“Those photographs were horrible,” she had said of Ty’s injuries. “Once a jury sees what they did to that poor man, they’ll convict them in thirty minutes and sentence them to death in fifteen.”
As I slid the crime lab reports into the protective sleeves that were attached to my three-ring binder, I glanced at the clock on the corner of my computer screen. It was almost midnight on Friday and I should’ve been home, but I needed to get this report out before Monday.
I had been waiting on the final lab reports to come in so I could complete the case file and have it sent to the district attorney’s office. Thankfully, the last of the reports had finally arrived today.
My desk phone rang and I picked it up. I knew only Susan would be calling my desk at this hour.
“When are you coming home?” she asked impatiently. “We’re already packed. You need to pack your shit tonight so we can leave first thing tomorrow morning.”
I explained that I was just finishing up the case and I would be home shortly. “I was filing the last of the lab reports. I’ll leave it on Amy’s desk. She said she’d deliver it for me.”
Although she wouldn’t be running any marathons anytime in the near future, Amy was walking with much more confidence and she had come back to work the Monday after the parade.
“Were there any surprises in the lab reports?” Susan asked.
“Nope,” I said. “Dillon’s DNA was matched to the unidentified profile from the extension cord. Ty’s DNA was found on Dillon’s tire thumper, on his knife, in the back of his truck, and on his shoes. Ty’s DNA was also found on Nikia’s shoes.”
“I never thought I’d say this, but I feel bad for Dillon.”
“I know what you mean. He did some unspeakable things to Ty, but he did it thinking the man had defiled his wife.” I scowled. “To be honest, if I thought someone had done that to you, I don’t know if I wouldn’t do the same thing to the suspect.”
She grunted. “I know for a fact you’d do worse.”
“Well, if there was ever an example of why vigilante justice doesn’t work, it would be this case.”
Susan started to respond, but my cell phone began ringing.
“No,” she said forcefully, “don’t you dare answer that phone! We’re going to Gatlinburg come hell or high water.”
I glanced at the display screen. “Hold on, it’s Mallory.”
Without hanging up with Susan, who was on my left ear, I put the cell phone to my right ear.
“What’s going on, Mallory?” I asked tentatively, hoping she wasn’t calling for help. I didn’t want to tell her no if she needed assistance, but the tone in Susan’s voice told me I’d better not disappoint her.
“I know you’re leaving for vacation in the morning, but I thought you’d want to know,” she began in an official-sounding voice. “We just found Nikia Billiot dead in the shower at the detention center. Dillon Watts somehow got access to his area and went all Lorena Bobbitt on him with a dull toothbrush. Nikia bled out before the guards could get to him.”
“What a damn shame,” I said flatly, and ended the call.
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NOVELS BY BJ BOURG
Clint Wolf Mysteries
But Not Forgotten
But Not Forgiven
But Not Forsaken
But Not Forever
But Not For Naught
But Not Forbidden
But Not Forlorn
But Not Formidable
But Not For Love
But Not Forborne
But Not Forewarned
But Not Foreboding
But Not Forespoken
But Not For Blood
But Not Foreknown
But Not Fortuitous
But Not For Fear
But Not Foreseen
But Not For Lust
London Carter Mysteries
James 516
Proving Grounds
Silent Trigger
Bullet Drop
Elevation
Blood Rise
About the Author
BJ Bourg is a former professional boxer and a lifelong martial artist who hails from the swamps of Louisiana. A thirty-year veteran of law enforcement, he has worked as a patrol cop, a detective, a detective sergeant and a police academy instructor. He successfully investigated all types of felony cases and trained hundreds of law enforcement officers in self-defense, firearms, and criminal operations. In October of 2020, he retired as chief investigator for a district attorney’s office in order to pursue his boyhood dream of becoming a fulltime writer.
Throughout his career, Bourg has served on many specialized units such as SWAT, Explosives Search Team, and Homicide Response Team. He founded his agency’s sniper program and served as its leader and trainer for nearly a decade. A graduate of seven basic and advanced sniper schools, he deployed as the primary sniper on dozens of call-outs, including barricaded subjects, hostage rescue operations, and fugitive apprehensions. He also served as the sniper instructor for the 2001 Louisiana Tactical Police Officers Association’s Conference.
Bourg has been the recipient of numerous awards, including Top Shooter at an FBI Sniper School, the Distinguished Service Medal, and Certificates of Commendation for his work as a homicide detective. He is a public speaker and has also written dozens of articles for law enforcement magazines that covered a wide range of topics such as defensive tactics, sniper deployment, suspect interrogation, report writing, and more. Above all else, he is a father and a husband, and the highlight of his life is spending time with his beautiful wife and wonderful children. Nowadays, he splits his time between Lafourche Parish, Louisiana and Tellico Plains, Tennessee while working on his next novel—whatever it might be.
https://www.bjbourg.com
