Read Online A Cold White Sun: A Constable Molly Smith Mystery (Constable Molly Smith Series) by Vicki Delany - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Vicki Delany
Ads: Link
day. I’m walking the trail. Looking for anything or anyone suspicious.”
“Suspicious in what way?”
“Maybe the shooter will come back to admire his handiwork. They do sometimes, you know.”
An icy finger ran up Smith’s spine. She felt very vulnerable, standing at the crest of the hill, exposed.
Solway laughed. “You should see the look on your face.” Her own face turned serious. “Hell of a thing, out for a walk and out of nowhere someone blows you away. I’m not surprised no one much is up here today.”
“Did you know the woman? Lindsay?”
“Not her, but I’ve met her husband. Their son’s a right tearaway. Always has been. Regular little prick. Been picked up a few times. Daddy hurries down to the station to settle it. You must have run into him at some time or another, Bradley Lindsay?”
“Oh, yeah. Now I remember. He was drunk in the park one night, singing at the moon or some such juvenile stupidity. I drove him home and got his mom out of bed. She was not pleased. I knew I’d seen her somewhere. You think he…”
“Na. He’s a kid with no conscience and no impulse control. He might trip his mom at the top of the stairs and cause her to break her neck, think it’s a great joke, but he wouldn’t go to the time and effort to take anyone out. I’d better be on my way, try to blend in. I’m going to take a break in a few minutes and go to Eddie’s. Want anything?”
“A hot mocha’d be good. Heavy on the whipped cream.”
“You got it.” Solway pulled her hat back down and sauntered off.
Smith stamped her feet to restore circulation. She held her gloved hands to her face in an attempt to create some warmth. Snow had fallen all through the night but stopped not long ago and the clouds had cleared. The sun, cold and white, shone in a brilliant blue sky, and on the ground snow sparked as if diamonds were scattered across it. The glare was so strong she wore sunglasses.
A dog barked and she smiled to see him coming out of the trees. Norman, Adam Tocek following. He gave her a grin. “Looking for a hot time, babe?”
“Where’d you come from?” She greeted Norman with a scratch behind the ears.
“Some detective you are. We came in from the other direction. Sniffing around, so to speak. Wondering if anyone returned to the clearing overnight, slipped under the tape. The snow’s deep, all traces of yesterday gone. To my eyes, that is. Norman can still figure out what went on. Sometimes, I know he’s trying to tell me, but I’m too darn stupid to understand.” He gave the dog an affectionate slap on his solid rump.
“Did anyone? Come back, I mean.”
“Don’t think so. Trail’s pretty quiet today.”
“People are spooked. Naturally. Word travels fast, and I’ll bet the story’s growing in the telling.”
“Terrorists in our midst. Serial killers. Slaughter us all in our beds.” He glanced back through the trees. “Still tough, though. Whatever happened. You know Doug O’Malley?”
Smith nodded. O’Malley was a Mountie. An older guy, about to retire.
“He took a creative writing class at the college last year. Cathy Lindsay was the teacher. A killing like this. A local, someone a lot of people knew. They’re going to take it personally.”
They turned at the sound of a car pulling off to the side of the road. Two young women got out, accompanied by two dogs. The dogs ran in circles, churning fresh snow, peeing on everything in sight.
“Back to work,” Smith said.
“Catch you later.” Norman and Adam slipped back into the woods. One of the new arrivals leapt forward as if to follow only to be brought up short by his leash.
***
John Winters leaned back in his chair and rubbed his stiff neck. Ray Lopez had gone to interview one of Cathy’s friends. Try and find out if the Lindsays were having trouble in their marriage, if they had money problems, if Cathy mentioned that she’d been worried about anything. Winters had arranged to call on Gord Lindsay at two. He had time to
“Suspicious in what way?”
“Maybe the shooter will come back to admire his handiwork. They do sometimes, you know.”
An icy finger ran up Smith’s spine. She felt very vulnerable, standing at the crest of the hill, exposed.
Solway laughed. “You should see the look on your face.” Her own face turned serious. “Hell of a thing, out for a walk and out of nowhere someone blows you away. I’m not surprised no one much is up here today.”
“Did you know the woman? Lindsay?”
“Not her, but I’ve met her husband. Their son’s a right tearaway. Always has been. Regular little prick. Been picked up a few times. Daddy hurries down to the station to settle it. You must have run into him at some time or another, Bradley Lindsay?”
“Oh, yeah. Now I remember. He was drunk in the park one night, singing at the moon or some such juvenile stupidity. I drove him home and got his mom out of bed. She was not pleased. I knew I’d seen her somewhere. You think he…”
“Na. He’s a kid with no conscience and no impulse control. He might trip his mom at the top of the stairs and cause her to break her neck, think it’s a great joke, but he wouldn’t go to the time and effort to take anyone out. I’d better be on my way, try to blend in. I’m going to take a break in a few minutes and go to Eddie’s. Want anything?”
“A hot mocha’d be good. Heavy on the whipped cream.”
“You got it.” Solway pulled her hat back down and sauntered off.
Smith stamped her feet to restore circulation. She held her gloved hands to her face in an attempt to create some warmth. Snow had fallen all through the night but stopped not long ago and the clouds had cleared. The sun, cold and white, shone in a brilliant blue sky, and on the ground snow sparked as if diamonds were scattered across it. The glare was so strong she wore sunglasses.
A dog barked and she smiled to see him coming out of the trees. Norman, Adam Tocek following. He gave her a grin. “Looking for a hot time, babe?”
“Where’d you come from?” She greeted Norman with a scratch behind the ears.
“Some detective you are. We came in from the other direction. Sniffing around, so to speak. Wondering if anyone returned to the clearing overnight, slipped under the tape. The snow’s deep, all traces of yesterday gone. To my eyes, that is. Norman can still figure out what went on. Sometimes, I know he’s trying to tell me, but I’m too darn stupid to understand.” He gave the dog an affectionate slap on his solid rump.
“Did anyone? Come back, I mean.”
“Don’t think so. Trail’s pretty quiet today.”
“People are spooked. Naturally. Word travels fast, and I’ll bet the story’s growing in the telling.”
“Terrorists in our midst. Serial killers. Slaughter us all in our beds.” He glanced back through the trees. “Still tough, though. Whatever happened. You know Doug O’Malley?”
Smith nodded. O’Malley was a Mountie. An older guy, about to retire.
“He took a creative writing class at the college last year. Cathy Lindsay was the teacher. A killing like this. A local, someone a lot of people knew. They’re going to take it personally.”
They turned at the sound of a car pulling off to the side of the road. Two young women got out, accompanied by two dogs. The dogs ran in circles, churning fresh snow, peeing on everything in sight.
“Back to work,” Smith said.
“Catch you later.” Norman and Adam slipped back into the woods. One of the new arrivals leapt forward as if to follow only to be brought up short by his leash.
***
John Winters leaned back in his chair and rubbed his stiff neck. Ray Lopez had gone to interview one of Cathy’s friends. Try and find out if the Lindsays were having trouble in their marriage, if they had money problems, if Cathy mentioned that she’d been worried about anything. Winters had arranged to call on Gord Lindsay at two. He had time to
Similar Books
