The Depth of Darkness (Mitch Tanner #1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

another beer?” she asked, her mouth
less than an inch from mine.
    “You want to finish your wine?” I asked.
    She reached for the glass, took a sip and set
it down. “I’m good.”
    “Then so am I.”
    She grabbed my hand and turned and pulled me
toward the stairs. We climbed, stopping every fourth or fifth step
to kiss, and then we crept past Ella’s room. By the time we reached
my room at the end of the hall, she had her legs wrapped around my
waist and I supported her with my hands on her buttocks. I grabbed
the handle and kicked the door open, then reversed the direction of
my leg and pushed it closed. We fell onto my bed, leaving the
lights off. The lightning outside provided all the ambiance we
needed.

Chapter 7
    The storm whipped up something fierce
throughout the night and into the early morning hours of Sunday. I
lay in bed with Lana draped across my chest until about eight in
the morning. Her breath was hot and soothing against my neck. I
lifted her arm and slipped out of bed, then went downstairs and
cooked up a batch of chocolate chip pancakes for the three of us.
Ella had been in the kitchen waiting for me. She helped mix the
batter. I did the rest of the work. She took all of the credit.
Nothing new there. The storm didn’t let up all that much, so
getting out of the house was pretty much a wash. I phoned the
hospital throughout the day, but Roy Miller remained
unconscious.
    So we stayed on the couch all day. Watched
cartoons in the morning, pre-game shows until one, then football
the rest of the day. Opening weekend. Every team with a blank slate
with no wins and no losses. There was hope yet for my Eagles. Lana
left before Sunday Night Football started. I put Ella to bed at
halftime. By the end of the fourth quarter, I was asleep on the
couch.
    Monday started for me at five a.m. A whole
hour before my alarm was set to go off. My cell phone started
ringing and vibrated across the coffee table. I grabbed it and put
an end to the ruckus. With my eyes closed and my mouth dry, I said,
“What?”
    “He’s gone.”
    The words hung there for a minute until I
placed the voice. Sam. Shouldn’t have taken so long, but it was
five a.m.
    I licked my lips and swallowed, and asked,
“Who’s gone?”
    “Miller.”
    This caused me to sit up. “Roy Miller? Our
suspect?”
    Sam paused for a beat, and then said, “Yeah,
that Roy Miller.”
    “Son of a…” I rubbed my eyes with my left
hand, kicked my legs over the side of the couch and rose. My knees
popped like cap guns. “How the hell did this happen?”
    “No one can tell me.” I could feel the anger
in his voice. It matched my own.
    “Didn’t we have someone watching over his
room? Please tell me we had him on twenty-four hour watch.”
    “Affirmative.”
    “Okay. And?”
    “Working on it, man.” Sam’s voice sounded
hushed, like someone was nearby he didn’t want to hear this
conversation. “Someone else is laying into the guy that screwed up
right now.”
    “Huff?”
    “You know it.”
    I didn’t envy the recipient of Huff’s tirade.
Good boss? Yes. Grade-A prick? Hell, yes.
    I said, “Why am I the last to know about
this?”
    Sam had no answer. I imagined him with his
lips drawn tight, shaking his head at me.
    “Where you at now?”
    “On my way to the hospital.”
    “I’ll see you there.”
    I leaned my head back and stared up at the
ceiling. There was a dark spot in the corner. Rain had seeped
through again. I’d had the roof patched there a year ago. It never
ends.
    I stepped into the kitchen and refocused.
Where would Roy have run off to? Not home. Our files said he had no
family in the area. Maybe a friend’s house. We could check that.
The only chance we had at getting to the true cause of his wife’s
death remained with him. If we didn’t find him, her voice wouldn’t
be heard.
    I started the coffee, which I’d wisely
prepared before falling asleep during the fourth quarter of last
night’s game. For a second I