Adams Lack of Restraint

A Ryan Jones Novel
1. Auflage 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4835-8233-7
Verlag: BookBaby
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 250 Seiten

Detective Ryan Jones is trying to put his life back together after the brutal conclusion of his last serial murder case. Two years later he continues to be lauded as a hero for saving the governor's niece and stopping the senseless hunting and murder of children. Now living a peaceful life detective Jones is suddenly being taunted by a copycat killer set on revenge. As detective Jones hunts for the killer he realizes this suspect knows details of the previous murders that were never released to the public and only someone with ties to the original case could be involved. Not knowing who he can trust leaves detective Jones questioning everything including his own mental stability. With Jone's ties to the governor's office this serial murder spree has detective Jones second guessing every clue as well as his ability to show restraint and bring this killer to justice.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Adams, Chris

Leseproben

Five 9:28 am Cruz is standing outside alone, smoking. He is visibly shaken. I can see that from yards away. I take a couple of deep breaths before I climb out of the car, knowing whatever he summoned me here for on today of all days, cannot be good. While Lizzie’s family acknowledges today as the day she came home safe, the anniversary is just a bigger reminder of what line I crossed to get her back. It’s easy to sit back and think that in the same situation you would do the same. The only solace I have is when I let myself think that if it was one of my kids he took, what I did to that monster is nothing compared to what I would do to bring one of them back safe. Sitting here taking a second to gather my thoughts and try to control the shaking of my hands, I can still smell the copper of his blood, I can taste the fumes of his burning flesh. BZZZZZ, my cellphone buzzes with a text notification, Cori, just checking in to say hi and that she is thinking about me. How does she always seem to know when I need to hear from her? Back to reality, I climb out of the truck and head over to see what is so important that the governor called me all the way down here. Walking up to Cruz, he drops his cigarette under his Luke Oxford shoe and crushes it. As I watch him bend down to pick up the cigarette, not that he does it because he is worried about the liter, but more from fear of being caught by his wife for smoking. This is reinforced by the fact that he tosses the cigarette butt into the bushes next to the pergola he is standing under. I walk up to him and in greeting I say “governor”, not extending my hand. Doing my best to mask my contempt for him. Yes, I know it is hypocritical to despise him the way I do. Since he is the reason I got the transfer out of Dallas I asked for and as the budget cuts kept coming to the county, he makes sure I keep my job. But let’s face reality he is doing it so that I will keep his secret. The governor is a commanding figure at six foot four inches tall and a good two hundred and forty pounds, he is built like a NFL linebacker. The governor’s strong features look a little more worn today than what you normally see of him on television. His hair is a little grayer around the ears, his eyes look more withdrawn, and his skin not so tight. His strong square chin even looks a little less pronounced today. Today he looks exhausted, worn down, finally putting my finger on it, right now he looks scared. He looks right at me, but only for a second. I can tell he does not want to have the conversation we are about to have. I tell him to spit it out; “I have a desk full of paperwork to get back to” I lie. “What happened that night?” he asks. “Excuse me”, I blurt out. Again, he asks, “What happened with John, where did you send him off to?” “What?” I say back. “Why are you asking me this, why today? You didn’t give a shit then, and I don’t give a shit now.” “I must know,” he repeats. I say, “If I tell you, then three people will know, John, you and myself.” I ask him, “Do you know the only way to keep a secret between three people?” “Two of them have to be dead.” I say and turn my back to him. “If that is all you called me down here for, you are wasting your time. I’m outta here.” “Wait” he says. “Are you saying John is definitely dead?” I look at him like he is an idiot, “of course he is” I reply. “Did you really think I let him go? He obviously never went to trial.” “I was told he was committed for psychiatric help,” Cruz says. I forgot all about the captain and Dallas District Attorney’s story about how he was sent for evaluation. The press pushed on