Her Final Breath (The Tracy Crosswhite Series Book 2) (49 page)

Along the west wall stood the dozen members of the Cowboy Task Force—Kins, Faz, Del, and Ron Mayweather among them. Tracy had insisted on their presence. Kins, looking tan and healthy from two weeks in Mexico, gave her a nod and a smile.

Clarridge stepped to the podium and gestured for Tracy to stand beside him. Cameras whirred and flashed. Clarridge kept his comments brief, applauding Tracy’s courage, fortitude, judgment, and negotiation skills. Then he said, “Ordinarily we bestow the Medal of Valor upon deserving officers at our annual awards ceremony in October. In this instance, we saw no reason to wait.”

Bennett Lee handed him a jewelry-size box. Clarridge opened it and displayed the medal and ribbon to the media before removing it and pinning it to Tracy’s uniform. He gripped Tracy’s right hand, and together they turned to the cameras. Tracy tried her best to smile, but the attention made her uncomfortable. After a sufficient time for photographs, Clarridge released his grip and ceded Tracy the podium. This was the moment she’d really not been looking forward to. She cleared her throat, which still bothered her at times, especially in moments like this when her mouth was dry. Her prepared statement rested on the podium, but she didn’t look down. She knew what she intended to say. “This medal belongs to all those officers standing along the wall who made up the Cowboy Task Force. I wouldn’t be standing here without their dedication and their professionalism.” She looked at the victims’ families. “Had it not been for their unwavering pursuit of the Cowboy, we would not have found justice for Nicole Hansen, Angela Schreiber, Veronica Watson, and Gabrielle Lizotte, or for Beth Stinson.” She looked to the members of the task force and held up the box. “This is your medal.”

She stepped back, and Bennett Lee stepped to the podium. “Are there questions for Detective Crosswhite?”

The first question came from a
Seattle Times
reporter. “Detective Crosswhite, there are rumors you might retire. Can you comment on those rumors?”

Tracy gave the question a moment before looking again to the families of Nabil Kotar’s victims. She knew what it felt like to have your entire world turned upside down because of one deranged psychopath. She knew the persistent ache and the helpless, nagging guilt that maybe you could have done something to prevent it. She knew the hole they would try to, but never, fill.

And she knew she was not prepared to abandon them.

She looked to Dan, who must have read her mind, because he was grinning. He gave her a simple knowing nod.

“For now, I’m a cop,” she said. “This is what I do.”

The men and women at the back of the room began to applaud, slow at first, then with greater volume and enthusiasm. Faz raised a hand as if raising a glass, and the others followed his lead.

EPILOGUE

T
racy shot over the top of the wooden station, a twenty-five-yard distance to where her target hung, riddled with holes. She’d been shooting for the better part of an hour. Because of her collarbone, she hadn’t been able to shoot for a month, and she’d been itching to get back to the range. She lowered her weapon, slid it back into her holster, and removed the earmuffs, about to retrieve her target, when someone spoke to her.

“Not bad.”

Katie Pryor stood off to the side with another female officer, both watching Tracy. They each held boxes of ammunition and targets. Pryor also held a roll of blue tape.

“I heard you passed your qualifying test,” Tracy said.

“Thanks to you,” Pryor said, then she turned to make introductions. “This is Officer Theresa Goetz. She’s having a little bit of trouble with her shot.”

“You’re in good hands,” Tracy said to Goetz.

Pryor smiled. “She asked what the blue tape was for. I told her she’d find out.”

Tracy returned the grin. “Yes, you will.”

“Can you stay, offer a little advice?” Pryor asked.

“It sounds like you’ve got it covered,” Tracy said. “And I need to get home. My boyfriend called. He’s making dinner for me tonight. Pasta, which means we have twelve minutes before the noodles are ready.”

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

A
s always, there are many to thank.

I am not a police officer, and I have never served in law enforcement or worked in the criminal justice system. These Tracy Crosswhite novels would not exist without the generosity of so many people who give me their time with the hope I just might get a few things right. I used their expertise for
Murder One
, for
My Sister’s Grave
, for this novel, and for the third book in this series. Therefore, I’m going to thank them all again. The people acknowledged are experts in their fields. I am not. Any mistakes or errors are mine, and mine alone.

So thank you to Kathy Taylor, forensic anthropologist at the King County Medical Examiner’s Office, for all of her insight on the excavation of a decades-old grave site in wooded, hilly terrain. Thank you also to Kristopher Kern, forensic scientist and Crime Scene Response Team manager with the Washington State Patrol, for his similar but distinct expertise.

Thank you to Jeni Gregory, PhD, LICSW, supervisor of the Western Regional Medical Command’s Care Provider Support Program at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Thank you also to David Embrey, PhD, PT, research program coordinator in the Good Samaritan Children’s Therapy Unit’s Movement Laboratory. David approached me at the Pacific Northwest Writers Association conference several years ago when I indicated to an audience a general idea for my next novel. He put me in touch with Jeni Gregory. They provided fascinating insight into the minds of sociopaths and psychopaths, which is truly frightening.

I’ve also been fortunate to meet many wonderful people in the police community who are always generous with their time and their knowledge. I could not have written this book without the assistance of Detective Jennifer Southworth, Violent Crimes Section, Seattle Police Department. Jennifer first helped me when she was working for the CSI Unit. She was since promoted to Homicide and became an inspiration for this novel. My thanks also to Detective Scott Thompson, King County Sheriff’s Office, Major Crimes Unit. Scott’s willingness to always help me by sharing his knowledge, or by putting me in touch with others who could provide the information I was looking for, has been invaluable. One of those individuals he put me in touch with was Tom Jensen, who some say was the last man standing on the Green River Task Force, which, after twenty years of dedication, obtained the evidence to convict Gary Ridgway.

