Beholden

Read Beholden for Free Online

Book: Read Beholden for Free Online
Authors: Pat Warren
duty. We’ve got a couple of uniforms down there questioning the bar regulars. Chances
     are, no one will talk, as usual.”
    Mac scrubbed a hand over his face. “You’re right, Earl. It’s turning into a bitch of a night. See what you can get on that
     for me.”
    “Will do.”
    Mac opened his desk drawer, took out a package of Rolaids, and popped two in his mouth. Damn, but he’d tried to warn Foster,
     tried to tell him he was playing with fire threatening to blow the whistle on Russo. The young idealistic punk hadn’t listened
     to the voice of experience. And now he was dead. Mac sighed heavily.
    Checking to make sure no one was nearby, he picked up the phone. It took three rings for the party to answer. Swiveling his
     chair around, he kept his voice low. “You promised you wouldn’t go after the girl.”
    The voice was silky smooth and unrepentant. “Things changed, Sarge. Relax. It was rigged as an accident. Brake failure.”
    Jesus! They’d taken a hell of a chance being seen messing with her car. “I don’t like it.”
    “You don’t have to. Just do your job and I’ll do mine.” The phone landed on the cradle with a thud.
    His mouth a thin line, Mac hung up. Things were getting out of control. Losing control always meant trouble. Rising, Mac grabbed
     his jacket from the back of his chair.
    There was no question about it. He had to go to Phoenix General, though it was the last thing he wanted to do.
    Detective Andy Russell glanced at his watch as he entered his Scottsdale apartment. Midnight. He and his partner had been
     on a stakeout for forty-some hours, watching the condo of the girlfriend of an escaped convict, hoping he’d show. He finally
     had and they had him in custody. But the long hours had Andy feeling stiff and sore, his eyes red and grainy.
    Sliding home the dead bolt, he shrugged out of his jacket and shoulder holster, stretched until his shoulders popped, then
     walked into his kitchen. The blinking light on his telephone answering machine indicated two messages. He punched the Replay
     button, then reached into the refrigerator for the container of orange juice.
    He drank deeply as he listened to his mother’s voice, asking him to dinner on Sunday, wondering where he was, hoping he was
     all right. The poor woman would never get used to his hours or his job. The second message began and, recognizing Terry Ryan’s
     voice, Andy moved closer.
    She sounded upset, which wasn’t like Terry. In the five years he’d known her, the only time he’d seen her rattled was when
     her father had had his heart attack. Quickly, he jotted down the phone number she gave him for the Sedona cabin where she
     was heading.
    She’d be there by now if she left around eight as she’d said. Midnight wasn’t too late to call if someone was having a problem.
     He hadn’t seen or heard from Terry in probably three months. Odd that she should call him now. He dialed the number.
    Eight rings later, Andy hung up. He finished his juice, then rummaged around in the drawer for his address book. He checked
     Terry’s apartment phone number and called. The answering machine clicked on, and he swore. No point in leaving a message at
     this hour. He’d try to find Terry tomorrow.
    He glanced out his kitchen window and saw that the rain had stopped and the sky was clear. Tomorrow should be a nice day.
     Yawning, Andy moved toward his bedroom, hoping for twelve hours of uninterrupted sleep.
    Five days and her daughter was still in a coma. Julia Hartley sat alongside the hospital bed, her thin lips moving in prayer.
Dear Lord, please bring Lynn back to me
. She looked so small, so pale, whiter than the hospital sheets. Her beautiful hair all shaved off, her head bandaged. Her
     face was loosely bandaged, too, with just her bruised eyes and swollen lips visible. Julia wondered how bad the scarring would
     be. They’d told her about all the glass particles they’d had to remove and some that were in so deep

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