Drone: An Eli Quinn Mystery Page 11
“Looks like he was one of those bad cops, but as it stands the evidence is circumstantial.”
“Him being dead makes it hard to go to trial.”
“Indeed. And maybe saves Otto’s ass.”
“Otto involved?”
“We’ll never know,” she said.
“Slippery bastard.”
“Indeed,” she said. “But honestly, I don’t figure him for it.”
“Much as he’d like to see Jackie Brand out of the picture, he’s probably smart enough not to order a hit on a politician.”
“Probably,” she said.
“Beach doing all right?”
“He figures he'll get a formal reprimand for doing law stuff in another county, and there will be the routine internal investigation triggered when any officer fires his weapon. There probably won’t be a parade, but he’s not expecting to get fired or jailed. He said to tell you to expect a full inquiry on what the hell you think you were doing, but he put a good word in for you and said to call him if you need bail money.”
“He did good,” I said, swallowing some sudden emotions related to the danger I’d put the two of them in. “You too.”
“And Solo,” she said. His ears perked up.
“And Solo.” His ears perked up again.
“Quinn?”
I listened. We stared at Pinnacle Peak. She didn’t finish the thought.
“I know,” I said. “But it worked out. I’m OK. You’re OK. We’re here. We did something worth doing.”
“Let’s not do it like that again. I don’t know if I can.”
“Sure you can,” I said. “But we’ll try not to.”
Without looking, I reached out with my left hand and found her right. Her palm was up, resting on the arm of the chair. Her fingers were curled up slightly. I brushed her fingers, then let my fingers rest in her palm. She let me. I wasn’t sure how she’d react. I wasn’t sure how I’d react. A moment went by, everything and nothing. Then it occurred to me that I hadn’t thought of Jess in that moment, nor at all in the past 24 hours. As I let the memories and images come in, they didn’t shake me like they used to. They were warm and pleasant. I was comfortable with them being there, and Jess seemed OK with it, too, so I let them linger, then fade.
Sam was still. The quiet got quieter. I felt a small but distinct electric current run from her palm, through my fingers to my shoulders and down my spine. Then she curled her fingers and squeezed mine. And I let her.
5 DAYS TO LANDFALL
COMING NOV. 14, 2016 FROM
ROBERT ROY BRITT
“A vigorous tale in which a violent, inescapable storm terrorizes everyone, even the villains. Perspectives from multiple characters are a worthy setup for an exhilarating final act, with a relentless hurricane and a frighteningly high body count.”
— Kirkus Reviews
“A page-turner … 5 DAYS TO LANDFALL masterfully blends a fictional thriller with science and history.”
— Bestsellerworld.com
This novel, Britt’s first thriller, is based on real hurricane science and the state of technology, politics and preparedness of 1999. The book jacket blurb:
Amanda Cole, the nation’s top hurricane forecaster, understands nature’s biggest storms better than anyone. And this one terrifies her. New York City is completely unprepared.
The year is 1999. History has been largely forgotten. Residents dismiss the risks, and officials have no evacuation plan. Yet the storm long feared by scientists is barreling toward the city. Meanwhile, a mysterious plot is afoot to sabotage the forecast and any last-ditch efforts to evacuate.
With both her daughter and father in the hurricane’s path, Amanda must unravel the mystery while she races ahead of the fast-moving monster to save her family—and all of New York.
5 DAYS TO LANDFALL will be out in paperback and ebook Nov. 14. You can preorder the ebook now or sign up for the author’s newsletter for updates.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Robert Roy Britt is the author of Closure, Drone and First Kill (coming Oct. 17), the first three books in the Eli Quinn detective mystery series, and the short prequel Murder Mountain. His thriller 5 Days to Landfall will publish Nov. 14, 2016. He lives in Arizona with his wife, their youngest son and two dogs. You can visit his website at robertroybritt.com or follow him on Facebook or Twitter. Or sign up for his newsletter.
If you liked this book, please review it on Amazon or at Goodreads. Reviews help sell books and allow Eli Quinn to take on more cases.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I’m indebted to my sharp-eyed editor, Lauren Craft, for fixes big and small. To my fellow authors at the Internet Writing Workshop—Mark, Robin, Silvia, Jennifer, Elaine, Bob, Mairhi, Carmel, Michele, Bill, Virginia, Francene, Elma, Tim and others—a huge thanks for your enthusiasm, expertise and encouragement. Your critiques helped shape and sharpen this story in too many ways to count. And Mom, you’re an awesome beta reader. Solo digs you.