If you haven't read the prelude or the previous chapters you might want to scroll down and read them. Please let me know what you think.
SYNOPSIS: Jason Franco is an aspiring novelist stuck in a dead-end job working for a newspaper in a small town where nothing exciting happens until someone rapes and murders a young woman only eighteen years old. All evidence points to the woman's boyfriend who confesses to the crime. Jason is assigned to write a follow-up story for the paper and soon suspects that the local police are covering up for one of their own. Jason enlists the help from a high school classmate who works at the state crime and the two soon fall in love. Jason and his girlfriend, Tina, follow the leads, and Jason finds himself a target for the rapist turned murderer. An attempt on Jason's life puts him in the hospital as the alleged rapist commits suicide. An unexpected turn of events put Jason back in the cross hairs of a different killer.
Press Conference at OrthoColorado Hospital
Art drove down to Denver to attend the press conference at OrthoColorado Hospital. He was early, so he found the hospital cafeteria to for a bite of lunch. As he entered, Sean saw him and waved. Art sat down at Sean’s table.
“Here for the press conference?” asked Sean.
“Yeah, but I also wanted to say hi to Jason. How’s he doing?”
“He’ll be okay. The broken leg is the worst part.”
“Yeah, too bad,” said Art. “Hey, the FBI found those missing pubic hairs. They sent them to the lab yesterday.”
“Holy Toledo! That should wrap things up nicely. Where were they?”
“They found them in Jeri’s desk,” answered Art. “Can you believe it?”
“Nothing about this case surprises me.” Sean’s cellphone rang. Sean looked at the caller ID. “Hold on. It’s Tina. Hello, this is Sean.”
“Sean, Tina. The FBI brought in the pubic hairs yesterday, and we finished testing them last night. You’re not going to believe this.”
“Yeah, Art is with me now. He told me that he found them in Jeri’s desk. So, is it Jeri’s DNA?”
“No. It’s Marini’s DNA. She’s the rapist.”
“What! Are you sure? It that even possible?”
“Dyanna and I tested them three times. There’s no doubt. The FBI put out an APB for her arrest. They think she's heading for Canada. That' where Cruse was going. He tried to make the FBI believe he was heading for Mexico. Are you with Jason?”
“No. I’ll go tell him.” Sean hung up.
“Did I hear right?” asked Art. “The DNA turned out to Naomi’s?”
“Yeah. Did you also hear the FBI thinks she's going to Canada?”
Art was stunned. “Sean, she's not going to Canada. She's here. She drove down yesterday. She was going to meet me here. Is there a guard on Jason?”
“No!” Sean jumped up.
“Shit!” yelled Art as he jumped up. “What room?”
“913,” answered Sean as the two ran to find the elevators. When they found them, they waited at a bank of elevators that seemed to take forever.
“This is too slow,” said a frustrated Art. “I'm taking the stairs.”
“I can't keep up with you. Go ahead. I'll be there as soon as I can.”
Art sprinted up the stairs as fast as he could, two steps at a time. He reached the ninth floor out of breath and ran down the hall looking for room 913. When he found it, he drew his weapon and cautiously opened the door.
“Freeze!” Art stood in the doorway aiming his service revolver at Naomi. “Don’t move or I'll shoot you, Naomi. Believe me, I will shoot you.”
Sean arrived out of breath and stood behind Art. “We know you and Jeri raped and killed Littlefield. We have the lost evidence. It's over, Naomi.”
“It’s not over until I say it’s over,” yelled Naomi. “You won’t kill your sister, dear brother. You always were a ball-less wonder.
Sean stepped up next to Art and placed his hand on top of Art's 38 with his thumb between the hammer and the chamber. “Don't do it, Art. Not you. Let me have the gun.”
Art let Sean take the gun from his shaking hands. Tears began to run down his cheeks.
“Ha,” laughed Naomi. “So are you going to shoot me, Mr. Tyler? You don't have the balls either.” She struck the match.
