DRIVEN: A Rita Mars Thriller by Webster Valerie

Author:Webster, Valerie [Webster, Valerie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Valerie Webster
Published: 2021-05-24T16:00:00+00:00

♏

Trisha Ellis lived in a townhouse community a few blocks from the Washington beltway exit for White Oak. Officially the name of the neighborhood was Woodmoor, but if anyone were asked, it was Silver Spring. The area was a mix, packed with traffic and checkered by ethnic enclaves within a predominantly white middle class assortment of individual homes and townhouses. It reflected the typical Washington suburban lack of planning.

Rita pulled into the narrow lanes of the Springview community and immediately ducked to begin checking house numbers. Trisha had given directions, a cul-de-sac off the right past the entrance. As she cruised, Rita noticed a commotion at the bare patch of ground graced by a metal swing set and jungle gym.

“Hey.” Rita flattened the brake and left her car in park in the middle of the road. She dashed toward the playground. It was slippery running in the soft loafers and she could feel gravel punching in on the soles.

“Get the hell out of here.” Rita yanked the arm of one boy, about twelve, who, with two others, were pushing and taunting a little girl.

“You can’t touch me,” the boy yelled in defiance. Rita’s appearance arrested the progress of the bullying while the little girl, an Indian child of around ten, stood shivering and crying in the center.

Now one of the other boys yelled at Rita. “Yeah, I’ll tell my mother and she’ll call the cops.” Although the boys were younger, they had almost as much body weight and they started to gather around Rita as a target.

“I am a cop, you jerk.” Rita reached inside her jacket and flipped her private investigator’s ID, hoping they were too stupid to pay close attention. “Now beat it.”

“Police brutality,” shouted one of the boys, but all three took a step back.

“I’ll show you police brutality if you don’t get out of here,” she said in a strong firm voice as she guided the sobbing girl behind her. “I’ll pound your mushy little heads so hard you’ll have to breathe out of your butts.”

This idea must have captured their imaginations. The boys continued to glare, but took a few more retreating steps.

“Outta here,” Rita said.

The boys went, though slowly and looking back more than once to mumble threats.

Rita gave the girl a tissue to blow her nose. The child murmured a shy thanks and then ran away to safety.

“Land of the free, home of the brave,” Rita said to herself as she slid behind the wheel of her Jeep.

Trisha Ellis was a tired blonde who at one time had probably been the Homecoming Queen. She still had a good figure, but the blonde hair was limp and tied back haphazardly and her blue eyes had the deep crow’s feet of too much to do and too much to bear. The old school enthusiasm was the single constant.

“Can I get you something to drink?” Trisha asked. “Coffee, soda?”

“No thanks,” Rita said. “And I’ll try to be brief. I appreciate your time.”

“Please excuse the house, I just got off work and everything’s a mess.

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