Chapters (97)
- Cover
- Back Cover Text
- Praise
- Booklist
- 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
- Eighty-Eight
- Eighty-Nine
- Acknowledgments & A Personal Note
- Excerpt
“She’s regaining consciousness,” the doctor said. “Connie, I’m Doctor Patel. You’ve been hurt—”
Her mouth began moving. Then, rasping, she said: “Water.”
The doctor got the water cup and put the straw to her lips.
“Connie,” Patel continued, “you’re in the hospital and a police officer needs to talk to you. It’s very important.”
She drank, then closed her eyes.
“Her signs are weak,” Patel said to Jurek, indicating that this might be his only chance, nodding for him to approach.
Jurek activated his recorder and got close to her.
“Connie, it’s Sergeant Bill Jurek with Eternity Police. Can you tell me who hurt you and your family?”
It was so subtle Jurek almost missed it as she began shaking her head and Jurek drew even closer.
“Connie, who hurt you?”
She emitted a liquidy sob so soft it was barely audible.
“Why?” she managed to ask.
“Connie, we need to know who hurt you and your family.”
Suddenly her eyes opened and through her anesthetized fog she stared at nothing, and in a harsh, pained, whisper, said, “Why’re you here…in…”
“Connie, we need to know who hurt you.”
“What’re you doing here?” Her voice trailed off.
She coughed and blood droplets appeared on her lips. Her head lolled to one side. The monitor began beeping, chiming and pinging with alerts as one by one the tracking lines flattened.
Jurek pulled back while Patel led medical staff in a vain attempt to resuscitate her.
It was over so fast.
Still holding his recorder Jurek turned from the bed to the window.
Four deaths now.
Bomber, the canine half of Eternity’s K-9 unit, worked with his nose to the ground, leading his partner, Constable Mark Warrin, from the open window at the side of the Tullock house.
Warrin had followed Jurek’s instructions to start from the outside at the window and track any leads. Warrin had Bomber on a long line.
The German shepherd’s leash jingled and tensed. Warrin knew from Bomber’s tail wagging that he’d picked up something as he led him toward the edge of the property. Although Bomber zigzagged, he adhered to a fairly direct path to a small wooded rise.
Bomber threaded around the small stand of trees, stopped and yipped.
“What is it, pal?” Warrin asked. “Whatcha got there?”
Sunlight winked from the ground. Warrin lowered himself to look at a small, empty glass bottle that had held vodka, according to the label. He thought for a moment but didn’t touch it. Instead he reached into his vest for a tiny orange evidence flag and planted it near the bottle.
Bomber’s line tensed and he barked while staring in the direction of the town and the highway as if signaling that the answers lay in that direction.
Warrin reached for his radio.