Dead Center (The Rookie Club Book 1) (41 page)
Read Dead Center (The Rookie Club Book 1) Online
Authors: Danielle Girard
"There's two ways to look at getting called in again," her partner said in his slow, deep voice.
"I'm listening," Hailey said.
"One, we've worked our asses off all weekend and we're being called in again before I've even finished one beer and the game is still in the first quarter."
Hailey imagined Hal reclined in the worn navy leather chair that had been his father's, a Bud propped on his hip, and his hand on the remote. "And the other way to look at it?"
"This call is saving you from dinner at the senator's. You are there, aren't you?"
"Yes, indeed. I like the half-full. Nice touch."
Hal gave her the address and they agreed to meet at the scene in twenty minutes. Hailey looked at the untouched beer and opened the refrigerator to put it back. As the door swung closed, she heard something ping in the front hall. The sound, though soft, was distinct and she was moving as the second bullet was fired, another ping, followed in an instant by the crash of shattering glass.
Gun drawn, Hailey crept to the edge of the kitchen, pressed her back to the thin slice of wall beside the refrigerator. Waited to hear the sounds of someone coming, but the house was silent except for the rhythmic ticking of the big grandfather clock in the hallway and the purring of the refrigerator on her back. She rounded the corner into the hall slowly, barrel first, crouched low. "Jim!"
No answer as she turned into the dining room, cleared it and continued along the hall. The window beside the front door was broken, glass scattered across the dark wood floor, confirming that the shots had come from outside. "Jim!"
No response.
The front door was cracked open and Hailey had no idea if the suspect was inside or out. At the threshold to the front door, Hailey paused a beat, drew air until her lungs were full and kicked the door open. No shots fired and Hailey ducked low and stepped onto the porch. Empty. She scanned the front hallway again, still clear, and crossed to the top of the stairs, scanning the street from the level of the banister. Silence penetrated the dark where the scent of rotting leaves filled the wet air, empty of the sounds of tires. Whoever he was, he was on foot.
"Jim!" Still no response.
Hailey returned to the house and halted at the entrance to the living room. If her shooter was inside, this is where he was. Pausing in the doorway, Hailey counted to three and hooked around the doorjamb, flipped the light switch and dropped behind one of Liz's Windsor chairs. What if the girls had been here?
Blinking hard, she caught sight of a viscous trail of dark spots on Liz's white Persian rug. Behind the coffee table, Jim lay flat on his back. Just as she reached him, he groaned and lifted a hand to cup his ear and blood wept between his fingers. Beside her father-in-law lay a thin, white FedEx envelope and pinned to the clear plastic on the outside of it was a round, white button.
Hailey didn't need to read its anti-weapon message. She already had two others just like it.
One Clean Shot
The Rookie Club
Book Two
by
Danielle Girard
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To purchase
One Clean Shot
from your favorite eBook Retailer,
visit Danielle Girard's eBook Discovery Author Page
www.ebookdiscovery.com/DanielleGirard
~
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As one of four children, Danielle Girard grew up in a house where the person with the best story got heard, and it’s probably no surprise that fast-paced suspense stories have always been her favorite. Girard's books have won the Barry Award and been selected for the RT Reviewers Choice Award. Two of her novels have been optioned for movies. Visit her website at
www.daniellegirard.com
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Table of Contents
Excerpt from ONE CLEAN SHOT by Danielle Girard