Jumping the Shark E-Book

Heather Silvio

• Herausgeber: Panther Books
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Serie: Paranormal Talent Agency
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 123

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Beschreibung

A demon with precognitive abilities on the fritz finds herself unjustly accused of murder, and risks her heart to join her angel ex-boyfriend to stop the real killer.

Demon Barbara Knollman enjoys her reign as the head of Las Vegas and barely tolerates the necessity of running for office. But when her precognitive abilities save her from an attack on the candidates, she becomes both target and suspect.

Uncertain of her next steps, Barbara agrees to help angel Liam Collins stop a supernatural being hellbent on taking control of the paranormal world by whatever means necessary. And wonders if she’s heading down a path of no return.

Accused of murder and with her demonic powers on the fritz, Barbara allows Liam to convince her to team with the Paranormal Talent Agency. Can Barbara clear her name, stop a killer… and open her dark heart to true love?

Paranormal Mystery & Flirty Romance

This is the fifth book in the Paranormal Talent Agency series. Much like on television, each episode contains a complete sweet paranormal romance and supernatural murder mystery. But the crossover characters and hints of a larger story suggest reading these in order.

Scroll up and one click Jumping the Shark today.

Leseprobe

Jumping the Shark

Paranormal Talent Agency

Book 5

Heather Silvio

Panther Books

Contents

Books By Heather Silvio

About This Book

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Epilogue

Thank you!

About the Author

Acknowledgments

Books By Heather Silvio

PARANORMAL TALENT AGENCY

Lights, Camera, Action (Episode One)

Reset to One (Episode Two)

That’s a Wrap (Episode Three)

An Unexpected Sequel (Episode Four)

Jumping the Shark (Episode Five)

The Season Finale (Episode Six)

NON-SERIES FICTION

Not Quite Famous: A Romantic Comedy of an Actress on the Edge

Beyond the Abyss: Tales of the Supernatural

Courting Death

NONFICTION

Special Snowflake Syndrome: The Unrecognized Personality Disorder Destroying the World

Happiness by the Numbers: 9 Steps to Authentic Happiness

Stress Disorders: A Healing Path for PTSD

About This Book

Demon Barbara Knollman enjoys her reign as the head of Las Vegas and barely tolerates the necessity of running for office. But when her precognitive abilities save her from an attack on the candidates, she becomes both target and suspect.

Uncertain of her next steps, Barbara agrees to help angel Liam Collins stop a supernatural being hellbent on taking control of the paranormal world by whatever means necessary. And wonders if she’s heading down a path of no return.

Accused of murder and with her demonic powers on the fritz, Barbara allows Liam to convince her to team with the Paranormal Talent Agency. Can Barbara clear her name, stop a killer… and open her dark heart to true love?

ChapterOne

Humanity drove me bananas; how hard was it to do what a demon wanted? I glanced at the humans surrounding me. They seemed so excited to support my bid for Mayor, after my years representing them on the city council. Of course, they didn’t know I was a demon.

Tonight was a big night for all of us – the final debate before the primary elections in only one week. I was hanging out with my campaign volunteers to show my thanks for their support, but the metal folding chairs in campaign headquarters were uncomfortable. Who ordered these wretched things?

“Barbara, we’ll be getting on the bus in about an hour. Need to leave in thirty minutes.”

The voice interrupted my pointless wandering thoughts and I focused on the young woman standing before me, brown eyes wide behind bright red glasses. “Thank you, Lynn.” I stood and stretched my arms to the side. Taking the form of a middle-aged human somehow brought aches and pains with it. Not cool. “I’ll be in my office. Please come get me when it’s time.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Lynn Fox, my campaign manager, walked away and I watched her confer with two volunteers. I smiled at the volunteers I passed on my way to my office, and closed the door firmly behind me. And sighed. I understood why they wanted the candidates to arrive together; it made for a better visual. On the other hand, that meant extra travel time to meet the bus.

Unlike in campaigns past, this debate had importance. There were four challengers for the position. I normally wouldn’t care, except that, for the supernatural, the head of the city council is also usually the ruler of the underworld. I’d been the unofficial head of the city council because the current mayor was a human, and an idiot. But he was stepping down. I couldn’t risk a supernatural taking his place who might not want to recognize the existing power structure. I wasn’t planning on giving up my status as Ruler of the Supernatural Underworld.