Sean fired once. His shot struck Naomi dead center of her forehead. The back of her skull blew off, striking the window and shattering the glass. She was knocked backwards against the wall and slid down onto the floor with the match still in her hand. Sean rushed to Jason and checked for a pulse. He found none. He placed Art's gun on the floor, knelt down and raised his arms. He wanted to keep the rushing agents from shooting him. Agent Jane was the first to enter the room. She had her pistol out and pointed at Sean.
Art rushed over to Naomi to extinguish the match still in Naomi's hand. “He's okay,” he shouted at agent Jane. “He shot her. She was trying to kill Jason.”
“Clear!” yelled Jane as she holstered her weapon. “We need medics in here now!” She rushed over to Art. He was sitting on the floor rocking and crying with Naomi's body in his arms. Her blood was all over his chest. She placed her hand on his shoulder. “Are you injured, Officer Boyd?”
Art shook his head. Nurses, doctors, and police rushed into the room.
“Okay, we need to process this crime scene. I need you to put her down and step back.”
Art looked up at Jane. He tried to form words but it took a few tries. “She was my sister.”
“What?”
“My sister. She was my sister.”
“He's telling you that Naomi is, was, his half-sister,” interjected Sean. The FBI had him in handcuffs.
“Damn,” said Jane. “I didn't know.” She knelt down by Art and placed her hand on his shoulder. “You take your time. When you're ready, please sit over there.” She pointed to a chair on the opposite side of the room.
Art sat on the floor holding Naomi's body for another five minutes. He started to stand up. Jane and another agent helped him up and guided him to the chair. By this time, the FBI had taken the cuffs off Sean and began to get his statement.
Art moved over to Sean. “Thanks for helping me. I couldn't shoot my sister. If you hadn't acted, she would have killed Jason.”
Sean nodded. “And I'm sorry I ever suspected you.”
Agent Jane put her hand on Art's shoulder. “You ready to give me your statement?”
Art looked up at Jane. “Yeah, I guess so. Let's get it over with.”
Jane nodded her head for Art to follow her, and the two left Sean alone with Jason.
# # # #
SYNOPSIS: Jason Franco is an aspiring novelist stuck in a dead-end job working for a newspaper in a small town where nothing exciting happens until someone rapes and murders a young woman only eighteen years old. All evidence points to the woman's boyfriend who confesses to the crime. Jason is assigned to write a follow-up story for the paper and soon suspects that the local police are covering up for one of their own. Jason enlists the help from a high school classmate who works at the state crime and the two soon fall in love. Jason and his girlfriend, Tina, follow the leads, and Jason finds himself a target for the rapist turned murderer. An attempt on Jason's life puts him in the hospital as the alleged rapist commits suicide. An unexpected turn of events put Jason back in the cross hairs of a different killer.
Press Conference at OrthoColorado Hospital
Art drove down to Denver to attend the press conference at OrthoColorado Hospital. He was early, so he found the hospital cafeteria to for a bite of lunch. As he entered, Sean saw him and waved. Art sat down at Sean’s table.
“Here for the press conference?” asked Sean.
“Yeah, but I also wanted to say hi to Jason. How’s he doing?”
“He’ll be okay. The broken leg is the worst part.”
“Yeah, too bad,” said Art. “Hey, the FBI found those missing pubic hairs. They sent them to the lab yesterday.”
“Holy Toledo! That should wrap things up nicely. Where were they?”
“They found them in Jeri’s desk,” answered Art. “Can you believe it?”
“Nothing about this case surprises me.” Sean’s cellphone rang. Sean looked at the caller ID. “Hold on. It’s Tina. Hello, this is Sean.”
“Sean, Tina. The FBI brought in the pubic hairs yesterday, and we finished testing them last night. You’re not going to believe this.”
“Yeah, Art is with me now. He told me that he found them in Jeri’s desk. So, is it Jeri’s DNA?”
“No. It’s Marini’s DNA. She’s the rapist.”
“What! Are you sure? It that even possible?”
