A Winter Kill Read Online Free PDF

about.
    â€œIf you’ll excuse me, I want to extend my condolences to Mrs. Grey.” Jason left us. His head was down.
    Mr. Fitzpatrick watched him go. “Tragic business,” he said. “But I can’t say I’m surprised.”
    â€œSurprised at what?” Mom asked.
    â€œMaureen. Getting herself killed.” He lowered his voice. “Girl like that. Family like that. Look at her mother. Couldn’t be bothered to wear a clean blouse to her daughter’s funeral. And her face. Guess she walked into a door, eh?” He laughed. It was a very ugly laugh.
    My mom looked angry. “We don’t choose our parents, Brian. Maureen was a nice girl who’d been given a bad lot in life.”
    â€œI’m sure you think so.” He smiled at her.
    â€œI do. Now, when will Jason be back at the center? He was going to help me with our grant application.”
    â€œI don’t think he’ll be coming back. He’s done his required volunteer service. For the next couple of months he has to concentrate on his schoolwork and staying in shape. I think we’ve been polite enough for one day. Time to go.”
    Mom and I watched him walk over to where his son stood with Mrs. Grey. He took Jason by the arm and said something. Then they left the room. Jason didn’t say goodbye to any of the other young people. His father didn’t speak to Mrs. Grey.
    â€œWhen I said we can’t choose our parents,” Mom said, “I wasn’t only talking about Maureen. Jason’s helped us a lot at the center. His father only cares about what people can do for him.”
    â€œWas Jason close friends with Maureen? Like a boyfriend, I mean?”
    â€œI never saw them together, but I don’t think so. I doubt his father would have allowed it. He only let Jason come to the center because the boy needs the volunteer hours to graduate.”
    â€œHi, Mrs. Patterson.” It was Stephanie. She looked nice in a black suit and white blouse. Her eye makeup was smudged. She twisted a damp tissue in her fingers. Mom and Stephanie chatted for a few minutes. Stephanie had been interviewed by Sergeant Malan after I phoned him and told him where Maureen had been staying. She hadn’t been able to tell him anything more than she had told me. Malan had told her to talk to her parents, and they were on their way home from Florida.
    Stephanie said goodbye and left. Mom went off to chat with one of her friends. I saw Sergeant Malan answer his cell phone. He didn’t look happy.
    â€œProblem?” I said when he’d hung up.
    â€œLab report on Maureen’s scarf. The only skin samples were from her.”
    â€œHer attacker would probably have been wearing gloves.”
    â€œYes. It wouldn’t have looked strange. Anyone would have had gloves on a cold night like that one.”
    â€œMaureen didn’t.”
    â€œI noticed that.”
    Malan glanced at the clock on the wall. “Roberts called to tell me that Grey’s sitting on a stool in a bar. Two o’clock in the afternoon. The day of his daughter’s funeral. You asked me earlier if I thought he’d done it. Yes, I do. I’m convinced Pete Grey murdered his daughter. I just can’t prove it. Not yet. But I will.” He put his cell phone away and left the room. He looked very angry.
    I found my mom and said it was time to leave.

CHAPTER EIGHT
    I ’d been given time off work to take Mom to Maureen’s funeral. I drove her back to the youth center where she’d left her car. Then I went to the station. I put my uniform on and headed out onto the road. It was snowing lightly. Big fat flakes. The radio said there’d be a storm tonight. We’d be busy then. We always were when it snowed.
    We patrol the cemeteries a lot. At night when the drunks are out and looking to make trouble. Even in the daytime. Cemeteries are good places for kids to go drinking and for drug deals to go