Bullet Drop: A London Carter Novel (London Carter Mystery Series Book 4) by BJ Bourg

Author:BJ Bourg [Bourg, BJ]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Published: 2017-06-06T07:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 27

Magnolia Parish Detention Center

“In all my years of doing this,” said a somber Sheriff Chiasson, “I’ve never heard of a prisoner being killed sniper-style from the outside world.”

I nodded my agreement and pulled out my radio. “Sierra One to Sierra Two, how’s it looking?”

“Three to One,” answered Ray instead, “everything looks clear. The shooter must’ve left the area.”

“Ten-four,” I radioed. “Keep your eyes peeled. We’re heading out there now.”

After receiving a call about the shooting earlier in the morning, I had immediately dispatched Jerry and Ray to the guard tower to survey the area for hostiles. They had relieved the corrections officer who was still up there scanning the distant horizon, and I had debriefed him while Jerry and Ray used the optics atop their rifles to search for the killer.

The corrections officer was sure the killing shots had come from the trees in the distance, and he had fired—or, as we would call it, “wasted”—close to a hundred rounds in that direction. “If he’s out there, I definitely got him,” the officer had said in his statement. “I’m sure of it. I did a systematic and thorough sweep of the area. No one could’ve survived that barrage of gunfire.”

I had only nodded and made a mental note to conduct a training session for the guards stationed on the towers.

The next thing I had done was call out every other available detective—Melvin Ford, Doug Cheramie, Warren Lafont, and Karla Boudreaux (no relation to the Wellman Boudreaux clan)—and asked them to interview the two dozen prisoners who had been outside at the time of the shooting.

Now that Jerry and Ray had called the area secure, it was time to process the scene. I nodded to the sheriff that we were ready, and Rachael and I followed him from the control room, down a long corridor, and to the gate that led to the recreation yard. I held up my hand when the sheriff reached for the handle.

“With respect, this is as far as you go, Sheriff,” I said. “We’ve got it from here.”

“What are you talking about?” he asked. “Y’all are going out there, so why shouldn’t I?”

“You’re the head of the snake,” I explained. “If they get me, you simply move Jerry in my place and get a new detective to fill my slot in the bureau. If they get you, they disrupt the operation of the entire department. The parish would have to hold a special election to select a new sheriff and that would cost the taxpayers all kinds of money and time and hassle and—”

“You’ve made your point.” He sighed. “Be safe out there.”

“Always,” I said, and asked Rachael if she was ready.

She pursed her lips and nodded. “Let’s do this.”

I eased the door open and peered outside, checking all areas of cover in the recreation yard. I had every faith in Jerry and Ray and knew I could trust them with my life, but I never entered a situation without figuring an independent way out of it.

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