“Dyanna and I tested them three times. There’s no doubt. The FBI put out an APB for her arrest. They think she's heading for Canada. That' where Cruse was going. He tried to make the FBI believe he was heading for Mexico. Are you with Jason?”
“No. I’ll go tell him.” Sean hung up.
“Did I hear right?” asked Art. “The DNA turned out to Naomi’s?”
“Yeah. Did you also hear the FBI thinks she's going to Canada?”
Art was stunned. “Sean, she's not going to Canada. She's here. She drove down yesterday. She was going to meet me here. Is there a guard on Jason?”
“No!” Sean jumped up.
“Shit!” yelled Art as he jumped up. “What room?”
“913,” answered Sean as the two ran to find the elevators. When they found them, they waited at a bank of elevators that seemed to take forever.
“This is too slow,” said a frustrated Art. “I'm taking the stairs.”
“I can't keep up with you. Go ahead. I'll be there as soon as I can.”
Art sprinted up the stairs as fast as he could, two steps at a time. He reached the ninth floor out of breath and ran down the hall looking for room 913. When he found it, he drew his weapon and cautiously opened the door.
“Freeze!” Art stood in the doorway aiming his service revolver at Naomi. “Don’t move or I'll shoot you, Naomi. Believe me, I will shoot you.”
Sean arrived out of breath and stood behind Art. “We know you and Jeri raped and killed Littlefield. We have the lost evidence. It's over, Naomi.”
“It’s not over until I say it’s over,” yelled Naomi. “You won’t kill your sister, dear brother. You always were a ball-less wonder.
Sean stepped up next to Art and placed his hand on top of Art's 38 with his thumb between the hammer and the chamber. “Don't do it, Art. Not you. Let me have the gun.”
Art let Sean take the gun from his shaking hands. Tears began to run down his cheeks.
“Ha,” laughed Naomi. “So are you going to shoot me, Mr. Tyler? You don't have the balls either.” She struck the match.
Sean fired once. His shot struck Naomi dead center of her forehead. The back of her skull blew off, striking the window and shattering the glass. She was knocked backwards against the wall and slid down onto the floor with the match still in her hand. Sean rushed to Jason and checked for a pulse. He found none. He placed Art's gun on the floor, knelt down and raised his arms. He wanted to keep the rushing agents from shooting him. Agent Jane was the first to enter the room. She had her pistol out and pointed at Sean.
Art rushed over to Naomi to extinguish the match still in Naomi's hand. “He's okay,” he shouted at agent Jane. “He shot her. She was trying to kill Jason.”
“Clear!” yelled Jane as she holstered her weapon. “We need medics in here now!” She rushed over to Art. He was sitting on the floor rocking and crying with Naomi's body in his arms. Her blood was all over his chest. She placed her hand on his shoulder. “Are you injured, Officer Boyd?”
Art shook his head. Nurses, doctors, and police rushed into the room.
“Okay, we need to process this crime scene. I need you to put her down and step back.”
Art looked up at Jane. He tried to form words but it took a few tries. “She was my sister.”
“What?”
“My sister. She was my sister.”
“He's telling you that Naomi is, was, his half-sister,” interjected Sean. The FBI had him in handcuffs.
“Damn,” said Jane. “I didn't know.” She knelt down by Art and placed her hand on his shoulder. “You take your time. When you're ready, please sit over there.” She pointed to a chair on the opposite side of the room.
Art sat on the floor holding Naomi's body for another five minutes. He started to stand up. Jane and another agent helped him up and guided him to the chair. By this time, the FBI had taken the cuffs off Sean and began to get his statement.
Art moved over to Sean. “Thanks for helping me. I couldn't shoot my sister. If you hadn't acted, she would have killed Jason.”
Sean nodded. “And I'm sorry I ever suspected you.”
Agent Jane put her hand on Art's shoulder. “You ready to give me your statement?”
Art looked up at Jane. “Yeah, I guess so. Let's get it over with.”
Jane nodded her head for Art to follow her, and the two left Sean alone with Jason.
# # # #
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