Read Online November Lake: Teenage Detective (The November Lake Mysteries) Book 1 by Jamie Drew - Free Book Online

the
madness, I said, “You will never get away with this. Me and my
friend are both police officers.”
    Both
Morris’ and Sarah’s eyes grew suddenly wide. Not much, but enough
not to go unnoticed by me.
    “ You two are both coppers?” Morris scoffed, but there was now
an uncertainty to his voice. “You’re nothing more than a couple of
kids.”
    “ Murder is one thing, but killing two police officers is
something completely different,” I tried to warn him.
    “ Prove it!” Sarah said, coming from behind Morris, the knife
still in her hand.
    I
reached into my pocket and fumbled for my warrant card and police
badge.
    “ Faster!” she barked at me, eyes wide. Could I see fear in
them?
    I pulled
out my warrant card and badge. Morris snatched it from my hand. He
opened up the small black leather wallet and looked down at the
photo I.D. and silver badge.
    “ Police Constable November Lake,” he breathed.
    He
raised his head and met my stare. Then, looking at Kale, he shot
out his hand. Kale pulled his warrant card from his pocket. Morris
snatched it from him. I couldn’t help but notice that Kale suddenly
looked unsteady on his feet as he swayed forward, then backwards
again. I knew we were fast running out of time.
    Morris
closed the wallets, tucking them into his trouser pocket. “Do you
think that being a couple of coppers makes a difference to me? I’m
going to enjoy watching you burn even more. This doesn’t change a
thing. There won’t be enough of you left for anyone to know if you
were coppers or shopkeepers. Now take the sleeping pills. It’s your
turn, Constable Lake.”
    I looked
down at the pills in the palm of my hand. I took the glass from
Morris, then closing my eyes, I placed the pills into my mouth,
took a gulp of water and swallowed hard.
    “ Open your mouth,” I heard Morris hiss. “Let me
see.”
    I looked
at him, then opened my mouth.
    “ Under the tongue. I want to see under your tongue,” he
demanded.
    With my
mouth open, I pressed the tip of my tongue against the roof of my
mouth so he could see that I truly had swallowed the sleeping
pills.
    “ Good. Very good,” he smiled.
    Kale
suddenly dropped to the floor and onto his side. The tablets were
already beginning to affect him. He rolled over onto his back and
tried to get back up. He looked like a punch-drunk boxer who had
just been floored.
    “ Stay down,” Sarah said, springing forward and wielding the
knife.
    “ Leave him alone!” I shouted at her.
    I was
suddenly shoved from behind, and went sprawling down onto my hands
and knees. “Shut your face!” Morris roared from behind
me.
    I rolled
onto my side and wrapped one arm around Kale, pulling him close.
With my eyes closed and the fall and rise of Kale’s chest becoming
slower and more laboured, I heard Morris and Sarah moving around in
the room.
    “ Hold this,” I heard Morris say.
    The
sound of matches being struck, then another and another. The smell
of burning wood wafting over me. Growing heat and choking smoke. I
pressed my lips tight and tried not to breathe. How long could I
hold my breath for? I could hear the crackle of flames as all other
sounds began to fade around me. Even the darkness behind my eyelids
grew darker somehow. The room was so warm – hot. It was like I was
buried beneath a thick blanket on a cold night. The faintest sound
of footsteps edging backwards toward the door. Was that Morris and
Sarah leaving? Would that be the last sound I would ever hear? Even
though my eyes were screwed shut, they stung at the rising and
thickening smoke. The flames crackled so loudly now it was almost a
roar. Then a sound – a sudden bang like the front door to the
farmhouse being slammed shut. Had they gone? Was I still alive? Had
the smoke taken me and…
    I sprang
to my feet. I couldn’t hold my breath any longer. I drew in a
choking throat full of smoke-filled air. My lungs felt like they
had been set on fire. Tears streamed from my eyes. I spun around