Edge of the Heat 5 Read Online Free PDF Page A

Gagne knocked on the door and waited. He knocked again. Finally, a frail, female voice called out. “Just a minute.” Jerry smiled. He bet that was his chest pain patient from a couple of years ago. She would talk to him for sure.
    Jerry heard movement inside the door. Gagne held his badge up beside his head. The door opened an inch. “Yes?” the voice called out. Gagne talked his way inside and shut the door loudly behind him.
    Jerry sighed and leaned against the wall. He would just have to wait.
    Gagne was only inside for a few minutes. Jerry thought that was strange. Probably she didn’t see anything or know anything. Gagne gave him a single dark glance before knocking on the next door in the hallway. He knocked again, but there was no answer at this door.
    Gagne headed down the hall and knocked on the door directly across from Sara’s apartment. Jerry stayed where he was, not wanting to push his luck.
    They both heard heavy sounds inside the apartment, like someone was knocking over tables or chairs. Jerry perked up and watched Gagne closely to see what he would do. Gagne stood, impassive, unmoving.
    No one came to the door or said anything, and Gagne knocked again. More noises from inside. Then a deep male voice. “Who’re you?”
    “I am Detective Gagne of the Westwood Harbor Police Department. I need to talk to you about a crime that was committed here last night. Please open your door.”
    “What crime?” came the muffled voice through the door.
    “Please open your door Sir, and I’ll tell you all about it.”
    “Lemme see your badge.”
    Stiffly, Gagne held it up to the peephole.
    “I’m calling the cops to see if you’re for real, man.”
    Gagne shook his head, then said “That’s fine. I’ll be right here.”
    Jerry smiled. It was good to see Detective Gagne dealing with a little frustration.
    After what seemed like a long time, Jerry heard noise behind the door again. It sounded like 5 or 6 deadbolts were being drawn back, and then 4 or 5 door chains being unhooked.
    A man opened the door about 6 inches, and then tried to slip out the opening. Gagne stepped back and the man squeezed out, closing his door behind him. He was at least 40, with a heavily lined face. His brown hair stood up in small spikes, like the world’s worst case of bedhead. He wore dirty jeans, brown work boots, and a paint-stained white t-shirt.
    “Whaddaya want, man?”
    “Can we go back in your apartment? I need to ask you some questions.” Gagne said.
    “You got a warrant?” the new guy asked.
    Jerry could see Gagne’s pinched expression from where he stood in the stairwell and it almost made him laugh.
    “No Sir, I don’t have a warrant. This isn’t about you at all. I just want to ask if you heard or saw anything last night at this apartment." Gagne motioned to Sara’s door.
    “Oh yeah, I saw them.”
    “Saw who?”
    “The men. And then the cops.”
    Gagne glanced back at Jerry, then shook his head slightly. He sighed and pulled a notebook out of his pocket.
    “What’s your name, Sir?”
    Jerry smiled and listened closely. This was going better than he could have hoped for. The man was Chester Wysong. He occasionally worked at the local temp agency, but mostly he just stayed in his apartment. It was a dangerous world out there, you know. No, he didn’t know the neighbor who lived across the hallway, although he could recognize her on sight. He had been in his apartment since 5 p.m. yesterday and he never saw Sara at all. He did, however, see a man enter her apartment just before midnight. He didn’t think that Sara had been with the man. By the time Chester had looked out his peephole, the man was already in the apartment and closing the door behind him. Gagne asked him why he had looked out his peephole - had he heard a noise? No, he hadn’t heard a noise, he just looked out his peephole every 10 minutes or so, or anytime he passed the door. He thought it was important to stay vigilant because of how