The Mountaintop Murders by D. M. O'Byrne

Author:D. M. O'Byrne
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: innocent man accused of murder, killer targets ex marines, putting friendship and loyalty before job, ryn lowell colorado mysteries, serial killer out for revenge, small towns in colorado, travel writer solves murder
Publisher: Black Opal Books

***

Riding back toward Trout Fork, I thought about that sad, stuffy little office and those two stressed out reporters who toiled daily in that atmosphere. Not for the first time, I felt grateful to have my job. I didn’t make much money, and I’d never win a Pulitzer, but I was free and unencumbered. Hopefully, stuffy offices would never again be for me.

I had just pulled into Trout Fork when my cell phone rang.

I heard the voice of my editor. “Kathryn.”

Uh-oh. He only calls me Kathryn when he’s got a bug up his butt about something. “Good morning, Mr. Crenshaw. How are you?”

“Perturbed, Kathryn. I am perturbed.”

“I’m sorry. Anything I can do?”

“Yes. You can explain what the hell you’re doing out there. It’s been almost two weeks since your last column. And now I hear you’re still in Trout Fork.”

I wondered where he could have gotten that information. “Uh...yes, I am.”

“I just got a call from the Pineland Park Star. The editor there tells me you’re making inquiries that have nothing to do with your job. He called it unprofessional.”

“Well, I--”

His voice was uncharacteristically edgy. “Enough, Kathryn. I want you to go to Boulder for your next column. Do you know where that is?”

“Yes, sir, northwest of Denver, but I can’t--”

I thought I heard him open his desk drawer, no doubt reaching for his Rolaids. “You can’t what?”

I took a deep breath. “I can’t leave right now, sir. There’s a situation here. A friend of a friend has been killed, and another friend is in jail. I know he’s innocent. I want to help prove it.”

There was silence on the other end. Then he sighed. “I’m afraid the time has come to sever our relationship. I’m going to have to let you go.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “But, sir, I--”

“It’s no use arguing. I’ve made up my mind. Your column from the dude ranch is your last one. That check has been deposited to your account. I’m sorry it’s come to this. You’ve done good work for me--when your mind isn’t on other things. Good luck to you.”

He hung up. I stood next to the bike like a statue, unable to move or think. My heart was pounding, and a sick feeling overwhelmed me. I was broke, thousands of miles from home, and now out of a job. The future yawned before me like a dark, bottomless cavern.

Still in shock, I wandered along the path next to the café toward Alma’s cabin, which seemed like an oasis in a vast, dry desert. I went in, plopped on the sofa, and stared into the dark fireplace, not sure what to do next.

Jack must have heard me come in because he trotted out from the bedroom and hopped up on the sofa. He gazed at me with that quizzical look he gets when he doesn’t know what the plan is. When I picked him up, he hugged my shoulder with his paws, nuzzling my ear and purring loudly. His furry warmth comforted me as I stroked him.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.