Read Online The Shadow's Edge by Patrick Dakin - Free Book Online Page A

seemed little point in stopping to confront Fuller so she kept her foot hard to the gas pedal. A moment later she slid to a stop in the little grove of trees that had been her destination and waited for Fuller to reach her. She had absolutely no idea what she was going to do when he got to her.
                  It didn’t take long. Before she had been able to formulate any kind of plan Fuller had pulled to a stop ten yards behind her. She watched in her rearview mirror as Fuller got out of his truck and cautiously approached her. Her heart sank even lower when she saw he was pointing a twelve gauge shotgun in her general direction.
                  “You in the car,” he called out. “What the hell you think you’re doin’?”
                  Callie slowly emerged from Croop’s vehicle, her hands in clear sight. “Mitch,” she called out in answer, “it’s Callie. Callie Parmenter.”
                  “Callie?” Fuller lowered the shotgun. “Geez, girl, what’s goin’ on?”
                  Callie walked toward Fuller with her only thought to keep him from seeing Croop’s body folded up in the back seat of his car. “Mitch … there’s been a problem … um, I don’t uh …”
                  “You alright, Callie?” Fuller was bewildered and it showed. “Say, ain’t this John Croop’s car?” He continued past Callie and peered through the driver’s side window.
                  Callie stood nervously behind Fuller and watched as his mind grappled with the sight of Croop’s bloodied corpse. “Oh, Lord,” he groaned. “What … what the hell happened here?”
                  Without any more thought than she had given to shooting Croop, Callie snatched Fuller’s shotgun from his grip. As he watched in horror she brought the shotgun barrel up and pointed it at his chest.
                  Fuller turned as white as a bed sheet and raised his arms skyward.
     
                  “You shouldn’t have looked in the car, Mitch,” Callie mumbled. “You should have minded your own business.”
                  “Listen … whatever happened here,” Fuller choked, “I’m sure it wasn’t your fault. Let’s---”
                  “Be quiet. Don’t talk.”
                  Fuller swallowed a large lump in his throat. “Callie … I called the police when I heard them shots. Fordham is on his way out here right now.”
                  Callie had known Mitch Fuller for twenty years. Had known his late wife and his three kids, too. He was a decent enough guy as far as she knew. But he now stood in the way of her freedom; he was a problem that needed to be eliminated.
                  She pulled back the hammer on the twelve gauge.
                  “Callie, what are you doing?” Fuller stammered. “Please …” He backed away from her with a stricken look on his face.
                  At that moment they heard a vehicle turning off Thornhill Road, then bumping along the rough driveway up to Fuller’s farm.
                  Fordham.
                  Protected in the gulley as they were, they remained out of sight.
                  “If you make a sound,” Callie threatened, “I’ll kill you. Then I’ll have to kill RJ, too.”
                  Fuller had absolutely no idea what had gotten into this woman’s head but he didn’t doubt for a second that her threat was real. He nodded solemnly, held his breath, and recited a silent prayer.
     
                  A quick look confirmed Fuller’s truck was gone but Fordham knocked on the front door anyway and called out, “Mr. Fuller, you there? Officer Fordham here… Mr. Fuller?”
                  Fordham tried the door. Locked. He walked around back. He saw nothing unusual and