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- Herausgeber: Next Chapter
- Kategorie: Krimi
- Sprache: Englisch
The twins are on the hunt for ghosts again, and trouble follows. Tripping into an open grave, they discover a dead man covered in fresh blood.
They race to find Hawk Theriot, the only federal ranger in the vast Atchafalaya Basin. Hawk tracks the murderer through clues left at the scene. Meanwhile, the murderer breaks into Hawk's camp in search of the twins, putting Kristi's life in jeopardy.
With time running out, can Hawk piece together the clues and find the killer before more lives are lost?
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Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022
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MURDER IN THE CEMETERY
HAWK THERIOT & KRISTI BLOCKER SHORT STORIES BOOK 2
JIM RILEY
CONTENTS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Notes
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About the Author
Copyright (C) 2021 Jim Riley
Layout design and Copyright (C) 2022 by Next Chapter
Published 2022 by Next Chapter
Cover art by CoverMint
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination, or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the author's permission.
To the Most Beautiful
You Always Were and Always Will Be
1
Trouble was known to find the twins. Tonight was no exception.
“Are you sure?” Mindy asked.
“Have I ever lied to you?” her twin sister, Mandy, answered with her own question.
“How about when you told me I could trust Billy Bob on a date?”
“That doesn't count,” Mandy countered. “You wore a see-through blouse.”
“And you told me that escargot was French for boogers.”
“Snails are a lot like boogers. That wasn't a lie.”
“You're right,” Mindy sighed. “They tasted like boogers.”
“So when I tell you we'll find ghosts at the cemetery, believe me.”
The twins pushed the ancient gate to the Morgan City cemetery open four inches. They only required that much room to squeeze their slim bodies inside. Both stood still, afraid to move among the burial plots.
“Why would a ghost come here?” Mindy asked.
“Billy Bob told me they like funerals,” Mandy answered. “He wouldn't tell me why.”
“He's the one that told me we had to get naked to see the drive-in movie. I guess he was right, though. Everybody around us took their clothes off.”
“See. If he was right about that, he has to be right about the ghosts being here.”
“The last time we went looking for ghosts, we found a dead man. Do you remember?”
“How can I forget? But why would a dead man come to a cemetery?”
“Maybe he planned ahead. You know, some guys buy insurance.” Mindy whispered.
“Ghosts don't need insurance. They don't own anything except a sheet.”
“Where do we go to find a ghost in here?”
“Follow me,” Mandy said.
She took her twin's hand and led Mindy through the maze of graves. Moss hung from the century-old live oaks. With a slight wind, the moon blinked through a fine mist. Before long, the girls wrapped their arms around each other. An owl hooted overhead, causing both to shudder.
“I don't see any ghosts,” Mindy said.
“Maybe it's like the drive-in. Maybe we have to take our clothes off to see one.”
“But it's sprinkling. I don't like getting wet.”
“Do you want to see a ghost?” Mandy asked.
“Duh.” Mindy slapped the side of her head.
“Then we gotta do what we gotta do.”
Mandy began undoing her blouse. Mindy followed. When the girls sat to untie their shoes, a huge swamp rat ran over their legs. As one, they leapt to their feet and ran headlong through the graveyard. Side by side, they tumbled into the open grave. Mindy screamed first. Mandy screamed louder.
“Yuck.” Mindy whined. “When did they stop putting bodies in caskets?”
“I don't know, but we'd better go see Hawk. He'll know what to do.”
2
Hawk Theriot, the only federal ranger assigned to the vast Atchafalaya Basin, stroked the knife on the whetstone one final time. He rose to put in back in the cabinet when his front door rattled. Accustomed to emergency late-night calls, the ranger held onto the knife while rushing to the door. Four little hands kept banging on it until he twisted the knob.
“I've got a doorbell,” he began. “Why—?”
The sight of the twins standing on his front porch interrupted all thought. Especially with them wearing nothing above the waist and blood dripping off their rust-colored hair.
“What the—?”
“C'mon, Ranger.” Mandy grinned. “You've seen boobs before. Don't get shy now.”
“Just when I thought life was almost normal again,” Hawk muttered.
He had a habit of shaking his head when addressing the twins.
“Come in before you catch pneumonia.”
The girls pushed past the ranger without taking their gaze off his physique.
“Want to take a shower with us?” Mandy asked. “We need to get this blood off.”
“Not a good idea,” Hawk replied.
“C'mon,” Mindy said. “We have fun in the shower.”
“I have no doubts,” Hawk chuckled. “I think Kristi needs to see you before you destroy evidence.”
“But we don't want to take a shower with Kristi,” Mandy moaned. “We want to take a shower with you.”
“Kristi is the sheriff. With that much blood, someone is dead or close to it.”
“Duh,” Mandy said. “Why else would he be in a grave?”
“I didn't know he was. How did you guys find a guy bleeding in a grave?”
“You don't keep up, do you?” Mindy asked. “If we found him in a grave, we had to be in the grave.”
“And to be in the grave, we had to be in the graveyard,” Mandy added.
Hawk shook his head again. “Why didn't I think of that?”
“That's why you have us,” Mindy said. “We'll do the thinking for you.”
Hawk stifled a groan.
“While you guys are here thinking for me, call Kristi. And don't wash until she gets here.”
“Where are you going?” Mandy asked.
“Back to the graveyard to see what trouble you two have gotten into tonight.”
