Murder in the River City Read online

  Table of Contents

  Dear Reader:

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Allison Brennan Booklist

  Murder in the River City

  By Allison Brennan

  Copyright 2012 © Allison Brennan

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  Praise for Allison Brennan’s Books

  LUCY KINCAID SERIES

  Love Me to Death

  “A world-class nail-biter … Brennan is in the groove with this one.”

  – New York Times Bestselling Author Lee Child

  “Grabbing the reader by the throat from almost the first page, this pulse-ratcheting romantic suspense from Brennan delivers intense action, multifaceted characters, and a truly creepy bad guy. . . . [A] fast-paced, engrossing read.”

  – Publishers Weekly

  “A page turner, full throttle thriller … One of the best books that I've read in the romantic thriller genre.”

  – Bewitched Bookworms

  “[Love Me To Death] had everything I look for in a well told mystery.”

  –Wordsmithonia

  Kiss Me, Kill Me

  “[A] riveting new series.… Lucy continues to be a fascinating and enticing character, and her ongoing development adds depth to an already rich brew of murder and mystery. Brennan rocks!”

  – RT Book Reviews

  “Ms. Brennan ratchets up the suspense on page one and keeps it going until the last page.”

  – Fresh Fiction

  If I Should Die

  “Brennan’s Lucy Kincaid/Sean Rogan books are not only excellent procedural thrillers, but also chart the evolution of an intriguing relationship. The peeks into the mind of this heinous killer are all too chilling, making the threat level palpable and the story riveting. Brennan is on a major roll!”

  – RT Book Reviews

  “Non-stop action, spine-tingling suspense … a wonderful addition to a great series.”

  – Fresh Fiction

  “A spine-tingling chiller that will wrap you up in its mystery and take you on a heart-pounding race to the breathtaking finale!”

  – Joyfully Reviewed, Recommended Read

  Silenced

  “Brennan throws a lot of story lines into the air and juggles them like a master. The mystery proves to be both compelling and complex.”

  – Associated Press

  “Can’t-put-it-down exciting.”

  – Fresh Fiction

  “From first to last, this story grabs hold and never lets go.”

  – RT Book Reviews, Top Pick!

  ROMANTIC THRILLERS

  The Prey

  “Taut, fast-paced suspense . . . A killer debut.”

  – NYT Bestselling Author Mariah Stewart

  “Outstanding psychological thriller has great plot, well-defined characters and unexpected twists.”

  – Fresh Fiction

  The Hunt

  “Brennan does murder better than almost everyone writing in the suspense genre.”

  – Armchair Interviews

  “Brennan is a force to be reckoned with in the thriller genre. … The characters are solid, the plot hurtles forward, twisting and turning in true thriller fashion.”

  – Reviewing the Evidence

  The Kill

  “Excellent psychological thriller.”

  – Fresh Fiction

  “Powerful, emotional, and not for the faint-hearted, Allison Brennan books are to watch out for.”

  – Curled Up With A Good Book Reviews

  Speak No Evil

  “SPEAK NO EVIL is an edge-of-your-seat, wild, twisty, chilling read.”

  – Romance Reader at Heart—A Top Pick for 2007

  “Brennan's arrival on the suspense scene has been a tremendous gift.”

  – RT Book Reviews

  See No Evil

  “Brennan firmly cements her position as a top suspense author by delivering an absolutely chilling and tragically sad novel. What makes this story so compelling is seeing how vengeance is taken to the destructive extreme and corruption and abuse of power create monsters. This book is mesmerizing and haunting.”

  – RT Book Reviews (Top Pick!)

  Fear No Evil

  “Brennan's cold-blooded killer is horrifying in the extreme. That's not surprising, since this author is making a name for herself by producing not only memorable heroes but also unforgettable villains. This journey into terror is fast paced and pulse pounding. This is Brennan's best book to date!”

  – RT Book Reviews (Top Pick!)

  “Brennan has a terrific talent for scaring the pants off readers while at the same time making them want more, more, MORE!”

  – Kim Cantrell, True Crime Book Reviews

  Killing Fear

  “Fast becoming a master at delivering complex, layered plots and characters that erupt from the page, Brennan has created a roller-coaster ride of chills!”

  – RT Book Reviews (Top Pick!)

  “A bone-chilling tale with a villain straight out of your worst nightmares. . . . KILLING FEAR delivers to the heart-stopping end.”

  – Fresh Fiction

  Tempting Evil

  “An excellent thriller that would surely make an easy transition to the small or big screen. Overall, TEMPTING EVIL is an exciting read from start to finish and I devoured it in an extremely short space of time.”

