Read Online The Runaway Reporter (A Police Procedural Mystery Series of Crime and Suspense, Hyder Ali #3) by Thomas Fincham - Free Book Online Page A

names?”
    Hyder looked at his watch.  “I have to go somewhere.  First, you call the department and see if they are willing to release any more information on the murders.  Let’s give them a chance first.”
     
    TWENTY-TWO
     
    They were seated in the corner, away from everyone.  The coffee shop was half empty, so they didn’t have to worry about anyone eavesdropping.
    Nolan sat by the wall with Earl Winton across from him.  Winton wore a maroon colored turtleneck sweatshirt, black pants, and polished shoes. He had a white blazer on over the shirt.
    Nolan found Winton’s attire bemusing, given that it was summer.
    Earl Winton was Nolan’s AA sponsor. Nolan had now met Winton over a dozen times, and he had never once seen Winton dressed in anything but turtlenecks.
    Regardless of what Winton wore, Nolan looked forward to his meetings with him.
    Winton was much older than Nolan, but somehow he understood him.
    “Tell me more about this feeling,” Winton said, taking a sip of his latte.
    “It’s like… this hunger,” Nolan said. “It’s deep inside me.  And it’s always there.”
    Winton understood.  “Some people can wake up one day, decide they no longer want to drink, and never go back to it.  For others, though, the urge will be there for a very long time.”
    “How long?” Nolan was eager to know.
    “It could be forever.”
    Nolan made a face.  He didn’t like the answer.
    “I haven’t had a drink in months and it’s killing me,” Nolan confessed. “I constantly think about it.”
    “It’s quite normal.  Even the most senior members go through those feelings.”
    “I want it to go away,” Nolan said.
    “Have you reconsidered going through the twelve steps?”
    “I don’t have time,” Nolan said, dismissing it outright.
    Winton gave Nolan a hard look. “You don’t have the time or you don’t want to do it? Those are two very different things.”
    “Don’t our meetings count as one of the steps?” Nolan asked.
    “They are a step in the right direction, but they don’t compare to the original twelve steps.  Do you even know what they are?”
    Nolan thought about it.  “Be nice, believe in God, and don’t drink?”
    Winton laughed.  “Not quite, but you’ve caught the spirit of it.  Now tell me about his lady friend of yours.”
    Nolan shrugged. “I like her, I guess.”
    “You guess?” Winton raised an eyebrow.
    “You sound like a psychiatrist.”
    “I’m not, but the reason I asked is that prior to your new relationship, you had no desire to quit drinking.  But then romance blooms and you suddenly decide to give it up.”
    “You make it sound bad,” Nolan said.
    “Don’t get me wrong,” Winton said.  “I think it’s admirable that you want to do this for your relationship, but shouldn’t you want to do this for yourself?”
    Nolan twisted his neck.  “The more you talk the more you sound like a shrink.  You sure you’re not being paid by someone to talk to me?”
    “Being a member of AA is entirely voluntary,” he said.  “If I got paid for what I did, I’d open a practice tomorrow.” Winton added with a laugh.
    Nolan laughed too. “And I’d be your best client,” he said.
     
    TWENTY-THREE
     
    Hotel Balmore was located in the heart of Franklin.  It was the tallest structure in Franklin, reaching over seven hundred feet.  The hotel consisted of over five-hundred rooms, with rooms going for hundreds of dollars per night.
    If it wasn’t the five-star rating that made the hotel a luxury, it was the breathtaking view of the city that propelled it to new heights.  Everything about the hotel reeked of money.
    When Hyder entered the hotel, he found himself staring at every little thing.  From the carpets to the ceilings to the furniture, to even the fixtures, it was more than anything he could ever afford.
    He walked up to the reception desk and showed them the advertisement for Munn’s lecture. The woman on duty smiled and said,