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 step back slowly, around to the side of the stairs, and light the area under the deck, careful of what might be behind me or in the darkness near the corner of the house.
The light shines on a body.
It’s Diamond.
His eyes are partly open, like he submitted to the inevitable. Throat’s cut. Clean, all the way across. Opens up just under his chin a bit. Thin red lips with a wide smile. Fuck. Moist blood soaked into the shirt from the chest down. Bled out fast. I still kneel down, see if his chest expands. I check his carotid.
Damn. He’s dead, but I already knew that standing over him.
Son of a bitch. Where’s Biddy?
I light the area behind me, make sure I didn’t mess up the crime scene. No signs of a struggle.
I can’t stop looking at his face.
Fuck, old man.
“What the fuck did you do, Diamond?” I say quietly.
Sixty-Seven
Sixty-Seven
Why didn’t Diamond listen to me?
First unit on the scene is an old-timer I know from back in the day. Has to have more than thirty years on by now. Sam O’Connell. Second responder is a female officer who I don’t know, but she must have a little time on to be working midnights 10-99.
Blue, red, and white strobing lights pulse through the alley. The two cruisers’ spotlights are directed at Diamond’s backyard and the crime scene. Everything is visible. From where I’m standing in the alley, I don’t see signs of a struggle.
Some neighbors have stepped out to their back patios and yards to watch.
The EMT on the scene already confirmed his death. It was obvious at first sight, but the boy still has to follow procedure. The EMT steps back into the ambulance with his partner.
“Homicide should be arriving any minute,” O’Connell tells me.
“I’m going to call Joe Hurley. He’s working with Millhoff at Homicide, but this is something they need to know about.”
“What the fuck you get yourself into, Marr?”
“More than I bargained for, that’s for sure.”
“Damn. And I thought you retired early to get away from all this.”
If only he knew.
“You have the front secured, right?” I ask.
“Who the hell you think you’re talking to, some rookie?”
“Never know. You mighta got lazy.”
“When that happens, it’ll be time to go. But I sure as hell won’t get myself caught up in something like this.”
“You’ll have a nice boat with your name on it, huh?” I say.
“Got that right.”
“I gotta make a call.”
O’Connell throws me a nod and walks to stand beside the female officer.
It takes more rings than normal for Hurley to answer.
“I know you’re not working now,” I say.