  – Reviewing the Evidence

  “When you pick up a Brennan novel, you know you're in for a wild ride that will scare you silly.”

  – RT Book Reviews

  Playing Dead

  “Ms. Brennan delivers another breathtaking tale of gritty, terrifying excellence.”

  – Romance Reader at Heart—A Top Pick for 2008

  “Crafty Brennan wraps up her Prison Break trilogy with the intricate tale of a nearly perfect frame-up. . . . It's wonderfully complex and terrifying at the same time.”

  – RT Book Reviews

  Sudden Death

  “Fast, fierce fun. Brennan knows how to deliver.”

  – NYT Bestselling Author Lisa Gardner

  “A first-rate book, superbly plotted and executed, with exceptional characters. A real page-turner with twists and turns all the way to the end. I could not put this book down. Highly recommended.”

  – Fresh Fiction

  Fatal Secrets

  “In this chilling thriller, Brennan explores the consequences of sliding from fierce commitment into obsession. . . . A master of suspense, Brennan does another outstanding job uniting horrifying action, procedural drama and the birth of a romance -- a prime example of why she's tops in the gen
re.”

  – RT Book Reviews (Top Pick!)

  “A fast-paced, action-packed romantic suspense.”

  – Romance Junkies

  Cutting Edge

  “Both the nature and nurture sides of the “what makes a psychopath” argument are on display in Brennan's chiller. . . . Leave it to Brennan to deliver the creepy and deadly. This is definitely the stuff of nightmares.”

  – RT Book Reviews

  “An excellent suspense novel with a great psychopath villain.”

  – Romance Readers at Heart

  Dear Reader:

  Six years ago, I wrote Murder in the River City as a serial for a magazine. Unfortunately, before they published the three-part story, the magazine closed down.

  When cleaning my office last year, I found a printout of this story. I’d almost forgot I wrote it. I still loved my heroine, Shauna Murphy, and the hero, Detective Sam Garcia. I decided the story deserved an overhaul and have been rewriting it as I’ve had time over the last few months.

  I’ve lived in and around Sacramento for twenty years and greatly enjoyed setting a story in an area I know and love. Well, I love it except for the heat!

  You may recognize some characters from my novels. Detective John Black, Sam’s supervisor, starred in a short story of mine “A Capitol Obsession,” which was originally published in an anthology edited by Elizabeth George and currently available digitally in the anthology Killing Justice. John was also a secondary character in Sudden Death and Fatal Secrets, both set in Sacramento. Assistant Special Agent in Charge Dean Hooper, the hero of Fatal Secrets, also makes an appearance.

  I hope you enjoy reading this novella as much as I enjoyed writing it.

  All the best,

  Allison Brennan

  Chapter One

  Sunday night

  Callie Wood regretted every major decision she’d ever made.

  Running off with her boyfriend when she was eighteen wasn’t the first of her bad choices, but it had set her on her present course. Six months later, he left her a thousand miles from home with forty bucks in her pocket, a change of clothes, and an ounce of weed. That, and the decent blowjobs she gave, got her halfway back home. Now she was stuck in Sacramento doing a little of this and a little of that until she landed a real job.

  The problem? She really didn’t like working that hard.

  That was all changing now. For the first time, she felt like she was making the right choices, that she’d found a kindred spirit.

  Right guy, right plan, right time.

  She waited in the idling car outside the bar while Joey and his friend Pete went inside to talk to Mack, the bartender. She didn’t like Pete—he was too slick, too good-looking. Too much like her ex-boyfriend who’d dumped her in Portland. But she didn’t have to like the guy; after this week, she and Joey would never have to see him again. They’d be flush, living wherever they wanted, never having to worry about paying the rent or eating. They could just have fun.

  The back door opened and Joey walked out first. She didn’t like the look on his face. Fear? Maybe. Pete came out next, all attitude. Cocky jerk. She put the car in drive and rolled, lights off, toward them. They jumped in and Joey said, “Go, go, go. Now.” When he tossed a bag into the back, she glanced over. His hands were shaking. Sweat had dampened his collar.

  “What happened?” she asked. “Did Mack get what we need?”

  “Shut up,” Joey said.

  She frowned. He’d never talked to her like that when they first started going out. It was his asshole friend, Pete. Ever since Joey got the call three days ago that his ‘boss’ was in town, Joey had been jumpy.

  Pete got on the phone. “Plan B.” Callie heard a man on the other end talking really fast.

  She whispered to Joey, “I thought you said Mack had—”

  “I said shut up.”

  She turned under the freeway and drove up J Street. She’d had no problem robbing Pat Dooligan; he’d fired her. But something didn’t feel right. Joey was too … scared. He was never scared.

