Read Online QR Code Killer by Shanna Hatfield - Free Book Online

You’re
not God, you don’t control who lives or dies. It isn’t your
fault.”
    “But Zach…”
    “No, Maddie. I’m sorry. I don’t blame you.
You need to get it through your head that it isn’t your fault. This
guy sounds like he’s a psychopath. Nothing will change that. You
were just doing your job.”
    Zach continued to hold her while she cried.
When she stopped, he pulled out his bandana and handed it to her to
mop up her face.
    Looking at her brother she offered him a
watery grin. “This clean?”
    “Clean enough,” Zach smiled. “Now, tell me
what we need to do. You said Tom is sending in someone undercover
soon. What else can we do?”
    She and Zach discussed some options, decided
not to worry their dad, Lena or Erik yet and see what happened in
the next few days. Maddie had a doctor’s appointment the next day
and she was hoping she could start regaining use of her left arm.
Right handed, it hadn’t slowed her down much, but she wanted to get
in some shooting practice. She would fly to Seattle in the morning
for the appointment and be back in the afternoon.
    Maddie borrowed Lena’s car and left bright
and early to catch her flight. At Sea-Tac she caught a cab and went
directly to see her boss. Tom was surprised but glad to see her. He
ran over details of a plan with her, gave her a file of info to
study and told her to expect someone to show up that afternoon to
fill the position of ranch hand.
    The doctor’s appointment went very well. She
would no longer have to wear the sling and would slowly regain use
of her arm. The exercise regimen would start with some basic
strengthening moves then each week she would add more until she was
back at one-hundred percent. Anything less was unacceptable to
her.
    Arriving back home mid-afternoon, she pulled
up at the house to see a cowboy sitting on the porch swing. As she
walked up the porch steps, the stranger stood and grinned at her. A
hay stem hung out of his mouth and he looked the part of a cowboy
from his dusty boots and snug fitting Wranglers to his snap-front
western shirt and straw hat.
    Staring at him a moment, Maggie felt a grin
tugging at the corners of her mouth. Standing before her was none
other than her partner Danny.
    “Hello,” Maddie said sticking out her arm.
“I’m Maddie.”
    “I’m Dan, the cowboy man,” Danny whispered,
giving her hand a shake and sending her a wink. Speaking louder he
nodded his head toward the door. “The nice lady inside invited me
to wait in the kitchen for you to get home, but I told her I’d sit
out here. I heard from a friend in town that ya’ll were hiring some
help and I thought I’d mosey on out and apply for the job. They
said to speak with you directly.”
    Maddie was biting her cheek to keep from
laughing. She knew Danny grew up in a small town in central Oregon,
but he was acting like he’d been born and raised in Texas, complete
with a twang.
    “Come inside,” Maddie said, opening the door.
“You have to complete an application and my dad and brother will
need to give their stamp of approval.”
    Walking into the kitchen, Maddie set her bag
on a chair, poured Danny a glass of tea and instructed him to wait
at the table. Aunt Lena was nowhere to be seen, which immediately
caused Maddie to panic.
    “Aunt Lena, I’m home. Where are you?” Maddie
called as she walked down the hallway to the office. Removing an
application from a file, she walked back toward the kitchen,
calling for her aunt. “Aunt Lena? Are you here? Aunt Lena?”
    Ready to give in to her fear, Maddie turned
when she heard Lena stomp down the stairs. “Good gravy, kiddo. I
was changing the bedding upstairs. You were shouting loud enough a
deaf man could hear you a mile away. Did you see the handsome
cowboy on the porch?”
    “I did, indeed,” Maddie said, hugging her
aunt as they walked in the kitchen where Danny sat, looking
charming and quite like a rodeo star from his handsome smile to the
hat tipped back on his