the story for a few days, but then a local doctor was diagnosed with Ebola while on a mission trip to Africa and the Glass Butterfly Killer was all but forgotten. “No he did not survive the interrogation.” I admit reluctantly. “Why is it so important to know?” I ask. “Shit” he says, “There are some people inside you need to meet, we may have a copycat.” he admits to me. “WHAT the fuck?” I shout. Cruz is busy staring at his shoes and refusing to meet my stare. “You see the news about the little girl missing from San Marcos last week?” he asks. “Yeah, I remember something being mentioned about it at the Amber alert briefing the other day.” I say. “Austin PD received a box this morning, it was sent to your attention.” Cruz tells me. “What was in the box?” I ask. “Let’s get inside and get you caught up to speed, everyone else is already here waiting on you.” He said turning to walk back inside the mansion. Inside the governor’s mansion on the eastside of the ground floor is a home office and small conference room. His wife Jennifer is supposedly off on another one of her famous European shopping trips. Being funded by our tax dollars in some way, I’m sure. Besides the governor and I, there are three others in the conference room. One is Cruz’s younger brother Rick, otherwise known as his chief of staff. I refer to the two of them as thing 1 and thing 2 from the old Dr. Seuss book. I am not sure which one is sleazier, the governor or his younger brother Rick. Rick usually stays in the background pulling his brothers strings. Rick made a fortune in real estate earlier in his career and has used that money to help propel his brother Terry, a career politician into the governor’s office. Both of them now have dreams of making it to the White House someday. Rick with the exception of his dark complexion and salt and pepper hair looks nothing like his brother. Rick at six foot if not slightly less, two hundred and fifty pounds is more like a middle school gym teacher than an NFL alumni. Today Rick has the ruddy complexion of an embarrassed teenage boy. Rick has developed a paunch, almost as if he has gained forty pounds since I saw him last. While today Terry looks scared, Rick just looks nervous, not so much afraid of something but afraid of everyone around him. I feel like I need a shower after getting within ten feet of the two of them together. The other two people in the room are both cops. One, needing no introductions, Rivera, the Austin Police Chief and a detective named Samantha, ‘Sam’ Turner. We exchange introductions. Chief Luis Rivera is even more commanding in person, he has the physique of a cop, strong pronounced jawline, and dark eyes. Eyes that look as though they are boring straight into your soul. Detective Turner, in a smart black pant suit and a man’s style white button down trying to hide her femininity. Her shoulder length brown hair pulled tightly into a pony tail. Her small frame hidden beneath the oversize jacket meant to conceal her service weapon. Her eyes, deep green eyes, taking in everything around her. *** 10:13 am Sitting around the conference table, the governor tells Rivera to bring me up to speed. Reluctantly he agrees, I can’t blame him for his hesitation. He knows of me he admits, but all he knows it that I am there because of Cruz, who I think he dislikes even more than I do. I’ve gotta give Chief Rivera credit though; the Chief can command a room when he speaks. But seriously he manages a team of over two thousand officers in the city limits of Austin. He has to be able to stand in front of a group and command the room. “Eight days ago a young girl, Janice Winters went missing in San Marcos” Rivera starts. I speak up and say, “I heard that it was her meth head mother who took her. She was taken by her mother from her grandmother, Betty Winter’s home and supposedly the mother traded her for drugs?” Detective Turner speaks up and says. “That was the initial thinking, but based on what we received this morning, not so much.” “She did disappear from her grandmother’s house, she was playing in the front yard, when a ten to twelve year old silver Mitsubishi Galant pulls up out front.” “The grandmother saw the car and assumed it was her drug head daughter Linda.” Detective Turner continues. “Little Janice supposedly ran to her mother’s car, while Grandma was getting out of her chair, to go call Janice inside while she and her daughter could have a chat, when she saw the car drive away.” Janice was no longer outside. Chief Rivera chimes in, “Betty called her daughter’s cellphone leaving multiple messages for her to bring Janice home right away.” “After two days of being gone, Betty FINALLY calls the police” detective Turner almost shouts at us. I understand her frustration. It is...