On Borrowed Time Read Online Free PDF

all for your cooperation,” she said. “Due to the nature of the event that has taken place out front, my officers and I will be taking you out of the room individually, starting with families first.”
    Mr. Schwartz’s face screwed up into an unhappy knot, but Emma froze him with a look.
    â€œUnless, of course, you’d rather we keep the children in here even longer.”
    As if on cue, a baby began to wail, and everyone agreed that its family should be the first interviewed. Lindsey and her staff were excused to return to work with the understanding that they would be interviewed last.
    When Lindsey arrived out front, it was to see the medical examiner wheeling the stranger’s body out in a body bag. She went directly to her office and called the mayor’s right-hand man, Herb Gunderson, to let him know the situation.
    Herb was a meticulous dot every
i
and cross every
t
man, who ran the town’s department head meetings with a precision that left them all napping; still, she preferred breaking the bad news to him rather than the mayor.
    â€œHerb Gun—” That was as far as he got before Lindsey interrupted.
    â€œHerb, it’s Lindsey, we have a situation at the library,” she said.
    â€œWhat sort of situation?” he asked.
    She knew without seeing him that he had just sat up in his chair and smoothed his tie with the palm of his hand. He did that every time he was addressing an issue.
    â€œChief Plewicki is here with two officers as well as Dr. Griffiths, the medical examiner,” Lindsey said.
    â€œThe ME?” Herb gulped. “Just what the heck is going on over there?”
    Lindsey sighed. There was no gentle way to put this. “We . . . I found a dead body in the library.”
    â€œWhat? Where? When?” He fired the questions with the same sharp report as bullets out of a gun.
    â€œDead body, meeting room, half an hour ago,” she returned fire.
    â€œWho is it?” he asked.
    â€œNo idea,” Lindsey said. “I’m just giving you a heads-up. I’m sure Emma will call with a full report as soon as she’s done talking to the patrons and staff here.”
    Herb was silent for a moment as if meticulously choosing his words or maybe processing the bomb Lindsey had detonated on him.
    â€œIs there anyone there that I should know about beforehand?” he asked.
    It took Lindsey a second to get his drift and then she got it. “Peter Schwartz is here.”
    â€œAh,” Herb said. In one syllable he managed to convey the tortured anguish of the public servant when faced with a terminally whiny member of the public.
    â€œI know he’s quite the letter writer,” Lindsey said. “He leaves us lots of helpful notes.”
    â€œWell, after this, I imagine he’ll have enough to fill a book.”
    â€œDid you just tell a joke, Herb?” Lindsey asked in surprise.
    â€œYou know, I think I might have,” Herb said. “Forgive me, obviously I’m not myself.”
    â€œNo, it was funny,” Lindsey said with a chuckle. “And quite appropriate.”
    â€œUnless you need me for anything else, Lindsey, I imagine I need to get the mayor up to speed.”
    â€œGood luck with that.” She hung up feeling a bit sorry for Herb and the meeting he was about to walk into, then again, that was why he made the big bucks.
    Lindsey took a moment to check her cell phone. There were no incoming texts or calls from Jack. She then called her apartment. Maybe Jack had gone there and hadn’t had a chance to tell her. No one answered, so she hung up and checked her messages. There was one automated sales call for a home security system, but that was it. There was no word from Jack.
    Despite the victim having been found in the library, Lindsey felt that ultimately the dead body was going to be Emma’s problem more than hers, which was fine, because finding her brother was her number one