Low Men by Gransom Hayes

Author:Gransom Hayes
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: psychological suspense, romantic suspense, crime fiction, psychological thriller, murder mystery, suspense novel
Publisher: Gransom Hayes
Published: 2023-08-22T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

Back at his empty bungalow, Mark felt a twinge of sadness at being alone. He called the vet and asked after his new pet. They informed him she was perfectly fine, dipped, bathed, and all shots had been updated. They even had the tags ready. Upon dropping her off, the clerk had asked of the dog's name. Without thinking, Mark had simply replied, "Dawn." He'd thought that seemed appropriate enough.

Mark arrived at the vet, empty leash in hand, to find a transformed doggy, happy to see him. They equipped him with food and water bowls, a very large bag of Science Diet, various treats, and other necessities. Soon they were back at the bungalow, Mark on the couch watching sports, Dawn laying on the floor next to him. Slade's hand dangled off the edge, gently rubbing her fur as she slept. He thought back to why Melody had liked the place so much. One of the reasons was that it had a dog door already installed that led out into the small backyard. After several failed attempts and more than a few treat incentives, Dawn had finally gotten the hang of it.

Soon after that, a hefty Chinese delivery arrived, enough for a solid meal and more. Now stuffed with egg rolls and lo mein, Mark restocked the refrigerator with the leftovers and settled back on the couch with the TV. He began to doze off, and thoughts of Melody filled his mind, replaying in his subconscious events he'd been trying to file away for months.

After visiting a retired aunt living in The Villages, Melody had been driving home on the Florida Turnpike at night. Just West of Orlando, she ran off the road for an unknown reason and her car flipped into a retention pond that was near a much larger lake notorious for alligator infestation. Melody had freed herself but drowned trying to free their daughter, Aria, from the car seat in the back. Mel had been found in the gap between the front and back seats. Although the straps of the child seat were undone, Aria's body was never recovered. It was assumed she had also drowned and been taken by alligators. Mark, Janey, Zeus, and family had watched as they buried an empty casket next to Melody.

After the car was pulled from the pond, it was discovered that the vehicle had damage on the driver's side. Paint was found that did not match Melody's car. Mark knew her car was undamaged when she left. Although not everyone believed it, Mark became convinced that Mel had been run off the road. With the help of Janey and Zeus, he had pursued the investigation for months, only to come up empty-handed. No witnesses, video, or anything else. Only... despair...

The sharp sounds of a commercial woke Mark from his fitful afternoon nap. He picked up his phone and saw he had a text from Zeus. He was meeting some friends downtown for a little pre-game at the bar. Mark let him know he'd be there soon.

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