Read Online Angels in Pink: Holly's Story (Lurlene McDaniel (Mass Market)) by Lurlene McDaniel - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lurlene McDaniel
Tags: Fiction
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funeral home where you want Hunter sent, the ME will send him there when he releases the body. The funeral home will call you.”
Evelyn broke down.
“How long will that take?” Mike demanded, looking coiled and edgy.
“Just a few days,” Gosso said soothingly. “I’ll ask the ME to expedite the case. I’ll also give you my phone numbers.” He reached into the breast pocket of his coat and extracted a business card. “I’m giving you my cell number too.” He quickly scribbled on the card. “Call me anytime. Day or night.”
The case. The body. An autopsy.
The phrases whirled around in Holly’s brain like a bad melody with clashing notes that didn’t harmonize with her well-ordered world. Boys like Hunter didn’t get shot to death. Guys like Hunter, who’d never done anything bad to anyone, didn’t get
murdered.
Just thinking the word made her queasy again.
Holly’s mother let out a wrenching sob. “You’ll catch him, won’t you? Please tell me you’ll catch the person who did this.”
The detective’s eyes grew hard. “We’ll catch him, Mrs. Harrison. You have my word.” His gaze held Evelyn’s, and she looked visibly strengthened by his pledge.
Agitated, Mike asked, “What do we do now? How do you expect us to sit around waiting, doing nothing?”
“Stay home,” Gosso said. “Take your phone off the hook.”
Sergeant Carroll added, “News of the shooting went out on the police scanner. The press will be calling. You might want to be ready for that.”
His words shocked and infuriated Holly. What right did a bunch of reporters have to intrude on their family at a time like this?
“We won’t talk to them,” Mike thundered, echoing Holly’s thoughts.
“Just be prepared for it to go on the six o’clock news,” the sergeant said.
Holly blanched as the horror of it all sank in. In only a few hours, the whole city would know about their very private loss. Her tears dried as she visualized the press nosing around her house.
The six o’clock news.
She hated them already.
“I won’t let them on my property,” Mike insisted.
Holly didn’t know how much longer the police and the chaplain stayed, but the second they were gone, she fell to her knees in front of her mother. “I—I have to borrow your car.”
Evelyn’s eyes, red and swollen, stared at her in disbelief. “You can’t be serious.”
“I have to, Mom. Please. I can’t just let her hear about it on the news . . . you know that, don’t you?”
Evelyn’s nod was almost imperceptible. “You can’t leave the house.” Mike sounded aghast at Holly’s request.
Evelyn looked up at him, held his gaze. “She has to, Mike. Take my car, Holly. The keys are on the hook by the kitchen door.”
“She’s too upset to drive—” Mike started.
Holly stood. “I have to do this, Daddy. Please understand.”
He studied her hard. Her heart thumped, but her hands were rock steady. He gave a curt nod and Holly ran from the living room.
Fortunately, traffic was light as she wove her way down side streets and through quiet neighborhoods. Inside the houses, people were unaware that there had been a shift in the universe and that nothing would ever be the same again for Holly and her family and friends.
She turned into the town house complex, made her way to the street where Raina lived. She slowed, her heart pounding.
Keep it together,
she told herself.
Just a little bit farther.
Holly parked, rested her forehead on the steering wheel and took in great gulps of air. She turned off the car’s engine, got out and walked up to Raina’s door, her knees rubbery, her heart thudding with dread. In a few minutes, the universe would collapse for Raina too. It wasn’t fair. Holly would take away the sunshine, alter the course of her friend’s life forever. She rang the bell.
Raina opened the door, saw Holly and smiled. “Hey there, girlfriend!”
Holly watched the smile fade and concern stamp itself on Raina’s pretty
Evelyn broke down.
“How long will that take?” Mike demanded, looking coiled and edgy.
“Just a few days,” Gosso said soothingly. “I’ll ask the ME to expedite the case. I’ll also give you my phone numbers.” He reached into the breast pocket of his coat and extracted a business card. “I’m giving you my cell number too.” He quickly scribbled on the card. “Call me anytime. Day or night.”
The case. The body. An autopsy.
The phrases whirled around in Holly’s brain like a bad melody with clashing notes that didn’t harmonize with her well-ordered world. Boys like Hunter didn’t get shot to death. Guys like Hunter, who’d never done anything bad to anyone, didn’t get
murdered.
Just thinking the word made her queasy again.
Holly’s mother let out a wrenching sob. “You’ll catch him, won’t you? Please tell me you’ll catch the person who did this.”
The detective’s eyes grew hard. “We’ll catch him, Mrs. Harrison. You have my word.” His gaze held Evelyn’s, and she looked visibly strengthened by his pledge.
Agitated, Mike asked, “What do we do now? How do you expect us to sit around waiting, doing nothing?”
“Stay home,” Gosso said. “Take your phone off the hook.”
Sergeant Carroll added, “News of the shooting went out on the police scanner. The press will be calling. You might want to be ready for that.”
His words shocked and infuriated Holly. What right did a bunch of reporters have to intrude on their family at a time like this?
“We won’t talk to them,” Mike thundered, echoing Holly’s thoughts.
“Just be prepared for it to go on the six o’clock news,” the sergeant said.
Holly blanched as the horror of it all sank in. In only a few hours, the whole city would know about their very private loss. Her tears dried as she visualized the press nosing around her house.
The six o’clock news.
She hated them already.
“I won’t let them on my property,” Mike insisted.
Holly didn’t know how much longer the police and the chaplain stayed, but the second they were gone, she fell to her knees in front of her mother. “I—I have to borrow your car.”
Evelyn’s eyes, red and swollen, stared at her in disbelief. “You can’t be serious.”
“I have to, Mom. Please. I can’t just let her hear about it on the news . . . you know that, don’t you?”
Evelyn’s nod was almost imperceptible. “You can’t leave the house.” Mike sounded aghast at Holly’s request.
Evelyn looked up at him, held his gaze. “She has to, Mike. Take my car, Holly. The keys are on the hook by the kitchen door.”
“She’s too upset to drive—” Mike started.
Holly stood. “I have to do this, Daddy. Please understand.”
He studied her hard. Her heart thumped, but her hands were rock steady. He gave a curt nod and Holly ran from the living room.
Fortunately, traffic was light as she wove her way down side streets and through quiet neighborhoods. Inside the houses, people were unaware that there had been a shift in the universe and that nothing would ever be the same again for Holly and her family and friends.
She turned into the town house complex, made her way to the street where Raina lived. She slowed, her heart pounding.
Keep it together,
she told herself.
Just a little bit farther.
Holly parked, rested her forehead on the steering wheel and took in great gulps of air. She turned off the car’s engine, got out and walked up to Raina’s door, her knees rubbery, her heart thudding with dread. In a few minutes, the universe would collapse for Raina too. It wasn’t fair. Holly would take away the sunshine, alter the course of her friend’s life forever. She rang the bell.
Raina opened the door, saw Holly and smiled. “Hey there, girlfriend!”
Holly watched the smile fade and concern stamp itself on Raina’s pretty
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