Read Online Detective Wade Jackson Mystery - 03 - Thrilled to Death by L. J. Sellers - Free Book Online Page A

couldn’t understand the words. Another man said softly, “The body’s good but I need to see her face. Take the blindfold off.”
    “Trust me. She’s pretty.” Then louder, “Step over here to the light.”
    Danette was conflicted, as she had been since she’d landed on her face while getting out of the van. So far, as long as she cooperated with them, nothing bad had happened to her. Yet every fiber in her body wanted to refuse the command.
    The big guy grabbed her arm, pulled her toward the bathroom, and stepped behind her.
    “Keep your eyes tightly closed,” he threatened. “If you want to live, don’t look at him.”
    He untied the blindfold at the back of her head and lowered it to her collarbone, keeping his hands on the ends. His thick wrists rested on her shoulders. Danette kept her eyes closed, painfully aware the big guy could tighten the bandanna around her neck and strangle her in seconds.
    “She’s gorgeous,” the other one said. His voice was not as deep or as loud as the big guy’s. Danette wondered if she’d heard it before. “Good skin tone, but no strong ethnic features. The Dutchman will love her. We have a deal.”
    Danette shuddered. She’d just been sold like a side of beef.
    As the blindfold came up, she relaxed her eyelids and got a nanosecond glance at the man who’d purchased her. All she could process was that he was not very big and his hair was light.
    “Good girl.” The big guy grabbed her arm. “It’s time for another pill.” He put two little white tablets under her tongue and they dissolved instantly. As Danette began to feel sleepy, the big guy put the bandanna back on her mouth, tied her feet, and carried her up the stairs.
    Soon after Jackson and Katie arrived at Kera’s, Mrs. Blake took off, saying she was going out to see an old friend for dinner.
    “It’s nice of her to give us some time alone,” Jackson said, as he watched Kera change the baby. Katie was in the living room, texting a friend. For a moment, Jackson wondered what his life would have been like if he’d met Kera twenty years ago, instead of Renee, and they’d had a child together. What would their child be like? Would he have had more than one?
    “I think she needed to get away from babysitting,” Kera said with a laugh. “I don’t blame her. She’s not well.”
    They were silent for a few seconds as they both thought about Jackson’s disease. People might say that about him now.
    “How did your day go?” Jackson didn’t want to talk about the whole RF thing yet. Kera picked up Micah and they sat beside each other on her bed.
    “Good, I think. I filed a missing persons report and talked to Sophie Speranza.”
    “She told me she ran into you at the department.”
    “We had coffee together, and I told her about Danette. Sophie said she’d try to get her picture and story in the paper. We might as well enlist the public’s help.”
    “Of course.” Jackson hated the idea of Sophie getting to know Kera. She would try to use it to manipulate him.
    “I went into Danette’s house,” Kera said softly.
    Jackson felt a flash of concern mixed with irritation. “I advised you not to do that.”
    “I know, but Detective Zapata isn’t taking this case seriously and I didn’t expect him to get over there anytime soon.”
    She was right about that. “What did you find out?”
    “I couldn’t find the boyfriend’s name anywhere, but I did see an e-mail that mentioned meeting another young mother at a center. So I’m looking into that.”
    “What center?”
    “I don’t know yet, but I’ll find out.” Kera paused, touched Jackson’s leg. “A police officer came to Danette’s house while I was there. He called in a report, then made me leave.”
    Jackson laughed out loud. Suddenly he had to pee. “Excuse me,” he said, charging for the adjoining bathroom.
    Kera made enchiladas, one of Katie’s favorites, while Katie watched Micah in the living room. Jackson wandered back and