One of the challengers was a popular local actor, Jeffrey Jenkins. He’d been getting a lot of press lately. That made me nervous, though I still expected to be victorious. It was my destiny. I sighed again. I needed to do well in the debate tonight to solidify my position. Polls showed the two of us running neck and neck, with a fellow supernatural a close third. He was an interesting one, Mark Mammon. Though I hadn’t met him yet.

A mist swirled before me and I braced myself. The mist existed only in my mind, and signaled an impending premonition. I closed my eyes and waited. My mind’s eye showed me the bus for the debate tonight. Hmm. As future me walked toward the bus, movement became tortured. I trudged forward, fighting against the feeling of walking through molasses, knowing I needed to get on that bus. It became too difficult. Future me stopped fighting and froze, a weight lifted. I watched the bus doors close and the bus drive away. Part of me felt like I should call after it; I couldn’t not get on the bus. I needed to be at the debate. But, future me felt relieved.

Present me snapped her eyes open in the office. The premonition was over. Now to figure out what it meant. I tapped my fingers on the plastic folding table before me. This could be tricky.

Everything had fallen apart in the past three months. After literally hundreds of years of accurate premonitions, things had become wonky. Only a few months ago, even my minion had been able to break her pact with me. I narrowed my eyes at the thought of Robin Landon’s cheekiness. My premonitions hadn’t breathed a word of that betrayal. More importantly, I’d had a premonition that a witch, Jackson McKee – Robin’s new boyfriend (hard eye roll at that thought) – was involved in a loss of my power, but I’d been unsuccessful in eliminating him. As I admitted to Robin in our last encounter, my precognition was on the fritz. What other explanation could there be for these outcomes?

Thus, my current dilemma. My premonition suggested I shouldn’t get on the bus. Could that be the wrong interpretation? Or maybe the premonition was wrong entirely. I ground my teeth together. A soft knock on the door drew my attention. Lynn poked her head in.

“It’s time, Ms. Knollman.”

I frowned and did not stand.

“Sorry. Barbara.” When I still didn’t respond, Lynn matched my frown. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes. I won’t be taking the debate bus,” I declared, decision made.

Her mouth dropped open for a moment before she recovered. “I’ll inform the coordinator.” She closed the door. At least she knew better than to question me.

Now to see what happened.

ChapterTwo

A ding signaled an incoming text message. 702 area code, but not a number I knew. I lifted a single eyebrow at the message on the phone’s screen.

Hi Barbara. This is Mark. You didn’t get on the bus.

Curious. No.

Turn on the news.

“Lynn, turn the television to Channel 5,” I instructed my campaign manager. We were in a limo heading to the debate, which was set to start in twenty minutes. The television clicked on and Lynn scrolled. Elizabeth Addison’s sorrowful face filled the small screen on the back of the car seat.

“I’m at the scene of a horrific accident,” the newscaster said. “About fifteen minutes ago, the bus carrying the mayoral candidates to their final debate crashed. Details remain hazy, but it appears there were no survivors.”

Lynn gasped.

I listened for the approximate location of the crash, muted the broadcast, and lowered the divider between us and the driver.

“There’s been an accident involving the debate bus. Please head toward DI and Las Vegas Boulevard. Get as close to the accident as you can.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

I raised the divider and unmuted the broadcast. Elizabeth stood a block from the accident. Flashing lights illuminated much of what was behind her. A bus lay on its side, front crumpled like a soda can.

You weren’t on the bus either.

I wondered what Mark’s response to my text would be. I listened to Elizabeth’s continued coverage while I waited.

The brunette broadcaster put a hand to her ear, probably trying to isolate a voice coming through her earpiece. “I’ve just been informed that the Sheriff has arrived on scene.” Elizabeth nodded at the camera and then turned to sprint toward the accident. The image returned to an anchor in-studio and I muted the broadcast again. I’d wait until they had more information. My mind was spinning with what I’d already learned.

A bus crashed that I was supposed to be on. A bus crash that my premonition saved me from.

Why?

Mark Mammon also wasn’t on the bus.

The camera returned to Elizabeth standing next to the tall, gray-haired Sheriff. His city had seen some rough stuff since he won election. He looked at least a decade older than he had when he’d taken office. Such were the perils of power.

I unmuted the broadcast.

“What can you tell us?”

“The last body has been pulled from the wreckage. At this time, I can confirm three of the five candidates⁠—”

“Which candidates?” Elizabeth interrupted, but given Mark’s text, I knew.

“—along with three staff members,” the Sheriff continued without acknowledging her question, “and the bus driver, have been killed.”

“What happened?”

“The cause of the accident is unknown, though witnesses report the bus did not seem to slow as it crested Desert Inn toward the Las Vegas Boulevard traffic light.”

