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Back Straight Shot Save as PDF
Chapters (70)
  1. Dedication
  2. Chapter One
  3. Chapter Two
  4. Chapter Three
  5. Chapter Four
  6. Chapter Five
  7. Chapter Six
  8. Chapter Seven
  9. Chapter Eight
  10. Chapter Nine
  11. Chapter Ten
  12. Chapter Eleven
  13. Chapter Twelve
  14. Chapter Thirteen
  15. Chapter Fourteen
  16. Chapter Fifteen
  17. Chapter Sixteen
  18. Chapter Seventeen
  19. Chapter Eighteen
  20. Chapter Nineteen
  21. Chapter Twenty
  22. Chapter Twenty-One
  23. Chapter Twenty-Two
  24. Chapter Twenty-Three
  25. Chapter Twenty-Four
  26. Chapter Twenty-Five
  27. Chapter Twenty-Six
  28. Chapter Twenty-Seven
  29. Chapter Twenty-Eight
  30. Chapter Twenty-Nine
  31. Chapter Thirty
  32. Chapter Thirty-One
  33. Chapter Thirty-Two
  34. Chapter Thirty-Three
  35. Chapter Thirty-Four
  36. Chapter Thirty-Five
  37. Chapter Thirty-Six
  38. Chapter Thirty-Seven
  39. Chapter Thirty-Eight
  40. Chapter Thirty-Nine
  41. Chapter Forty
  42. Chapter Forty-One
  43. Chapter Forty-Two
  44. Chapter Forty-Three
  45. Chapter Forty-Four
  46. Chapter Forty-Five
  47. Chapter Forty-Six
  48. Chapter Forty-Seven
  49. Chapter Forty-Eight
  50. Chapter Forty-Nine
  51. Chapter Fifty
  52. Chapter Fifty-One
  53. Chapter Fifty-Two
  54. Chapter Fifty-Three
  55. Chapter Fifty-Four
  56. Chapter Fifty-Five
  57. Chapter Fifty-Six
  58. Chapter Fifty-Seven
  59. Chapter Fifty-Eight
  60. Chapter Fifty-Nine
  61. Chapter Sixty
  62. Chapter Sixty-One
  63. Chapter Sixty-Two
  64. Chapter Sixty-Three
  65. Chapter Sixty-Four
  66. An Extract from Breacher
  67. Chapter One
  68. Also by Jack Lively
  69. GET A FREE NOVELLA
  70. Enjoy this book?

Martaud put the documents back in the file folder. “Only the descriptions you gave.”

I said nothing. She extended her hand and began to stand. I said, “I understand that there was an attack on my cousin, Gilles Vaugeois, a while back. Are you investigating that?”

Rigalle coughed and spoke from the back. “Do you have any new information?”

“I don’t, no.”

Martaud was looking at the municipal police director and shifted her gaze over to me. “We can’t comment on open investigations I’m afraid.” She stood up. I joined her and we shook hands. Martaud said, “Thank you for your time. I wish you a very pleasant and safe stay in Alencourt and in France. Caro will show you out. Goodbye.”

On my way out I passed Rigalle standing stiffly by the door. Engulfed in a cloud of cologne, the Director of Municipal Police smiled warmly.

Chapter Eight

It was raining by the time I got out of the station. Fat drops plunged to the ground, splashing off the concrete surfaces of Alencourt. The police station’s walls were dirty up close. As if no amount of cleaning could scrub off the grime. I put on my Gore-Tex jacket and looked out from under the awning. A cop was huddled outside, smoking. I asked him the way to the train station. He jerked his chin to the left. Rain drops hurtled through the air. Pools of water had formed in uneven parts of the road and sidewalk and were peppered with falling rain. A constant surface disruption. I walked away.

I figured that was it, I was done with the place. I thought I’d get to the train station and board anything going south. The rain made that an easy decision. I’d never visited, but figured there wasn’t much bad weather in Spain this time of year. I was glad to walk.

Why had it been necessary for Police Chief Rigalle to sit in on a routine interview? Why couldn’t they have just brought the mug shots with them to Brumaire? Would have saved a lot of trouble.

There was a two-finger whistle from the road. A police Peugeot 308 was trailing my four o’clock. I hadn’t noticed it because of the hood I was wearing. I kept walking. The car was creeping, real slow. I sped up the pace. The police car followed. The two-finger whistle again. Coming from the passenger side. I looked closer at the car. Windshield wipers and rain obscured the interior.