Splashdown: A Christian Contemporary Romance with Suspense (Dangerous Series Book 3) Read Online Free PDF
Author: Linda K. Rodante
streets were flooded. I went where I could.”
“All right. Can we start at the beginning again then? Tell me why were you looking for Victoria, and what made you go to the homeless camp?”
Lynn clasped her hands in her lap. She forced the bloody image to the back of her mind and sent Sharee a quick glance before turning to the man across from her.
“I was looking for Victoria. I wanted her to come stay with me—at a hotel or someplace safe during the storm. I called the shelters, but she wasn’t registered at any, so I …I drove to the woods off US 19. The homeless have…had…a tent city there, but when I got there, no one was there. At least, I couldn’t see anyone. A few tents in the back were still up, so I thought someone could be there.” She stopped and swallowed. “I got out to look and I…I stepped on something under one of the fallen tents. I thought it was a bundle of clothes, but when I pulled back the tent corner, I…”
Quiet settled over the room. Sharee leaned over. “Lynn.”
Lynn closed her eyes. “There was blood. A face and shoulders. Hair and blood.” When she opened her eyes again, Richards leaned forward.
“And you recognized her?”
“No. No, I…” Lynn paused, remembering the horrified, jumbled thoughts that had flashed through her mind. Blood and hair were all she saw, but she’d known, as if God had directed her there. The whole heaviness of the day had culminated at that point. She’d made the call, knowing all the time it must be Victoria. “But I knew.”
“You did?”
“You know how you can know without knowing?” He didn’t answer, and after a minute, she said, “Like a premonition?”
He wrote in the small book he’d brought before looking at her again. “Usually, if you have a premonition it’s because you have some knowledge that something might happen, even unconsciously. Is there a reason you would expect the dead body to be Victoria Lawson?”
Lynn glanced at Sharee, who nodded. “We both knew that Victoria was hiding from her husband.”
Carpenter straightened, and Richards frowned. “You didn’t mention that the other day.”
“I…I thought about it, but…well, it was hearsay and I…”
“This is an investigation, not a courtroom.” His voice sharpened. “We need all the information you have. Because of the storm and not being able to finish this interview, the investigation is now three days old.”
“I know. I…I was shocked. I just wanted to get away and think.”
“You wanted to think?” The sharpness hadn’t abated. “About what?”
“I don’t know. I was upset.”
“Aren’t you interested in catching the person who did this?”
“Of course, I am.” Lynn matched his frown. “Victoria was my friend.”
“Yet you didn’t think it important to mention the deceased was hiding from her husband? Or why?”
“I didn’t…I…” She shifted on the sofa. “Well, forgive me if I made a mistake.”
His eyes narrowed, but he said nothing.
“You think, because you deal with murder every day, that I should be as cold and unmoved as you are. I wasn’t.” Lynn glared at him. “I wanted to get as far away as possible.”
“Tell me why you were looking for Lawson.”
“I just told you.”
“I’d like to hear it again. Perhaps you left something else out.”
Lynn clenched her fists. The man was badgering her. She hadn’t thought about the husband then, hadn’t realized she’d be stuck at the shelter for two nights. All she’d thought about was getting away. “I couldn’t get in touch with her, so I drove out to the woods.”
“You were so concerned about this homeless person that you went to find her with a hurricane coming?”
“Just because she’s homeless doesn’t mean she’s not worth something.”
The detective straightened. “I’m not saying that. How did you know her, and how well did you know her?”
“I knew her through Sharee.”
His eyes flicked to Sharee and back. “You work
“All right. Can we start at the beginning again then? Tell me why were you looking for Victoria, and what made you go to the homeless camp?”
Lynn clasped her hands in her lap. She forced the bloody image to the back of her mind and sent Sharee a quick glance before turning to the man across from her.
“I was looking for Victoria. I wanted her to come stay with me—at a hotel or someplace safe during the storm. I called the shelters, but she wasn’t registered at any, so I …I drove to the woods off US 19. The homeless have…had…a tent city there, but when I got there, no one was there. At least, I couldn’t see anyone. A few tents in the back were still up, so I thought someone could be there.” She stopped and swallowed. “I got out to look and I…I stepped on something under one of the fallen tents. I thought it was a bundle of clothes, but when I pulled back the tent corner, I…”
Quiet settled over the room. Sharee leaned over. “Lynn.”
Lynn closed her eyes. “There was blood. A face and shoulders. Hair and blood.” When she opened her eyes again, Richards leaned forward.
“And you recognized her?”
“No. No, I…” Lynn paused, remembering the horrified, jumbled thoughts that had flashed through her mind. Blood and hair were all she saw, but she’d known, as if God had directed her there. The whole heaviness of the day had culminated at that point. She’d made the call, knowing all the time it must be Victoria. “But I knew.”
“You did?”
“You know how you can know without knowing?” He didn’t answer, and after a minute, she said, “Like a premonition?”
He wrote in the small book he’d brought before looking at her again. “Usually, if you have a premonition it’s because you have some knowledge that something might happen, even unconsciously. Is there a reason you would expect the dead body to be Victoria Lawson?”
Lynn glanced at Sharee, who nodded. “We both knew that Victoria was hiding from her husband.”
Carpenter straightened, and Richards frowned. “You didn’t mention that the other day.”
“I…I thought about it, but…well, it was hearsay and I…”
“This is an investigation, not a courtroom.” His voice sharpened. “We need all the information you have. Because of the storm and not being able to finish this interview, the investigation is now three days old.”
“I know. I…I was shocked. I just wanted to get away and think.”
“You wanted to think?” The sharpness hadn’t abated. “About what?”
“I don’t know. I was upset.”
“Aren’t you interested in catching the person who did this?”
“Of course, I am.” Lynn matched his frown. “Victoria was my friend.”
“Yet you didn’t think it important to mention the deceased was hiding from her husband? Or why?”
“I didn’t…I…” She shifted on the sofa. “Well, forgive me if I made a mistake.”
His eyes narrowed, but he said nothing.
“You think, because you deal with murder every day, that I should be as cold and unmoved as you are. I wasn’t.” Lynn glared at him. “I wanted to get as far away as possible.”
“Tell me why you were looking for Lawson.”
“I just told you.”
“I’d like to hear it again. Perhaps you left something else out.”
Lynn clenched her fists. The man was badgering her. She hadn’t thought about the husband then, hadn’t realized she’d be stuck at the shelter for two nights. All she’d thought about was getting away. “I couldn’t get in touch with her, so I drove out to the woods.”
“You were so concerned about this homeless person that you went to find her with a hurricane coming?”
“Just because she’s homeless doesn’t mean she’s not worth something.”
The detective straightened. “I’m not saying that. How did you know her, and how well did you know her?”
“I knew her through Sharee.”
His eyes flicked to Sharee and back. “You work