The Name Game Murder: A Smiley and McBlythe Mystery by Bruce Hammack

Author:Bruce Hammack
Language: eng
Format: epub

15

“Hang on,” said Heather as she took the corner coming from the hydroponic farm.

“Hang on to what?” asked Steve as he fought against inertia.

“There’s a handle up high on your right.”

Steve groped until he found it and held on. “Has this handle always been here?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Now you tell me.”

“Sorry.” Heather’s Mercedes SUV continued to gain speed. “We’ll be coming to a stop sign in a few miles. Then we’ll turn onto the main road to Brenham. It’s a fairly straight shot into town. I’ll keep it under ninety.”

It didn’t take long before Steve grabbed the handle whenever Heather braked. They made it to the main road and continued on for several miles until traffic thickened.

“You’re slowing. We must be close to the site of the accident. Describe the terrain.”

“Rolling hills with pastures and some dense woods, especially around the creeks.”

Steve nodded to say he understood, but what did he see in his mind? She didn’t have long to wait, as he offered a plausible explanation for the wreck. “I bet there are plenty of places where someone could get a clean shot at a passing car.”

Heather jerked her gaze to the right, but only for a second. “Do you think someone shot Julie?”

His words came out guarded. “I’ve worried about her ever since we arrived and should have done something about it.”

Traffic slowed to a crawl. They inched to the crest of a hill, which gave Heather a better view. “There’s a swarm of emergency vehicles a half mile away at the bottom of the hill. Only one lane of traffic is open.”

“Tell me what you see when we get there.”

They moved forward, which eventually gave Heather a good view of the vehicle. “It’s a van from the hydroponic farm. From the damage, I’d say it rolled two or three times.” She looked to see a deputy signaling her to hurry past and clear the area.

She mashed down on the accelerator and continued talking. “It’s a new van and really torn up. They cut off the driver’s door. The front and side air bags all deployed. No sign of an ambulance, so they must have already transferred her.”

The rest of the trip passed without incident as the onboard computer directed them to the emergency entrance of Brenham’s hospital. Detective Burris awaited their arrival at the emergency entrance. “Let’s find a quiet place and I’ll fill you in.”

“Is she still alive?” asked Steve.

“Alive and coming around as they wheeled her in.”

Heather blew out a sign of guarded relief and hoped the news continued to be encouraging.

Steve asked, “Is there a place we can get a cup of coffee?”

“There’s a cafeteria.”

That’s all it took for the trio to walk down the hall and follow the signs. Heather seated Steve and joined Burris at the coffee service. “I saw the wreckage. How many times did it roll?”

“Three.”

“Let’s get back to Steve with his coffee before you tell me more. No use repeating the story.”

Once seated, Burris launched into his narrative. “They were cutting off the driver’s side door when I arrived.

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