Fatal Storm Read Online Free PDF Page A

presume?” Chief Wozniak
said.
    “Very wealthy and very cursed,” the flower
child said with a shiver.
    The chief pulled Padre aside and said,
“Usually we would question these three separately, but I don’t want
them out of my sight.”
    “Agreed. How do you want to handle it?”
    “You start the questioning. I’ll jump in from
time to time. Start with whoever the hell the leader is. I’d say
the tall one.”
    John motioned Jack over. “I told my men just
to do a quick walk through the house. When they are through, have
them search the property, two in each direction. There are
walkie-talkies in the cars. Have them contact me if they find
anything out of the ordinary. They have a photo of the missing
person.” He waited for the sergeant to leave, then turned back to
the group. Leyton stood over them like the hulking gargoyle on the
roof’s turret.
    “Mister Monroe is Sheila’s father,” John
started. “He is here to listen and learn but not to interfere.
Isn’t that right, Leyton?”
    Leyton turned his wrath on the chief, but
after a few seconds snorted his agreement and reluctantly sat down
on one of the high back throne chairs. John pushed a button on the
recorder, then nodded toward Padre who pulled out several sheets of
paper.
    “Josh McReady?”
    “That’s me,” Lurch replied. His hair was as
red as the chief’s. Macabre tattoos of skulls and snakes covered
his arms. He looked more like an overgrown kid in sagging cutoffs
and a tee shirt with a skull and cross bones in the center.
    “You founded the Indiana Paranormal
Investigators two years ago. Is that correct?”
    “Yes, me and Flea, I mean Curt Fleeter.”
    “That’s me.” The geek gave a limp wave but
dropped his hand quickly when he saw the scowl forming on Leyton’s
face. The thick glasses made his eyes resemble a cartoon
character’s. “I handle the electronic equipment although we are
both fairly knowledgeable about electronics. Me, of course, more
than Josh,” he added.
    Padre turned toward the flower child.
“Veronica Ernstine.”
    “I go by Venus now,” she replied. “Just my
first name.”
    “Oh jezzus.” Leyton gave an eye roll toward
the ceiling but stared in amazement as though impressed with the
wood moulding.
    “You met Josh when you attended Northwestern
University and...”
    “For crissake,” Leyton snapped. “Let’s cut
this bullshit and ask them what happened last night.”
    “Leyton,” John cautioned. “We have to confirm
their identity for the record, so please...”
    “All right, okay.” Leyton folded his arms
across his chest.
    “Move on,” John said.
    “What time did you arrive?”
    Josh went through the timeline, how his trio
had arrived at three o’clock to set up. Sheila didn’t arrive until
four-thirty. They had explained their equipment and procedure to
Sheila as a photographer snapped numerous photos. “Her notes are
still here.” Josh motioned at the notebook at the end of the table.
“We did a walk-through of the house before it got too dark. Then we
ate and waited.”
    “Waited for what?” Padre asked.
    “You know.” Josh motioned with his hands.
“For things to go bump in the night.”
    “And man did they ever,” Flea said with the
excitement of a four-year-old. Washed out jeans hung on his bony
frame. His arms were in need of a gym as there appeared to be very
little muscle mass under his shirt.
    “Creeped me out,” Venus said with a
shiver.
    John and Padre exchanged glances. Leyton had
a permanent scowl on his face.
    “When is the last time you saw Miss Monroe?”
Padre asked.
    “Around three this morning, or a little
before three. We were getting some really good EVP readings.”
    “EVP?” Padre asked.
    “Electronic voice phenomenon. Usually what we
can’t hear is sometimes picked up by our EVP recorder. But last
night was phenomenal,” Josh added with a wide grin.
    “Yeah,” Flea agreed. “It was awesome. We
caught it all on tape.”
    “I should have