Read Online Present Tense (A Parker & Coe, Love and Bullets Thriller Book 2) by Alana Matthews - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Alana Matthews
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trying to point out that if we saw him, we wouldn't take much notice."
"And the woman?"
He stared at me again. "Oh, I think I'd remember her. She looks like she's been hit by a train, but she's quite the beauty."
Parker nodded toward their vehicles. "What about your friends?"
"Believe me, they're as clueless about all this as I am. We came here to do a little hunting and we've been together the whole time."
"What about gunshots? Did you hear any?"
"We did, but that's nothing unusual out here. We fired off a few ourselves."
Parker nodded. "What's your name?"
The eyes narrowed and softened again. "John Weis. But most people call me Jack."
I doubted either part of that was true, but the lie had come effortlessly, so he probably had the ID to back it up.
Parker didn't ask him for it. "You live in Houston?"
"Yes I do. We all do."
"All right, Mr. Weis. You and your friends are free to leave. And I'd make it quick, because this area is about to get very busy, very fast. It's a crime scene now."
I couldn't be sure, but I thought I saw a trace of uneasiness in Weis's expression. He'd come here to get something and he'd failed. That wouldn't make his employer happy. And it also meant they hadn't found Ethan, who might still be alive.
Then again, maybe he just needed to pass a little gas.
"I appreciate the courtesy, deputy. But we were headed home anyway. Turns out this is a bad day for hunting."
Parker gestured to the body. "I think he'd agree."
Weis smiled again. The forced, charmless smile of a soulless man. "I hope you can make the charges stick. She looks like she could be dangerous. Wouldn't want her running around causing more trouble."
"Oh, we'll make them stick, all right. You can count of that."
Weis nodded, then turned, went back to the SUV and climbed inside. A moment later, as they roared past the Land Rover, he turned and looked at me. He formed a gun with his thumb and forefinger and pretended to fire.
Then they were gone in a cloud of dust.
As it dissipated, Parker came around to the passenger side and opened the door. "I've got a feeling this isn't the last we'll see of those guys. Are you ready to tell me what's going on?"
SIXTEEN
So I told him. And I didn't go with the bullet points version this time.
As we headed to the Trailblazer to radio for help, I spoke quickly, giving him most of the details—Hap dying at the controls, the possibility that he'd been poisoned, the parachute jump, the trees, getting lost, Cat Eater and his team chasing us…
The only thing I left out was the depth of my relationship to Ethan. I told Parker we were old high school friends and left it at that.
The rest could wait until later.
"If Wilky's involved, he's a dead man," Parker said. "And so is Swan."
"Easy, tough guy. I appreciate the sentiment, but why don't we let the courts handle them?"
"Swan's got money, so chances are good he'll buy his way out of trouble. And Wilky's well-loved in the business so we'll have a hard time proving he had anything to do with this. Assuming he did."
"Who else would do it?"
"I don't know. Maybe your prisoner? He certainly had a lot to gain."
"That's ridiculous, " I said. "He was in cuffs the whole time. and if he was that cold-blooded, he would've left me on the plane."
I suddenly realized how defensive I sounded and saw the skepticism in Parker's eyes. But we didn't have time to argue about it. If Ethan was alive, every second counted. We could carry him down the hill, but we'd need a Medivac team to get him straight to a hospital.
Parker went to snatch the mic off the Trailblazer's dash, then paused, taking a closer look at the radio.
"Dammit," he said.
"What's wrong?"
"Some wires have been pulled. Looks like your ranger friend put it out of commission."
I nodded. "I should have noticed it when I called you. Maybe I could've reacted faster."
"Don't second guess yourself. Anytime the bad guy gets dead instead of you, that's a win."
"Not if the prisoner
"And the woman?"
He stared at me again. "Oh, I think I'd remember her. She looks like she's been hit by a train, but she's quite the beauty."
Parker nodded toward their vehicles. "What about your friends?"
"Believe me, they're as clueless about all this as I am. We came here to do a little hunting and we've been together the whole time."
"What about gunshots? Did you hear any?"
"We did, but that's nothing unusual out here. We fired off a few ourselves."
Parker nodded. "What's your name?"
The eyes narrowed and softened again. "John Weis. But most people call me Jack."
I doubted either part of that was true, but the lie had come effortlessly, so he probably had the ID to back it up.
Parker didn't ask him for it. "You live in Houston?"
"Yes I do. We all do."
"All right, Mr. Weis. You and your friends are free to leave. And I'd make it quick, because this area is about to get very busy, very fast. It's a crime scene now."
I couldn't be sure, but I thought I saw a trace of uneasiness in Weis's expression. He'd come here to get something and he'd failed. That wouldn't make his employer happy. And it also meant they hadn't found Ethan, who might still be alive.
Then again, maybe he just needed to pass a little gas.
"I appreciate the courtesy, deputy. But we were headed home anyway. Turns out this is a bad day for hunting."
Parker gestured to the body. "I think he'd agree."
Weis smiled again. The forced, charmless smile of a soulless man. "I hope you can make the charges stick. She looks like she could be dangerous. Wouldn't want her running around causing more trouble."
"Oh, we'll make them stick, all right. You can count of that."
Weis nodded, then turned, went back to the SUV and climbed inside. A moment later, as they roared past the Land Rover, he turned and looked at me. He formed a gun with his thumb and forefinger and pretended to fire.
Then they were gone in a cloud of dust.
As it dissipated, Parker came around to the passenger side and opened the door. "I've got a feeling this isn't the last we'll see of those guys. Are you ready to tell me what's going on?"
SIXTEEN
So I told him. And I didn't go with the bullet points version this time.
As we headed to the Trailblazer to radio for help, I spoke quickly, giving him most of the details—Hap dying at the controls, the possibility that he'd been poisoned, the parachute jump, the trees, getting lost, Cat Eater and his team chasing us…
The only thing I left out was the depth of my relationship to Ethan. I told Parker we were old high school friends and left it at that.
The rest could wait until later.
"If Wilky's involved, he's a dead man," Parker said. "And so is Swan."
"Easy, tough guy. I appreciate the sentiment, but why don't we let the courts handle them?"
"Swan's got money, so chances are good he'll buy his way out of trouble. And Wilky's well-loved in the business so we'll have a hard time proving he had anything to do with this. Assuming he did."
"Who else would do it?"
"I don't know. Maybe your prisoner? He certainly had a lot to gain."
"That's ridiculous, " I said. "He was in cuffs the whole time. and if he was that cold-blooded, he would've left me on the plane."
I suddenly realized how defensive I sounded and saw the skepticism in Parker's eyes. But we didn't have time to argue about it. If Ethan was alive, every second counted. We could carry him down the hill, but we'd need a Medivac team to get him straight to a hospital.
Parker went to snatch the mic off the Trailblazer's dash, then paused, taking a closer look at the radio.
"Dammit," he said.
"What's wrong?"
"Some wires have been pulled. Looks like your ranger friend put it out of commission."
I nodded. "I should have noticed it when I called you. Maybe I could've reacted faster."
"Don't second guess yourself. Anytime the bad guy gets dead instead of you, that's a win."
"Not if the prisoner
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