It's been a long time coming but if you listen carefully you can hear the sounds of an Irish wolfhound running towards you. Whiskey is back!
We're celebrating the upcoming publication of our third book in the
Sullivan Investigations Mystery series,
MURDER DOUBLES BACK
with excerpts
from the first book - MURDER OFF THE BOOKS
and the second book - MURDER TAKES THE CAKE.
"The gun should be right about there." Edgar pointed
to a spot under a rose bush about a foot from where Mac was kneeling.
"Gun!" Mac's voice was a little louder than he'd
intended, but the old man had failed to mention a gun before.
"What did you think we were digging for? Bulbs?" Edgar
cackled and then coughed.
"Shush. We don't want to wake her up," Mac warned,
glancing at the dark house, glad he'd left Whiskey in the truck.
The old man nodded, lowering his voice to a whisper. "It
was late, just past 11 P.M. on Saturday night. The brother drove up and instead
of going to the front door, he came around to the side of the house and started
digging by that bush. I saw him pull a gun out of his jacket, wrap it in one of
those knitted caps, and stick it in the hole. He covered it up real nice with
some of that cedar mulch you see there."
"How did you see all that? The goggles?"
"Nah. Didn't need them. The Wilsons '," Edgar pointed to his right,
"have one of those motion detector lights. When the brother walked across
the yard, it lit up."
Mac looked towards the house the man had indicated. He didn't
remember any light when Whiskey was busy stealing a ham on Sunday night.
"It must not be working now."
The old man shrugged his bony shoulders. "Hasn't worked
since the burglary. Think the thieves did that?"
"I don't believe in coincidences. What happened after you
saw Thayer bury the gun?" Mac continued sifting through the loose soil and
mulch around the bush, trying to avoid catching his coat on the thorns.
"He left. Just got in his car and drove away."
Mac leaned back on his heels. "Okay, I've found the hole
but nothing is here now. How come you didn't call the police?"
"Did call–twice. They put me on hold–twice. I don't have
enough time left in this world to be spending any of it on hold."
Mac dusted off his hands on his jeans. "You didn't see
anyone around later that night? Or how about the burglary on Sunday
night?"
Before the old man could answer, the lights in the house began
coming on.
"Let's go," Mac whispered, scrambling to his feet.
The sound of the back door opening panicked both men.
"Save yourself," Edgar gasped, waving Mac towards the
nearby oak tree. "Get up there. I'll divert her."
Feeling as foolish as he probably looked, Mac climbed the tree,
hoping there were enough leaves left on the branches to hide him.
------------------------------------
"Like I told you on the phone when I asked you to come in,
Mac left me in charge until he gets back tomorrow," JJ announced to the
man and the Irish wolfhound sitting in front of her desk. "He's in Boston checking out the
police corruption Bridget was involved in. We're supposed to work on the turkey
farm murder and try to keep tabs on Bridget without being too obvious about it.
He also wants you to finish up that background check on Joshua Lasky."
Edgar and the dog stared at her.
"What?" She didn't need to ask why they were staring
at her. After Mac's order to change her wardrobe, she'd visited a consignment
shop. Currently she was wearing a circa 1930s, knockoff, Chanel suit. Even
though she'd had to re-sew the seams, the old suit had still cost her more
money than she was comfortable spending–especially just to make a point. It was
black wool with gold metal buttons. She'd added a white silk blouse. Around her
waist she'd cinched a black leather belt to hide the fact the jacket was a
little large. The four inch heels were already killing her feet and it wasn't
even noon yet. She'd left her jet-black hair in its normal spiked style, but
she'd replaced her large hoop earrings with fake pearl studs and a matching
double strand necklace.
"You got one of those little hats with the black netting?"
Edgar asked, waving one gnarled hand across his eyes showing where the netting
would be.
"Maybe." She had seen one of those at the shop and
thought about buying it. But she wasn't about to take fashion advice from the
old man. "Why?"
"Widow's weeds. You could get a job as an extra at O'Herlihy's
when Mac fires you. You know, as one of those paid mourners." He chuckled,
and then coughed. "They still have those?"
"I don't like you very much. If anyone is going to get
fired around here, it's going to be you. You were the one who was supposed to
research Brian Crager. Instead, at the least, you let us get fooled by an
imposter and at the most, let a killer escape."
Whiskey barked and looked towards Edgar.
"I'm not the one who signed up a dead client and traded the
services of this firm for a few turkeys and a percentage of nothing!"
Whiskey turned towards JJ and whined.
"Hey, don't you start too. Who drove you through your
favorite fast food place this morning?"
"Now you're bribing the dog so she's on your side? Come
here, girl!"
Whiskey looked from one to the other, then stood and walked into
Mac's office.
The door slammed.
JJ and Edgar both jumped.
They looked at each other, then the door.
"Did she just.…"
"I'm not even going there," Edgar mumbled. "Didn't
happen."
Murder Off the Books Kindle - Nook - Smashwords - Trade Paperback
Murder Takes the Cake Kindle - Nook - Smashwords - Trade Paperback
Riley Come Home (short story)- Kindle - Nook - Smashwords
Moonlighting at the Mall (short story) - Kindle - Nook - Smashwords
Brianna Sullivan Mysteries - e-book series
I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries- Kindle - Nook - Smashwords
The Dog Days of Summer in Lottawatah- Kindle - Nook - Smashwords
The Holiday Spirit(s) of Lottawatah- Kindle - Nook - Smashwords
Undying Love in Lottawatah- Kindle - Nook - Smashwords
A Haunting in Lottawatah - Kindle - Nook - Smashwords
Lottawatah Twister - Kindle - Nook - Smashwords
Missing in Lottawatah - Kindle - Nook - Smashwords
Good Grief in Lottawatah - Kindle - Nook - Smashwords
Summer Lightning in Lottawatah - Kindle - Nook - Smashwords
The Ghosts of Lottawatah - trade paperback collection of the Brianna e-books
Book 1 - I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries (includes the first four Brianna e-books)
Book 2 - A Haunting in Lottawatah (includes the 5th, 6th, and 7th Brianna e-books)
Romances
Love Lessons - Kindle - Nook - Smashwords
Thanks for excerpt. I love this series and I'm so excited that a third one is coming soon.
ReplyDeleteKeep us posted...I can't wait.
ReplyDeleteHurray! Can't wait. I love Whiskey!
ReplyDelete