“Did you know Margot has a solid alibi for that night?” Radcliff added.
Anderson drew his gun. So did everyone else—except Margot, who had given hers to Ames when she turned herself in. Anderson swung the weapon her way, but Radcliff stepped in front of her with his gun raised.
Everyone held their fire. Anderson moved his gun from one person to the other as the three cops kept him in their sights.
“Come on Anderson,” Ames told him, “You don’t want to go out like this.”
“I don’t?” Anderson said as he put the gun under his own chin and pulled the trigger.
Rodriguez shook her head and sat down.
“I knew we shouldn’t have done this in my office,” she said as she put her gun away.
Chapter 14
“You still awake?” Radcliff asked as they both laid on his bed in the dark.
“Yeah.”
“You should be exhausted. You’ve been up nearly twenty-four hours.”
“I could be in jail right now while the D.A. charges me with a double homicide. Assuming no one shanked me already.”
“It didn’t happen though.”
“True, and I didn’t get shot in that drive-by either, but it would be nice to get a night in without someone trying to kill me.”
“It’s after midnight, you’re at my place. I think you’ll make it.”
“Do you think Anderson really killed Masterson and Rita Helms?”
“He had the murder weapon. Otherwise, he couldn’t have planted it at your place. He had motive and opportunity. He most definitely killed Lucas who was probably helping him. And I don’t think he would have shot himself in the face for no reason.”
“Worked out for Phoebe.”
“Maybe that’s because she didn’t do anything wrong?”
“Maybe. If she did, she got away with it and I don’t like that part.”
“Sometimes people get away,” Radcliff said. “Honestly, while I think Phoebe is capable of a lot of truly bad things, I don’t see her doing that. I never did, and nothing that’s happened has changed my mind.”
“I wish I could be as sure.”
“Yeah, but on the bright side, even if she was involved, I’d say for her it was a one-time thing.”
“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”
“It’s what I tell myself when I let one get away.”
“Does it help?”
“With a couple of shots of Patron, it’s pretty effective. Do you think Anderson set up the drive-by? He’d have known someone willing to do it.”
“I’ve been thinking about it and no. He had no reason to worry about me at that point. He wasn’t even on my radar.”
“He knew you were investigating, and he knew you found Lucas.”
“True, but I think he’d be more about the frame job. He didn’t save the murder weapon as a souvenir. He was going to plant it on somebody at some point.”
“True. You sure it wasn’t Mal?”
“He could have killed me anytime and while it wouldn’t stand up in court when he told me he wouldn’t do it that way, I believed him.”
“So, who?”
“I don’t know, and I don’t know what Mal is up to. Two more reasons not to sleep. I just have a bad feeling this isn’t really over.”
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EXCERPT FROM BOOK 8 – TWISTED HOPES
“If you’re right, you need to quit all this YouTube crap. I know you’re getting some views and even making some scratch, but it ain’t worth it,” Trevor told her.
He was still wearing his uniform from working the graveyard shift at 7-11. Normally, he went back to his own place after a graveyard shift and drank a few beers to help him sleep. Instead, he was at his parent’s house where he’d put up Cassie last night before he went to work. She’d called him yesterday sounding scared, which was weird for her in Trevor’s experience. He’d suggested his parents' place since they were out of town and to his surprise she’d agreed.
“It’s not about the money,” Cassie replied.
Trevor shook his head and took a deep breath. When Cassie said stupid shit like this, he tended to tell her so in ways that no one would describe as diplomatic. It was one of the reasons she’d broken up with him. Now, she’d come to him for help and he didn’t want to blow any chance they had of getting back together by saying something that would piss her off.
After taking another breath, he told her, “Whatever you get out of it, I guarantee it’s not worth dying for.”
Cassie couldn’t really argue with him. As much as she loved being the host of Cassie’s Coastal Crime Report, she had to admit she loved being alive just a little more.
“I’ll be fine,” she said as sat at the kitchen table and booted up her laptop. “No one will find me here.”
It was Trevor’s turn not to argue. He didn’t figure anyone would track her to his parent’s house. Since they were in Hawaii all week, she would have the place to herself.
“What are you doing?”
“Putting the finishing touches on the newest episode.”
“Uh, weren’t we just discussing how you should be calling it quits?”
“Yeah, but I’ve already got this one put together. There’s no reason not to post it. In fact, maybe this will give whoever it is second thoughts.”
“Unlikely.”
“Yeah, but it won’t make it worse.”
Cassie’s phone buzzed. She checked the screen and typed in a short reply. She set the phone on the counter and continued posting her latest video.
The doorbell rang.
“Are you expecting someone?” Cassie asked.
“No, maybe just something from Amazon. My mom probably ordered something.”
“While she was in Hawaii?”
“It’s kind of an addiction for her. You should see all the crap in
