: Finally, Vengeance
Marie: The Season's Not Over
Marie: Inquiring Minds Want to Know
Acknowledgements
About the Author