Read Online Running Blind by Shirlee McCoy - Free Book Online

Romero?”
    John stiffened, but nodded. “That’s right.”
    â€œI’ve been following the news about her. I’m sorry for your loss.”
    â€œMe, too.”
    â€œYour wife was a good woman. She treated my son’s club-foot last year. Didn’t charge a dime.”
    â€œThat sounds like Magdalena.”
    â€œDoes the DEA have any leads?”
    â€œNone.” John didn’t mention the drugs that had been found on the premises.
    Would Jenna have if she were the one being questioned?
    She didn’t know. She only knew that Magdalena deserved to be remembered for the good she’d done. Not for her supposed crimes.
    â€œWhere were you when the shots were fired, Miss?” The sergeant walked to Jenna’s side, his gaze jumping from Kane to Nikolai before finally settling on her face.
    â€œOn the patio.”
    â€œDid you see the shooter?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œHe was about five-foot-ten. 150 pounds.” Nikolai seemed sure of the information, and Jenna met his eyes.
    â€œYou saw him?”
    â€œNot enough details to identify him, but enough to give his height and build.”
    â€œAnd you are?” Sergeant Lawrence asked.
    â€œNikolai Jansen. I’m a friend of Jenna’s.”
    â€œI see.” The sergeant jotted something on a small pad of paper. “And you were with her at the time the shot was fired?”
    â€œShots. He fired twice. The first bullet hit a support beam. The second one hit the ground about half an inch from the edge of the porch.”
    â€œIt seems like you had a good view of what was happening.”
    â€œNot until after the first bullet hit. I tried to get a visual on the shooter after that.”
    â€œMost people would have been more concerned about taking cover.” There seemed to be a question hidden in the statement.
    â€œI did that, too.”
    â€œYou’ve had crisis training?” This time the question was overt, and Nikolai shook his head.
    â€œCombat training. I saw action in Iraq and in Afghanistan.”
    â€œYeah? I served four years myself. You an Army guy?”
    â€œMarines.”
    â€œI’m Army, but the way I see it, military is military. Service to country is service to country.”
    â€œI couldn’t agree more.”
    â€œSo, you say you caught a glimpse of the shooter?”
    â€œNot much of one. We went after the guy, but by the time we hit the tree line, he was gone.”
    â€œWhy don’t you take me out and show me which direction he headed. Daniels, you want to go see if there’s evidence to collect on the porch? Mr. Romero, can you keep the guests here until we have a chance to question them?”
    â€œSure. I’ll go let everyone know they’ll need to stay for a while. Jenna, you want to come and help me explain?”
    â€œJenna looks a little shaken. How about I come and give you a hand.” Jenna’s mother patted Jenna’s arm. “Go ahead and sit down, Jen. Once the police are done, we’ll go back to the hotel and you can get some rest.”
    It sounded like a good plan. Maybe even a great one. Closing her eyes for a while, trying to forget that Magdalena was dead and that she had nearly been killed twice—those were things Jenna would love to do. But closing her eyes wouldn’t solve any problems. It wouldn’t bring Magdalena back or save Jenna from more trouble. All it would do was waste timebetter spent trying to find out the real reason for all that had happened.
    Instead of sitting, Jenna followed the men out onto the porch. Rain still fell, splattering onto the soaked ground, the hushed thrum of it echoing through Jenna’s pounding head. She felt sick. Whether it was from grief or fear or pain, she didn’t know.
    â€œThe first bullet hit here,” Nikolai said, pointing to splintered wood on one of the porch’s support posts. Jenna had been standing just inches away from it when