On The Sly: A Sylvia Wilson Mystery by Wendy Koenig

Author:Wendy Koenig [Koenig, Wendy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-02-20T00:00:00+00:00

32

Smugglers was hopping busy all night after the detectives left. The distraction of the murder pulled harder on the HomePlate team than my guys, who played it cool. Still, the third game took forever. Lots of stupid mistakes that cost my guys enough to lose. But they settled nicely and took the fourth and fifth, finishing the match for the night. The visiting players stayed and they all spent the rest of the night shooting bull and making trick shots at the table.

I still felt the malice of Garret’s stare bear down on me. I was jittery and my stomach was locked into a painful knot. More than one glass shattered on the floor at my feet. Finally Karyn pushed the mop into my hands and took over the bar work. Though the rain had stopped and the air was on, the humidity was still high, making the walls close. I kept trying to gulp in fresh air. If ever there was a case of becoming suddenly claustrophobic, it was then. Karyn said it was just a panic attack. Still, I was glad I had a late crowd to keep both my employees there with me until I left.

The volume in the bar spilled into the street as I locked up. I drove home and parked in front of the house, too tired to go around back. Even before I opened my door, I knew something was wrong. There were no happy whines or yips coming from the other side. Energy zinged through me and all thoughts of sleep left.

I stepped back from the door and crept along the edge of my house until I reached the A/C unit on the side. Behind it was a loose siding board I slid out of the way and retrieved my .357 Colt Python. Like my brother, I admired a fine firearm. The Colt was the same one used by one of the bad cops in the Clint Eastwood Dirty Harry movie, Magnum Force. I had providence on it. I hadn’t had enough money to buy Dirty Harry’s gun. Had to take what I could get. In retrospect, I wished I still had the money spent on it.

Including the Colt, I had a total of four guns at home, all registered. One of which, Bobby knew about. Two different ones Aaron knew. And certainly, no one at all knew about the fourth. I’d had the one I now gripped in my hand less than a month.

I moved to the front again, checking shadows before dodging into them. Reaching the door, I leaned into it, listening. Silent as a ball of cotton. The key slid smoothly into the lock and turned. I eased open the door. Watched and listened for any movement or noise. Nothing. I slipped my arm in and turned on my lights. The alarm was already off.

Mayhem erupted from my backyard as my dogs snarled and threw themselves at the sliding glass door with angsted fervor. I hadn’t let them out there.

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