Thanks also to Kelly Rosa, supervisor of the Violent Crimes Unit, King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, and lifelong friend. Kelly has helped me with just about every novel I’ve written, and she promotes them like crazy.

Thank you also to Sue Rahr, former King County sheriff and now the executive director of the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission—the police academy. I didn’t know it when I wrote the novel, but Tracy also has a bit of Sue in her—she’s tough and determined, with a sense of humor. Thanks for taking the time to give insight into your career in what remains a largely male-dominated profession. I want to thank Detective Dana Duffy, Violent Crimes Section, Seattle Police Department, for the same reason. Years ago Detective Duffy took the time to speak with me candidly, not only about her career and her job but to provide necessary perspective.

I do a lot of written research as well and usually don’t list it, but I want to take the time to identify just a few of the books, manuals, and articles I found helpful:

Tracker:
Hunting Down Serial Killers,
by Dr. Maurice Godwin and Fred Rosen

Chasing the Devil: My Twenty-Year Quest to Capture the Green River Killer
, by Sheriff David Reichert

Tracking Serial Killers
, by Diane Yancey

The Psychology of Serial Killer Investigations: The Grisly Business Unit
, by Robert D. Keppel and William J. Birnes

Serial Murder: Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives for Investigators
, Behavioral Analysis Unit, National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime

Multi-Agency Investigative Team Manual
, United States Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice

Thank you to super-agent Meg Ruley, a fellow Aquarian, and her team at the Jane Rotrosen Agency, especially Rebecca Scherer and Michael Conroy, two cold readers who are tough to get any mistakes or inconsistencies past. Ms. Meg, as I like to call her, just keeps working wonders for me. I’m grateful to have been one of her writers for more than a decade, and she always makes me feel like I’m her number-one priority. You are, simply, one of the very best people I have had the pleasure of getting to know. I couldn’t do it without you. Now let’s learn and play cribbage!

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer! You believed in
My Sister’s Grave
and made it an Amazon number-one bestseller. Your enthusiasm for
Her Final Breath
has been just as spectacular. Special thanks to Jeff Belle, vice president of Amazon Publishing; Charlotte Herscher, editor; Kjersti Egerdahl, acquisitions editor; Jacque Ben-Zekry, marketing manager; Tiffany Pokorny, author relations manager; Sean Baker, production manager; and Gracie Doyle, my fabulous publicist.

A special thanks also to Alan Turkus, editorial director. Your vision for Tracy and your insights have been spot-on, and I am deeply grateful for the time you take to answer my questions and provide guidance. If I missed anyone else at Amazon Publishing, you know you have my thanks.

Thanks to Tami Taylor, who runs my website and does a fantastic job. Thanks to Sean McVeigh at 425 Media, a guru with social media who patiently tutors me. Thanks to the cold readers who labor through my early drafts and help make my manuscripts better. Thanks to Pam Binder and the Pacific Northwest Writers Association for their tremendous support of my work.

Mostly, thank you, loyal readers who e-mail me to tell me how much you enjoy my books and await the next. You are the reason I keep looking for the next great story.

I’ve dedicated this book to the men and women in law enforcement. I always invite people to step into these police officers’ shoes and spend a week dealing with the things they deal with on a daily basis. An interviewer once asked me if writers had an obligation to sanitize crime novels. I don’t know if we do or don’t. What I can say is that a crime novel, even the most graphic, can never capture the brutality and horror of an actual violent crime, no matter how well written. Yet these men and women see it far too often and willingly immerse themselves in investigations so that the families of crime victims can hopefully find justice, if not closure. The men and women I’ve met have all been dedicated public servants paid far too little for a job of such importance. We need to be slower to criticize and quicker to thank them for their service. I’m glad you’re out there for me and my family.

Finally, I have a new mantra of gratitude I try to express every day: “I have a great wife. I have great kids. I have a great life.” Yes, it’s corny, but it works. Cristina is my rock, my anchor, my soul mate, and the love of my life. Joe and Catherine—yes, I talk about you a lot, but only because I am so very proud. Wow. You both just keep amazing me.

As my father-in-law, Dr. Bob, likes to say, “When ninety-five percent of your life is good, don’t sweat the other five percent.” Smart man. Wisdom to live by.

Last but not least, to my mother, Patricia Dugoni: You have always been an inspiration to me and the toughest woman I’ve ever known, even at eighty-two. God broke the mold for tough Irish ladies after he made you. I think of you and thank you every day for the wonderful childhood you provided for all of us. Did I mention I’m one of ten? Yes, all from the same mother. Yes, she is remarkable.

Say it fast with me now, without any commas: AileenSusieBillieBonnieBobbyJoAnnTommyLaurenceSeanMichael. Love you guys.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

PHOTO © 2014 C. DUGONI

R
obert Dugoni is the critically acclaimed
author of eight bestselling thrillers. His very first novel,
The Jury Master
, made the
New York Times
bestseller list, launching the popular David Sloane series, which includes
Wrongful Death
,
Bodily Harm
,
Murder One
, and
The Conviction
. Dugoni is also the author of the novel
Damage Control
, as well as the nonfiction exposé
The Cyanide Canary
. His books have been likened to those of Scott Turow and Nelson DeMille, and he has been hailed as “the undisputed king of the legal thriller” and the “heir to Grisham’s literary throne.” The first book in the Tracy Crosswhite series,
My Sister’s Grave
, became a number-one bestseller on Amazon, and a
New York Times
and
Wall Street Journal
bestseller, and was named one of the best thrillers of 2014 by both
Library Journal
and
Suspense Magazine
. Visit his website at
www.robertdugoni.com
, e-mail him at
[email protected]
, and follow him on Twitter
@robertdugoni
and on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/AuthorRobertDugoni
.