Never Cry Mercy Read Online Free PDF Page A

to me. She'd started a pot of coffee moments earlier. The first few drips splashed on the bottom of the pot as I entered. Soon after the brew's aroma saturated the room. The old fluorescent tube light cast a yellowish gloom over the room. There were at least two dozen dead cockroaches littering the fixture.
    I travelled across the kitchen silently, intent on getting through the door before Ingrid noticed me. But as my hand hit the knob, she told me there was no way she was letting me out of the house without a cup of coffee and a decent breakfast.
    I didn't have to stop, but hell, the woman had offered to put me up for a few days. Least I could do was let her offer me some of her home cooking. So I took a seat at the table and waited while she fixed me a plate of bacon, eggs, and hash browns. I broke the yokes first, then soaked everything in it. Of all the breakfasts I'd had, this one ranked top ten, easily.
    The meal turned out to be a quiet affair. We didn't speak until I put my fork down. Ingrid sat across from me, sipping her coffee and nibbling on a slice of bacon. She smiled every so often, and grabbed my mug when it closed in on empty.
    I rinsed my plate and mug, and left them in the sink where a couple other dishes were piled.
    "Will you be back for dinner?" she asked.
    "Don't worry about me, ma'am," I said, exiting the house.
    The air outside smelled sweet. Honeysuckle, maybe. The sky was a few shades lighter now. Seconds after shutting the door, a choir of birds broke the silence. I explored streets and alleys for the next ninety minutes until I'd gone almost full circle and found myself approaching the window I'd seen light up three times last night. It was on the upper level of a two story garage. One of the doors was raised, revealing a restored, black, early '70s Dodge Challenger.
    I spotted Reese off to the side with a pair of shears in one hand, a hose in the other. She had on a blue checkered shirt and a pair of cut-off jean shorts that covered very little beyond her ass. She dropped the hose and started attacking a wily bush.
    "Nice car," I said.
    She spun, shears extended, ready to lunge. The first four buttons of her shirt were undone. She slid her hand under it, covered her heart, patted it, then wiped her brow.
    "Jesus, Jack. I could've killed you."
    "Too much distance. There's ten feet between us. You'd never reach me."
    "Willing to place money on that statement? Hundred bucks says I wipe that smug grin off your face."
    I sized her up. Her arms and legs were lean with muscle. Built for endurance, but displaying a hint of power. It was deceptive, that's for sure. She'd stayed in great shape. Hell, might've been in better shape than when I knew her. A detective's life wasn't always easy on the waistline.
    "I think I'll pass. This time, at least."
    She smiled, dropped the shears and walked up to me, stopping close enough that I could smell her body lotion. "What brings you all the way out here?"
    I jutted my chin toward the garage. "The car, obviously. Care to take me for a ride?"
    She glanced over her shoulder as she wiped her hands on a red handkerchief. "It might be a bit much for you."
    "You're probably right. Where'd you find it?"
    "I rescued it from a barn that was one heavy gust of wind away from falling over. A little old lady sold it to me for $500."
    "Sounds like you took advantage of her."
    Reese shook her head. Her gaze lifted and drifted past me. "It was her son's pride and joy. He'd saved all through high school to get that car. He planned on restoring it. Showing it, maybe. A month after he bought it, he joined the Army. Planned on sending money home to help his momma. He was Special Forces. Went off for a mission one day. Didn't make it back. She'd held onto it all those years, but with her life winding down, she decided to part ways. Said it wasn't about the money, she just wanted someone who'd finish what her son couldn't."
    I said nothing while Reese paused and took a deep breath. The