Cold Justice by Rayven T. Hill Read Free Book Online Page A

fell to the floor, holding her in his arms, “Abby,” he
moaned. “Oh, Abby. My Abby.”
    He could hear the sirens in the distance now. He looked up
and listened. The ambulance was coming. He prayed they would know what to do.
Maybe she’s not dead. Maybe just sleeping. Unconscious.
    He lay her back down gently, and then stood and ran to the
door. He had locked it again when he came in, so he unlocked it and swung it
open, begging for them to hurry.
    The ambulance screeched to a stop in his driveway. The doors
opened and two paramedics climbed out carrying some equipment. As they hurried
up the steps and through the open door, he motioned toward the living room.
    “In here,” he said.
    They rushed in, one paramedic kneeling down beside her. He
checked her pulse. He checked for signs of breathing, and then sat back. He
looked at Philip and shook his head slowly.
    “I’m sorry, sir,” he said. “She’s gone. There’s nothing we
can do.”
    “She can’t be,” Philip’s voice was frenzied. “She can’t be.
Try again.”
    “I’m sorry, sir. There’s no pulse. She’s gone.”
    Philip dropped to the couch and wept in despair as the
paramedics went back outside, returning in a moment with a gurney. He watched
as they lifted his wife’s body onto the gurney, covering her face with a
snow-white sheet.
    One at each end, they carried her out the door, and loaded
her into the vehicle.
    Philip stumbled into the back of the ambulance and it sped
away. The lights flashed and the sirens screamed, drowning out the sound of
Phil’s own wailing, as he knelt on the floor of the vehicle, holding his wife’s
cold dead hand.
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 10
     
     
     
    Wednesday, August 17th, 5:32 PM
     
    THE DOOR LEADING from the garage to the kitchen slammed.
Jake walked in. Annie slouched sideways at the kitchen table reading a book on
police procedure. Her feet were propped up onto a chair beside her, a half
finished cup of coffee at her elbow. She looked up as he came in.
    “Did you get the oil changed?” she asked, as he went to the
sink to wash his hands.
    “Yup,” he said, and then, “Where’s the grease remover?”
    “Under the sink,” she said, gulping down the rest of her
coffee.
    “How was the visit with your mother?” Jake asked, scrubbing
at the grime on his fingers.
    Annie dropped her feet and sat up. She tucked the bookmark
into the book and closed it, sliding it away. “The usual.”
    Jake grinned over his shoulder at her. “Any gossip?” he
asked.
    Annie laughed. “No. Thankfully, she had to get to work and
didn’t stay too long.”
    “Hey Mom. Hey Dad.” Matty gave the usual greeting. He had
been next door playing with Kyle since he came home from school.
    Annie caught him as he went by and gave him a hug. Jake
turned and said, “Hey Mat.”
    Matty went out the back door onto the deck. They could hear
him kicking around a soccer ball.
    “I checked out Timmy, the Macy’s little boy,” Annie said.
She told Jake about the news story she had found online, and the tragic
accident that had taken his life.
    Jake whistled, “Wow. That’s a nasty thing to have happen.”
    Annie nodded and sighed, thinking of Matty, and then asked, “Did
you get those papers served ok?”
    “Yeah, no problem.” Jake grinned. “I could hear him cursing
all the way back to the car. He wasn’t too happy about it.”
    Annie laughed. “They never are.”
    “Franklin & Franklin is a pretty large firm. I hope they
can send some more work our way.”
    The jangling of the phone on the kitchen wall interrupted
them. Annie scooped it up. “Hello?”
    “Mrs. Lincoln, it’s Matty’s teacher, Beth Cobblestone.”
    Annie covered the mouthpiece with her hand and whispered to
Jake, “It’s Matty’s teacher.” Then into the phone, “How are you, Miss
Cobblestone?”
    “I am well, thank you,” Annie heard, then, “I was hoping you
could come to the school and see me this evening. It’s about Matty. He’s been
in