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Back Murder Past Due Save as PDF
Chapters (36)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. Acknowledgements
  4. ONE
  5. TWO
  6. THREE
  7. FOUR
  8. FIVE
  9. SIX
  10. SEVEN
  11. EIGHT
  12. NINE
  13. TEN
  14. ELEVEN
  15. TWELVE
  16. THIRTEEN
  17. FOURTEEN
  18. FIFTEEN
  19. SIXTEEN
  20. SEVENTEEN
  21. EIGHTEEN
  22. NINETEEN
  23. TWENTY
  24. TWENTY-ONE
  25. TWENTY-TWO
  26. TWENTY-THREE
  27. TWENTY-FOUR
  28. TWENTY-FIVE
  29. TWENTY-SIX
  30. TWENTY-SEVEN
  31. TWENTY-EIGHT
  32. TWENTY-NINE
  33. THIRTY
  34. THIRTY-ONE
  35. THIRTY-TWO
  36. THIRTY-THREE

We reached the bottom of the stairs, and I turned to face her as her hand dropped from my arm. “I’ll keep my eye on him, and I’ll keep my ears open, too. Someone else had a powerful motive, and I’m sure the truth will come out. It’s just going to take some digging.”

“You’re a good man, Charlie Harris.” Julia surprised me with a peck on the cheek, and I could feel my face redden a bit. “I’ll get my purse and be right back.”

I waited, hoping my face had lost any vestige of red by the time she returned.

When Julia reappeared, purse clutched in her hand, I moved to open the door for her. I started to follow her down the walk, but she insisted that I not.

“It’s not that far to the car, and I’ll be fine. I’m going by the hospital to check on Ezra, and then I’ll head home and collapse.” She smiled before she turned and moved down the walk to the street.

“Good night, then,” I called after her. I waited until she pulled her car away from the curb before shutting the door.

I turned off the lights downstairs, watching for Diesel, but there was no sign of him. I found him sprawled across my bed when I got back upstairs.

After putting my book back on the nightstand, I undressed and got ready for bed myself. I was tired, but my brain was buzzing with all kinds of thoughts about the events of the day.

I read for a while, trying hard to concentrate on my book, and eventually I put it aside and turned out the light. Diesel snuggled close to my legs.

Praying that I wouldn’t have nightmares about dead bodies all night long, I did my best to fall asleep.

THIRTEEN

THIRTEEN

If I dreamed about corpses, I didn’t remember it when I woke the next morning. I came out of a sound sleep to feel a paw gently prodding my nose and then a head butting lightly against my chin.

With Diesel around I had no need of an alarm clock. He got me up most mornings by six-thirty, and today was no exception.

After I came out of the bathroom, wearing my robe over my pajamas, I went down to the kitchen, where I knew Diesel would be waiting. I filled his bowl with fresh water and replenished his food. He began eating his breakfast with enthusiasm.

I hadn’t remembered to fill the coffeepot last night and set it so that I would have coffee when I got up. And no wonder. I felt dazed as I recalled the events of the day before.