Chapters (95)
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Epigraph
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Forty-Three
- Forty-Four
- Forty-Five
- Forty-Six
- Forty-Seven
- Forty-Eight
- Forty-Nine
- Fifty
- Fifty-One
- Fifty-Two
- Fifty-Three
- Fifty-Four
- Fifty-Five
- Fifty-Six
- Fifty-Seven
- Fifty-Eight
- Fifty-Nine
- Sixty
- Sixty-One
- Sixty-Two
- Sixty-Three
- Sixty-Four
- Sixty-Five
- Sixty-Six
- Sixty-Seven
- Sixty-Eight
- Sixty-Nine
- Seventy
- Seventy-One
- Seventy-Two
- Seventy-Three
- Seventy-Four
- Seventy-Five
- Seventy-Six
- Seventy-Seven
- Seventy-Eight
- Seventy-Nine
- Eighty
- Eighty-One
- Eighty-Two
- Eighty-Three
- Eighty-Four
- Eighty-Five
- Eighty-Six
- Eighty-Seven
- Acknowledgements
- About the Author
- Also by David Swinson
- Thank you for buying this ebook, published by Hachette Digital.
“I hope so,” I say. “A friend of mine is supposed to be staying here for a week. I came here to take him to dinner, but there’s no answer at the door. I hope I was knocking on the right door. If I give you his name, can you tell me if he’s still here? Maybe he went to another motel.”
“I can tell you if someone is here but not give out the room number.”
“Well, I guess that’s good enough. His name is Robert Givens, but he also might be checked in under his uncle’s name, Robert Diamond.”
He checks the computer.
“Yes, he’s still checked in.”
“Both of them?”
“No. Just Mr. Givens.”
“Appreciate it. Thanks,” I say, then exit.
It’s gonna be a lot of driving tonight, but I decide to head to Diamond’s house. It’s late enough on a weekday for him to be home, which would mean he didn’t take my advice and get outta Dodge City for a while.
Traffic isn’t fighting me. The heat index, along with the humidity, is probably keeping most people indoors.
I get to his house in reasonable time.
No cab in front, but he usually parks in back. I take the cut and the alley that leads to the rear of his home.
His cab is parked in the small space behind his house. I make my way back to his street and have to drive a block up to park.
I take my pack, because the way things have been going, I’ll probably end up a theft-from-auto victim if I leave it.
A few steps to his stoop. It’s clean, well kept. Looks like there’s a lamp on, maybe in the living room area. I ring the doorbell, rap on the door several times after.
Again, nothing. I try one more time, and when there’s no answer, I decide to walk around to the back.
Lighting on this block is not like it is in Old Town. Certainly not in the alley. I walk carefully so I don’t run into anything and don’t get run into. Don’t want to attract unnecessary attention by using my Streamlight. But once I get behind the house, I take out my Streamlight to light up the interior of the cab. I check the driver’s-side door. It’s locked.
I move toward the wooden stairs that lead to a back deck and the rear door. Before my foot lands on the first step, I see a shoe, toes up, sticking out from under the stairs. I already know when I step back what I’m gonna find.
Training has a way of kicking in at moments like this.