Read Online Murder by Artifact (Five Star Mystery Series) by Barbara Graham - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Barbara Graham
Tags: Novels
Ads: Link
mingled with those of several other power tools. Tony wouldn't even know how to turn them on. If he did get the things turned on, he'd probably put a nail through his hand or eye. “I've got a favor to ask.”
“You've got the gun. Shoot.” Gus proceeded to laugh at his own joke.
“Can you coach Jamie's game tonight? I have to run up to Ohio.” He watched as Gus studied him for a full minute. It looked as if he was trying to read Tony's mind and would like to ask a question. He forced himself not to, and Tony didn't volunteer anything.
“Yeah, I can do that. I'll call Catherine and have her come over. We'll do dinner and a baseball game.”
“Thanks, I owe you.”
“Damn straight.” With a sharp nod of his head, Gus turned. His eyes went wide and he dashed after Kenny. “Kenny, stop!”
After a blissfully uneventful drive, Tony received a warm welcome in Cincinnati. The Cincinnati Police had been working the case while he traveled. He was ushered to the desk of Detective Jones, the man assigned as his liaison with the local police.
Detective Jones, a rangy black man with a shaved head, leaned forward, shook hands and immediately handed Tony a computer printout. “It didn't take us long to find out your ticket is one of three purchased together. The buyer paid cash, two weeks ago, at one of the ballpark ticket windows.” His sharp expression displayed a quick wit and a fair amount of curiosity. “So how long do you think this plan has been in the works?”
“My guess, several months.” Tony flipped through the photocopies of the news clippings he carried with him and handed them to Jones. “We are assuming these four people are all dead. Maybe more.” He paused. “These deaths all occurred at the same general time so it's been someone's secret for twenty years.”
“What brought them up now?” Jones looked carefully at each page, frowning at the stories he read.
“My wife found a skeletonized hand three months ago in a local park. According to the state lab, the bones could not have been in that spot for very long. Clearly, someone took the hand from its hiding place and dumped it in an area of new houses.” Tony pushed aside the memory of Theo's distress when she found the bones behind her best friend Nina's house. Nina herself had not been able to shed any light on the grisly find. “Our mysterious contact might or might not have been involved in the killing. It could be a witness. Someone who has waited and watched for years to see if the bodies would turn up or the killer would confess.”
“All those new television shows about how cold cases are solved by DNA or new information might have stirred someone up. Either way, this is an ugly business.” Detective Jones studied the clippings. “You ready to do this?”
Tony nodded, gratified the Cincinnati police were taking this seriously. Although they, like Tony, did not believe anything violent was likely to occur, they had a team of plainclothes cops in the club room. An undercover cop was operating the elevator.
The ballpark front office people were not happy. They didn't want any negative publicity or any fans getting caught in a crossfire. Short of closing off the area, however, they didn't have a better plan.
Tony would be lying to himself and everyone else if he said he wasn't nervous. He drove back to the Kentucky side of the Ohio River and parked according to his instructions. Adrenaline surged through his system as he climbed out of the car and began walking across the Purple People Bridge, the pedestrian bridge spanning the Ohio River.
Sitting on the edge of the river, the new ballpark beckoned to the baseball lover in him. The decorative smokestacks were ready to shoot off fireworks if one of the home team hit a homerun. The new ballpark was a sight he'd wanted to see but this wasn't quite the occasion he had in mind. He had thought the whole family would come up together. It would be a hot dog and
“You've got the gun. Shoot.” Gus proceeded to laugh at his own joke.
“Can you coach Jamie's game tonight? I have to run up to Ohio.” He watched as Gus studied him for a full minute. It looked as if he was trying to read Tony's mind and would like to ask a question. He forced himself not to, and Tony didn't volunteer anything.
“Yeah, I can do that. I'll call Catherine and have her come over. We'll do dinner and a baseball game.”
“Thanks, I owe you.”
“Damn straight.” With a sharp nod of his head, Gus turned. His eyes went wide and he dashed after Kenny. “Kenny, stop!”
After a blissfully uneventful drive, Tony received a warm welcome in Cincinnati. The Cincinnati Police had been working the case while he traveled. He was ushered to the desk of Detective Jones, the man assigned as his liaison with the local police.
Detective Jones, a rangy black man with a shaved head, leaned forward, shook hands and immediately handed Tony a computer printout. “It didn't take us long to find out your ticket is one of three purchased together. The buyer paid cash, two weeks ago, at one of the ballpark ticket windows.” His sharp expression displayed a quick wit and a fair amount of curiosity. “So how long do you think this plan has been in the works?”
“My guess, several months.” Tony flipped through the photocopies of the news clippings he carried with him and handed them to Jones. “We are assuming these four people are all dead. Maybe more.” He paused. “These deaths all occurred at the same general time so it's been someone's secret for twenty years.”
“What brought them up now?” Jones looked carefully at each page, frowning at the stories he read.
“My wife found a skeletonized hand three months ago in a local park. According to the state lab, the bones could not have been in that spot for very long. Clearly, someone took the hand from its hiding place and dumped it in an area of new houses.” Tony pushed aside the memory of Theo's distress when she found the bones behind her best friend Nina's house. Nina herself had not been able to shed any light on the grisly find. “Our mysterious contact might or might not have been involved in the killing. It could be a witness. Someone who has waited and watched for years to see if the bodies would turn up or the killer would confess.”
“All those new television shows about how cold cases are solved by DNA or new information might have stirred someone up. Either way, this is an ugly business.” Detective Jones studied the clippings. “You ready to do this?”
Tony nodded, gratified the Cincinnati police were taking this seriously. Although they, like Tony, did not believe anything violent was likely to occur, they had a team of plainclothes cops in the club room. An undercover cop was operating the elevator.
The ballpark front office people were not happy. They didn't want any negative publicity or any fans getting caught in a crossfire. Short of closing off the area, however, they didn't have a better plan.
Tony would be lying to himself and everyone else if he said he wasn't nervous. He drove back to the Kentucky side of the Ohio River and parked according to his instructions. Adrenaline surged through his system as he climbed out of the car and began walking across the Purple People Bridge, the pedestrian bridge spanning the Ohio River.
Sitting on the edge of the river, the new ballpark beckoned to the baseball lover in him. The decorative smokestacks were ready to shoot off fireworks if one of the home team hit a homerun. The new ballpark was a sight he'd wanted to see but this wasn't quite the occasion he had in mind. He had thought the whole family would come up together. It would be a hot dog and
Similar Books
