A Killing in Zion (43 page)
Authors: Andrew Hunt
A big black Packard rolled past us through the slush and snow and swerved into the driveway of the house across the street. An older man in a hat and overcoat got out of the front, stepping off the running board into the snow, and closed the door behind him. A woman with white curly hair and a long coat emerged from the passenger side. She opened the back door and a teenage girl with a green hat and a red coat climbed out of the car. The trio went inside.
“That's her,” I said. I looked at Roscoe.
“I know! Christ, Art, you don't gotta tell me! I already know!” He licked his lips, and I noticed his hands trembling. “I don't think I can do it.”
“Sure you can.”
“What if she tells me she doesn't want to see me? All this time I haven't been in her life⦔
I leaned over and patted him on the shoulder. “It's never too late.”
He looked over at me and took another deep breath. “Yeah?”
I nodded.
He nodded, too. “All right. I'll give it a shot.”
He opened the door and snow flurries blew inside the car. He maneuvered out onto the sidewalk, still holding the flowers and the teddy bear, and then he leaned inside the car and lifted the bag full of presents.
“Need some help?” I asked.
“Naw, I got it.” He stopped and looked in at me. “Thanks.”
He slammed the door and crossed the street, making his way carefully up the sidewalk and porch steps to the front door. I watched intently as he managed to balance everything in his arms and bang the knocker. He glanced back at me. I noticed the uncertainty stamped on his face before he turned around again. The door opened and the girl appeared. The two of them spent the next few minutes talking to each other. I wondered what they were saying. Why was it taking so long? What if Roscoe's worst fears came true and she told him to go? I bit my fingernails with nervousness. She reached out, squeezed his forearm, and tugged him inside. Roscoe gave me one last look, smiling, and he ventured into the house. The door closed.
Even though the temperature had plunged below zero outside, I felt warm all over with happiness for my best friend. So much so, I whispered the words one more time, to nobody in particular.
“It's never too late.”
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ANDREW HUNT
is a professor of history in Waterloo, Ontario. His areas of study include postâ1945 U.S. History, the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, and the American West. He has written reviews for
The Globe and Mail
and
The National Post;
two works of nonfiction,
The Turning
and
David Dellinger;
and is coauthor of
The 1980s
. His first novel in the Art Oveson series,
City of Saints
, was the winner of the Tony Hillerman Prize in 2011. He grew up in Salt Lake City and currently lives in Canada. You can sign up for email updates
here
.
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A
LSO BY
A
NDREW
H
UNT
FICTION
NONFICTION
The Turning: A History of Vietnam Veterans Against the War
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David Dellinger: The Life and Times of a Nonviolent Revolutionary
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The 1980s
(coauthor)
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Contents
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This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.
A
THOMAS DUNNE BOOK
FOR MINOTAUR BOOKS
.
An imprint of St. Martin's Publishing Group.
A KILLING IN ZION
. Copyright © 2015 by Andrew Hunt. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
Cover design by David Baldeosingh Rotstein
Cover photograph used with permission from the Utah State Historical Society
Our eBooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, ext. 5442, or by e-mail at [email protected].
The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Â
Hunt, Andrew E., 1968â
    A killing in Zion: a mystery / Andrew Hunt. â First edition.
        pages cm.
    ISBN 978-1-250-06462-2 (hardcover)
    ISBN 978-1-4668-7082-6 (e-book)
  1. PoliceâUtahâSalt Lake CityâFiction.  2. MurderâInvestigationâFiction.  3. MormonsâFiction.  4. PolygamyâFiction.  I. Title.
    PR9199.4.H858K55 2015
    813'.6âdc23
2015022088
e-ISBN 9781466870826
First Edition: September 2015