“Does the department believe this was a terrorist attack?”

“We have no reason to believe that at this time,” the Sheriff concluded, smiled tightly at viewers, and turned to hurry away from the reporter.

I doubted it was a terrorist attack either. I also doubted it was just an accident.

My limo had nearly arrived at the intersection of the accident when Mark responded.

And then there were two.

I chuckled at the audacity. I guessed that confirmed what Elizabeth had reported. He and I were the only candidates remaining. Seemed only fitting, since we were the two paranormal beings. Both demons, in fact. I thinned my lips in thought. This begged two very important questions.

It seemed unlikely, but did Mark not know I was a demon?

And, I had my premonition warning me away from the bus; how did Mark know not to board the bus?

ChapterThree

The slowing of the limo and the sound of the divider lowering pulled me from my thoughts. I made eye contact with the driver in the rearview mirror.

“Ma’am, we’ve arrived.”

He didn’t have to specify where. The lights from emergency vehicles pierced the limo’s window tint, and controlled chaos ruled the scene.

“Good luck,” Lynn offered.

I paused in opening my door. Sarcastic or sincere? Maybe I could play nice for a bit until I figured out what was going on. I smiled wide at her. “Thank you.” I exited the vehicle and took in the scene before me.

Controlled chaos was definitely an accurate description. I counted five ambulances. No, wait, six. Three firetrucks and five police vehicles scattered around the debate bus, indeed lying on its side, front end crumpled. I spotted Elizabeth and her cameraman, still shooting live coverage, and headed in her direction.

Elizabeth’s eyes lit up when she saw me. She recognized a scoop when she saw it. “Councilwoman, why weren’t you on the bus?” Her shouted question reached me.

I did not respond. Yelling across the space between us wasn’t dignified. And I was the head of the city council after all.

She wisely did not repeat her question and simply watched me approach.

“Good evening, Ms. Addison. I’m happy to answer any questions that you have.”

“Why weren’t you on the bus?”

“A last-minute change of plans resulted in my choosing to drive myself to the debate.”

“Well, technically, you have a limo.”

A pulse throbbed in my neck. “Yes, you are correct. What I meant to say was that my campaign arranged private transportation when it was decided I wouldn’t be taking the bus.”

“And what were these last-minute plans that kept you from the bus?”

Like a dog with a bone. “Confidential campaign activities.”

“That’s convenient.”

“Are you insinuating that I had anything to do with this crash, Ms. Addison?”

She winced at my sharp tone and her cheeks flushed. She knew I called her bluff. “Of course not. I’m only asking what my viewers will be wondering. How did you know not to get on the bus?”

I paused as if collecting my thoughts. I wasn’t about to mention I had a premonition, but I needed to nip this in the bud. “I had no advance knowledge that anything was going to happen to the bus. Of course, I didn’t. There was no nefarious reason I wasn’t on board. I am as shocked and devastated as the rest of Las Vegas at this senseless accident and loss of life.”

“Maybe not quite as devastated, though, right?”

I remained silent, hyper-aware of the camera likely zoomed in on my face, waiting for any micro-reaction.

“After all, now there are only two candidates for your position,” she finished triumphantly.

I allowed a half-smile to surface. “Ms. Addison, I have every confidence that I will win this election. Neither myself, nor Mark Mammon, who also was not on the bus tonight, wanted the race to be reduced through such means.”

I saw the internal calculations play out across Elizabeth’s face. The Sheriff hadn’t told her who the other surviving candidate was. Like me, she was considering what Mark might know or not know about the bus crash.

“My thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of tonight’s crash, as well as their friends and family. Thank you.” With that, I walked away. Elizabeth shouted something, her words lost on the wind that picked that moment to blow harsher. I hurried to the limo. The door tried to slip from my grasp but I was able to hold it open long enough to slip inside.

“Are you okay?”

The broadcast continued on the screen behind her and I assumed she watched my interview. It could have been better. It could have been worse. I shrugged. “I’m fine.” I lowered the partition. “Please bring me to my office.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

I raised the partition and faced Lynn. “I’ll head to work for a bit, in case there’s anything requiring my immediate attention. We should assume for now that the next week will involve minimal continued campaigning.”

Lynn nodded and whipped out her cellphone. I turned my attention inward as her fingers flew across the device, probably alerting anybody who needed to know that I would be laying low for the time being. I was savvy enough to understand I didn’t want it to appear I was taking advantage of the tragedy. Although, Mark was correct.

Only two candidates remained.