Read Online Red Hot Murder: An Angie Amalfi Mystery by Joanne Pence - Free Book Online
Authors: Joanne Pence
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you see anything?” he asked.
“Luckily, not a thing.” She started down to them.
“Did you fall?” Joaquin asked, his gaze jumping from her to the ground near her ledge.
“Me?” Angie stopped, surprised at his question. “No.”
“Something happened there.” Still studying the soil, Joaquin hurried up to where she stood, then his gaze lifted and he went a little higher.
Something in his expression made the hair on the back of Angie’s neck stand up.
Joaquin half walked, half climbed up the steep, dusty slope, following a trail only he could discern. Paavo and Doc glanced meaningfully at each other and climbed up the hill to Angie’s side.
She was beginning to get a real bad feeling about this. “Be careful!” she yelled.
Joaquin kept going.
“He’s part mountain goat, Angie,” Doc said, but looked decidedly worried himself.
Paavo’s mouth set in a grim line as he continued to follow Joaquin’s progress. Joaquin climbed on steadily and without hesitation. Their relief when he stopped on more level ground was short-lived. Joaquin walked back and forth, halting and kneeling, and then disappeared.
“Joaquin?” Doc called. No answer.
“I’m going up,” Paavo said.
Angie looked at the steep slope, the buzzards, then back at the cave. Something was terribly wrong. “I’m going with you.”
“Me too,” Doc said. “Lead the way.”
The climb was much rougher than Joaquin had made it appear. The sun beat down relentlessly. Sand and gravel were stirred by their scrambling, and Angie gulped in mouthfuls of dust kicked up by Paavo just ahead of her. Earth and sweat formed a film on her exposed skin and over her new clothes. Behind her, she could hear Doc coughing, cursing, and sliding.
Finally Paavo, then Angie, reached the level ground of the ledge. They turned to Doc as he struggled the final yards to them. He was red-faced and wheezing as he lurched and fell on his way up. Paavo took his hand and pulled him the last few feet.
They all moved forward, deeper into the mountain. She saw Joaquin at the same time as the others. He was kneeling by some rocks, his head bowed with grief.
Suddenly, all her instincts told her what had happened. Why he hadn’t spoken, hadn’t called out. Still, she prayed that it wasn’t what she feared.
Paavo told her to wait there. He knows as well. Even as her heart begged that she was wrong.
Doc froze. Dread shadowed his suddenly pale and haggard face.
Paavo stepped closer to Joaquin, then stopped. His body stiffened. When he turned, the pain and sorrow in his blue eyes confirmed their worst fears. Angie’s hope died.
Doc’s head bowed as he moved slowly and mechanically forward, like a man in a trance.
Down below, the horses continued to calmly eat sprigs of tender brush near the cave. The hot sun still beat relentlessly on the hillside. But here, Angie felt nothing except the coldness of death.
Chapter 7
A trail of billowing sand kicked up from the desert floor as vehicles raced toward the foothills and the ridge where the four waited. Remarkably, Paavo’s cell phone had worked, and he’d called for assistance.
Nearly an hour had passed since Ned’s body was found, an hour of silent shock, anger, and grief.
Doc had tried to hide his tears, but finally gave up and let them fall. Paavo sat with him, his arm around Doc’s shoulders, his head bowed.
Angie had stayed with Paavo until she noticed Joaquin standing alone, shoulders slumped, sniffling and occasionally rubbing his eyes. Her heart ached and she went to him.
Without looking at her, he spoke in a quiet voice. “I watched Ned grow up, Angie. I loved him, too.”
“I know you did.” She reached out and lightly held his arm.
Angie mourned for them all: for Paavo, who had looked forward to reuniting with a boyhoodfriend; for Joaquin, who’d been there, side by side with Doc, helping the boy turn into the fine man Doc had described; for Doc, who had clearly become a father to Ned in
“Luckily, not a thing.” She started down to them.
“Did you fall?” Joaquin asked, his gaze jumping from her to the ground near her ledge.
“Me?” Angie stopped, surprised at his question. “No.”
“Something happened there.” Still studying the soil, Joaquin hurried up to where she stood, then his gaze lifted and he went a little higher.
Something in his expression made the hair on the back of Angie’s neck stand up.
Joaquin half walked, half climbed up the steep, dusty slope, following a trail only he could discern. Paavo and Doc glanced meaningfully at each other and climbed up the hill to Angie’s side.
She was beginning to get a real bad feeling about this. “Be careful!” she yelled.
Joaquin kept going.
“He’s part mountain goat, Angie,” Doc said, but looked decidedly worried himself.
Paavo’s mouth set in a grim line as he continued to follow Joaquin’s progress. Joaquin climbed on steadily and without hesitation. Their relief when he stopped on more level ground was short-lived. Joaquin walked back and forth, halting and kneeling, and then disappeared.
“Joaquin?” Doc called. No answer.
“I’m going up,” Paavo said.
Angie looked at the steep slope, the buzzards, then back at the cave. Something was terribly wrong. “I’m going with you.”
“Me too,” Doc said. “Lead the way.”
The climb was much rougher than Joaquin had made it appear. The sun beat down relentlessly. Sand and gravel were stirred by their scrambling, and Angie gulped in mouthfuls of dust kicked up by Paavo just ahead of her. Earth and sweat formed a film on her exposed skin and over her new clothes. Behind her, she could hear Doc coughing, cursing, and sliding.
Finally Paavo, then Angie, reached the level ground of the ledge. They turned to Doc as he struggled the final yards to them. He was red-faced and wheezing as he lurched and fell on his way up. Paavo took his hand and pulled him the last few feet.
They all moved forward, deeper into the mountain. She saw Joaquin at the same time as the others. He was kneeling by some rocks, his head bowed with grief.
Suddenly, all her instincts told her what had happened. Why he hadn’t spoken, hadn’t called out. Still, she prayed that it wasn’t what she feared.
Paavo told her to wait there. He knows as well. Even as her heart begged that she was wrong.
Doc froze. Dread shadowed his suddenly pale and haggard face.
Paavo stepped closer to Joaquin, then stopped. His body stiffened. When he turned, the pain and sorrow in his blue eyes confirmed their worst fears. Angie’s hope died.
Doc’s head bowed as he moved slowly and mechanically forward, like a man in a trance.
Down below, the horses continued to calmly eat sprigs of tender brush near the cave. The hot sun still beat relentlessly on the hillside. But here, Angie felt nothing except the coldness of death.
Chapter 7
A trail of billowing sand kicked up from the desert floor as vehicles raced toward the foothills and the ridge where the four waited. Remarkably, Paavo’s cell phone had worked, and he’d called for assistance.
Nearly an hour had passed since Ned’s body was found, an hour of silent shock, anger, and grief.
Doc had tried to hide his tears, but finally gave up and let them fall. Paavo sat with him, his arm around Doc’s shoulders, his head bowed.
Angie had stayed with Paavo until she noticed Joaquin standing alone, shoulders slumped, sniffling and occasionally rubbing his eyes. Her heart ached and she went to him.
Without looking at her, he spoke in a quiet voice. “I watched Ned grow up, Angie. I loved him, too.”
“I know you did.” She reached out and lightly held his arm.
Angie mourned for them all: for Paavo, who had looked forward to reuniting with a boyhoodfriend; for Joaquin, who’d been there, side by side with Doc, helping the boy turn into the fine man Doc had described; for Doc, who had clearly become a father to Ned in
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