  Pete said to whoever was on the other end of the cell phone, “He got cold feet. … No, he didn’t know you were back. Just said he wanted out. … Yes, we took care of it.”

  Callie didn’t like Pete’s end of the conversation. Her instincts, which had never served her well, began to itch, like maybe she had gotten with the wrong program. Maybe Joey wasn’t the nice guy she’d thought. Just because the sex was hot and he had a nice apartment and plenty of spending money, maybe things weren’t so good. Maybe they were kind of bad, in fact.

  Pete said, “We’re heading there now.” He hung up. “Get on the freeway. North.”

  Callie had to go down to 7th Street before she could turn right, then right again on L Street to get back to I-5. She’d made a big damn circle, irritated they hadn’t clued her in earlier to their plans. “Where are we going?” she asked.

  “Shit, Gleason, does she ever shut up?” Pete said.

  Joey hit her with the back of his hand. “Last warning.”

  Tears burned behind her eyes, but she didn’t say anything. Joey had never hit her before. Never. She drove until Pete told her to get off the freeway, in South Natomas, about five miles away. The area looked familiar, but she didn’t recognize where they were until she saw Mack’s apartment building. She’d been here a couple times when she still worked for Mack, but that was before he found out she was skimming from the drawer. She didn’t understand what his problem was—Mack was no saint, yet he had a problem stealing from Pat Dooligan? A big fucking double standard, she’d always thought.

  “Wasn’t Mack at the bar?” she asked. “Why are we at his apartment?”

  They ignored her questions and Joey said, “Wait here.” He and Pete got out of the car and disappeared on the second floor.

  She considered driving off and leaving them. But where would she go? She had Joey’s car, but no money—Joey had all the cash. She glanced at the gas tank. Not even half full. No way she could make it back home to San Diego. Her parents didn’t want her back—not only had it been four years, but she’d also taken their ATM cards. Before they had cancelled their accounts, she’d snatched nearly five thousand dollars.

  Not that the money gotten her far. When it ran out, her boyfriend had dumped her.

  Best to wait here, keep her mouth shut, and when the money came in at the end of the week, she’d be the one to dump Joey. He’d hit her in front of Pete, like he was trying to act all macho-man. She had too much self-respect to be a punching bag.

  She knew people. A few guys who’d give her a room in exchange for sex. Not too bad a deal, until she figured out where to go next.

  She looked in the back seat and saw the bag Joey had tossed back there. She glanced up at the second floor where Mack’s apartment was located. It was Sunday night; Mack always worked Sundays. Had something changed? It didn’t make sense to her, but Joey was being all weird about this job of his. She didn’t even know exactly how Mack fit in, only that he was holding a bunch of cash that belonged to Joey and Pete’s boss.

  She turned, grabbed the bag, and looked in it. Baseballs and cash, only a couple hundred dollars. They robbed the bar? This was peanuts compared to what they’d been talking about. Tens of thousands of dollars, from what she’d pieced together. What was going on?

  She picked up one of the baseballs and turned on the overhead light. There was a smudge. Red. It looked like blood.

  Her stomach churned. She looked back inside and found a bloody rag.

  Oh, God, they hurt someone. Mack? Pat Dooligan? Who’d been in the bar? What had happened to them? Why was Joey acting all strange?

  The door opened and she jumped. Pete grabbed the bag from her. “Nosy bitch.”

  “Drive,” Joey told her.

  “Where?” she asked.

  “South.”

  Great, she would be driving south, down the freeway, no destination. She almost said something, but Joey was so tense she decided to ke
ep her mouth shut.

  Pete was back on the phone. “It’s not there,” he said. “All I could find was his address book.”

  She thought she heard yelling on the other end of the phone. She hid a smile.

  “Got it,” he said and hung up.

  “I can try talking to Mack,” she said.

  When neither of them said anything, she pressed on. “You know, we had a thing for a while, I can convince him to turn over the list.” If they’d hurt him, maybe she could get him help. Or better, she’d go back tonight, after Joey was asleep, and be the hero. Take him to the hospital. Pat Dooligan would give her back her job. That would tide her over until she found another score.

  Pete said, “You told her?”

  “Nothing important,” Joey said. “Fuck it, Callie, can’t you just shut your big mouth?”

  “I didn’t mean anything by it. I’m just trying to help. You didn’t tell me anything.”

  “Pull over,” Pete said, “next exit.”

  “Why?” Callie asked.

  “I’m not getting cell reception here. I need to make a call.”

  “Is Mack okay? He’s okay, right?” she asked.