Autumn's Shadow Read Online Free PDF Page B

checked Walachek, then dodged him. He turned back and landed a hard punch to Walachek's jaw. The man went down. Burke leaped out of the way, preventing Walachek from taking him down too. Bending, he handcuffed the breathless man on the floor, then hauled him up and out to the Jeep. He pushed him into the backseat and slammed the door after him.
    The woman from the cafe ran outside. "Thank you! Thank you!" Her voice shook. "That man belongs behind bars!"
    Burke nodded, reaching for his cell phone. "What was Walachek doing here? Do you know him?"
    "I'm the sister of his late wife. I've got his daughter—"
    That explained everything. " Burke glared at Walachek. "Was he threatening you about taking Carrie?"
    "Yes."
    Burke burned with aggravation. That injudicious judge would be faced with Walachek a second time in two days. Burke hoped he'd have enough sense to keep Walachek locked up this time. "Someone will be back to take down your statement. I've got to get back to the high school."
    "What happened at school?" the woman asked. "I heard the sirens."
    He gave her the bare facts and then drove off. He'd hand Walachek over to another deputy at the school, who could run the jerk to the county jail. Burke had more important work to do, the physical investigation.
    And though he would examine the crime scene thoroughly, now it didn't take a genius to guess who was responsible for shooting out the windows of Ms. Turner's office. Walachek had a rifle but where was it?
     
     
    The sound of the crickets and cicadas surged in Keely's ears. Half-asleep on the screened-in back porch of the Family Closet, she opened her eyes. She had the feeling someone was watching her.
    "Ms. Turner? It's Deputy Sloan."
    The deputy. She jerked up in the Adirondack chair, and all that happened hours before came flooding back. She pressed a hand to her forehead, where the swollen bruise reminded her of her fall. She felt a little sick, dizzy. Then she glanced through the moonlit shadows beyond the screen door.
    Here he was—just the man she'd been thinking of before she drifted into semi consciousness. Burke Sloan stood on the steps, moonlight glinting off the brass buttons and badges on his uniform. Awareness trickled through her, a tide awakening her senses. The cool breeze brushed overhear skin, and moth wings whispered around the screens.
    "Sorry to disturb you, ma'am."
    Her heart beat double time—from surprise? Or from knowing the identity of the man who'd surprised her awake? Hoping this didn't show, she hastily lowered her bare feet from the matching foot stool and with her toes began searching for her sandals. For some reason, having bare feet made her feel extra vulnerable. And I feel fragile enough already. Then a nasty thought startled her and she demanded, "Did something more happen at the school?"
    "No, ma'am. But we got a call that someone was lurking around the Family Closet."
    "Don't call me ma'am please. It makes me feel old. And I can see now we might as well get on a first name basis, Burke." Rising, she unlatched the screen door, letting herself groan softly with irritation. "Let me guess. It was Veda McCracken." Veda had to know it was me out here. I come here often enough, day and night. She just wanted to embarrass me if she could. "The McCracken woman lives within binocular distance and watches this place like a hawk." Hoping to make trouble for us. The old snoop.
    "I don't know who called it in." He mounted the steps and came in, shutting the door behind him quickly, keeping the mosquitoes out. "I just finished up the crime scene at your office and got the call from dispatch. I said I'd check it out on my way home."
    "Sorry if I sounded grumpy." Her dry mouth tasted like a used dishrag, and she wanted to stall him, find out what he'd discovered at the crime scene—which after all, was her office. Also she didn't want to be alone right now. She'd come to this familiar place for comfort and had fallen asleep. Being startled awake