The Silent Boy (Emma McPherson Book 1) by A.J. Flynn

Author:A.J. Flynn [Flynn, A.J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-03-12T22:00:00+00:00

XIV

There wasn’t much going on at the police station. The officers either hadn’t come back yet or had returned and left again before McPherson arrived.

The murder was the most important thing on the agenda, but that didn’t mean other crimes had ceased.

She glanced over the various complaints that had been sent, as she waited for the desk officer to check if she had had any calls.

There had been three holdups, one of which involved the violent pistol whipping of a grocery clerk, three wife beatings, and five noise complaints, vicious dogs and other equally routine things.

“Just one call, Lieutenant,” the man said, passing her a slip of paper.

“Thanks,” she said absently. The call was from Liam asking him to call her once she got back.

She picked up an outside line and dialed his number. The warm familiar glow of anticipation she always felt whenever she was about to talk to Liam washed over her. It felt good, but it always made her feel somewhat uncomfortable, because she thought herself too old for such foolishness.

“Mr. Brighton,” she said, when he finally answered, “this is Lieutenant McPherson. You left a call for me?”

“Yes, Lieutenant,” he answered seriously, “I would like to know if you’ll be coming home for dinner, and if so, to ask you to bring home some cigarettes and whipped cream.”

“I’m on my way. Put on a pot of coffee.”

“See you soon,” he answered.

Liam’s apartment was located near the heart of town, so she walked over. The building was ugly and drab from the outside. Grime and smoke from the years covered the blood red brick, and the architecture was unimaginative.

The largest portion of the first floor was occupied by a dry cleaner and bakery, with the door leading to the upstairs apartments squeezed in between them.

There was a dim foyer that held two antique chairs and provided access to a creaky self-service elevator. McPherson stepped into it quickly. The automatic door had a frightening way of snapping at you once you were halfway through. She tapped the button for three and waited while the cables squealed and snarled the cage upward.

The third floor hallway was even more gloomy than the foyer. The walls were a washed-out brown and deeply cracked, and the soiled carpet had been worn threadbare down the center. There was a musty smell that let the occupant know that the place hadn’t endured fresh air for a long time.

Emma knocked on Liam’s door, just as she had done countless times before in the five years they’d known each other. As always, it felt like coming home.

Emma lived, or rather slept, in a single room of a rooming house. Whenever her work permitted, she ate with Liam at the apartment or took him out to eat. Other times she had her meals at whatever restaurant was closest. Her dream was that one day she and Liam might live together in a home of their own. Unlike some, though, their dream was close to coming true.

Together, they nearly

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.