Autumn's Shadow Read Online Free PDF

judgment, he concentrated on Ms. Turner. "Can you feel your arms and legs?"
    "Of course I can," she said in a grumpy tone.
    He grinned. Her spirit hadn't been quenched—good.
    "Then let me help you up." He assisted her to a sitting position on the aged avocado carpet. He could hear Rodd questioning the maintenance man in the background.
    "Who was ...shooting?" she asked.
    Her expression, clouded, uncertain, kept him close. Violence took a toll on a person. Burke sat on his heels at her side.
    Appearing beside Burke, Rodd replied, "We don't know yet, Ms. Turner. But we'll find out and fast. Can you tell us what happened?"
    "I came out to find some data ...and climbed on the step stool," she replied slowly as though thinking hurt her."I heard ...shots. I remember falling...." Her words trailed off.
    Her paleness worried Burke. He wanted to help her to a lounge, somewhere she could lie down. Instead, he kept his hands clasped in front of him. She should be moved as little as possible till the EMTs checked her over. "You must have hit your head as you fell."
    She nodded, pressing a hand to her temple where the blood oozed.
    "Hey!" a gruff voice from outside the broken window hailed them. "Is Ms. Turner all right? Did she get shot?"
    Rising, Burke glanced out and saw the crowd had moved to outside the window. "Don't pick up or disturb anything. You could destroy evidence. Back up," Burke ordered.
    Rodd stepped to the window. "Which of you saw something or someone at the time of the shooting?"
    A few people raised their hands.
    "You saw the shooting?" Rodd pressed them. "You didn't just hear the shooting?"
    A few hands went down.
    "Okay," Rodd said, "I'm coming out to take your statements. Please step away from the window." He glanced over his shoulder. "Burke, after Ms. Turner receives medical attention, you take care of examining the crime scene. I'll do the questioning—"
    The insistent wail of the arriving ambulance cut off the exchange. The sound sent cool relief through Burke. Now the lady would be checked out and made more comfortable. He touched her shoulder. "Stay—"
    "Ms. Turner," the maintenance man interrupted, "can I go ahead and call the glass company to board up these windows? Before we know it, moths will be all over everything, making a real mess."
    Keely looked to Burke.
    "Go ahead. Call them." Burke motioned to the EMTs entering with a stretcher. "Here she is." He glanced down."I'll be right back. I have to get the camera from my Jeep. When I've taken pictures of everything inside and out and collected physical evidence, the windows can be boarded up from outside." She still appeared white and shaken. He touched her shoulder again, reluctant to leave her even for a few minutes. "I'll be right back."
    She nodded.
    Her forlorn expression reminded him of the shock he'd felt the first time a suspect had started shooting around him. He squeezed her shoulder. "Hang in there," he murmured.
    Burke hustled outside into the warm August evening. He pushed his way through the growing crowd to his Jeep. Two more deputies had arrived. One stood by the school door to keep non-witnesses out, and the other stood in front of the broken window area to keep people from tampering with the crime scene perimeter. Wanting to get back to Keely and the scene fast, Burke dug into the glove compartment and pulled out the compact digital camera case.
    Just as he reached back to close his car door, his radio crackled and spat out, "Sloan, disturbance at the LF Cafe. Code three."
    Burke unhooked the receiver. "I copy that. On my way."He shouted the information to the nearest deputy and took off in his Jeep.
    Only blocks away, he pulled up in front of the cafe and looked inside the large front window. Walachek was there, shouting at a woman standing by the cash register. Why am I not surprised it's him?
    "Walachek!" Burke roared.
    The big man, obviously very drunk but unarmed, swung around. "You!" He charged Burke.
    Near the door, Burke body