Crimson Falls (The Depravity Chronicles) by Joshua Grove Read Free Book Online

other deputies to tease him. “Michael, I need you to go
to the payphone about three quarters of a mile up the road from the house.”
    “You mean the
one in front of the Laundromat?”
    “That’s the
one.”
    “Sure thing
boss. What am I doing?”
    “Dust the phone
for prints.”
    “For prints?”
    “That’s what I
said,” Anna said. “That’s where the call about the victim came from. We need to
see who’s been using that phone.”
    “I didn’t even
think it worked anymore, Sheriff.”
    “Well,
apparently it works. So get it done.” She handed the radio back to Janet and
walked toward her office where the kids were sitting at the conference table
across from her large, ebony desk.
    “Sheriff?” Janet
said. Anna turned around to face her. “What’s happening? You brought your kids
here. Should I have Daryl bring the kids here, too?” Anna realized that she was
abusing her authority by allowing her kids a safe haven and not considering
other families.
    “I think that’s
a good idea. Have them hang out in the overflow section of lockup.”
    “Thanks,” Janet
said as she put her hand over her heart. “But I think I’m just going to have
them go into the city and stay with my mom.”
    “Sounds like a
plan,” Anna said. “And Janet?”
    “Yes, Anna?”
    “Keep this quiet
until I figure out what to do next.”
    “Sure thing.”
    Anna walked to
her office and stood in the doorframe, watching her children.
    “What’s up?”
Tommy asked as he looked up from his book.
    “I need to go
into the other part of my office,” she said as she looked toward the door with
the triple deadbolt.
    “Are we finally
going to get to see what’s in there?” Trevor asked, excited by the prospect.
    “No, you’re not,” Anna
said. “But I’m leaving the door open. I trust you to stay put and not go
anywhere, or so help me God I will be angrier than you have ever seen me.” She
stared at them to drive home her point, then began unlocking the door leading
to the video surveillance
    * * * * * *
    4
     
    When Sam
regained consciousness, his head throbbed and his ankles were on fire.
    “What the hell?”
he mumbled as he tried to figure out what had happened.
    “Sam!” his wife
exclaimed. “Thank God you’re okay.”
    “Lisa,” he said
in a raspy voice. “What happened?”
    “You were in an
accident. It wasn’t bad, but when they brought you in they said you were in
shock. You were a mess.”
    “Really?” Sam
couldn’t clearly piece together the events. “How long have I been here?”
    “Only about an
hour. They weren’t sure why you were in shock, or how you managed to keep your
eyes open. It was like you were catatonic.”
    “Shit,” he said
with a sigh. He closed his eyes as a few memories and images came back to him
as if projected onto the back of his eyelids. “Trevor,” he said.
    “Trevor is fine,
he’s with his mom,” Lisa reassured him.
    “Something was
running beside the patroller,” he said as he tried to sit up. It was difficult.
What had happened? What the hell had been in the woods that was moving so fast?
    “And why do my
ankles feel like someone crushed them?” he winced as he tried to move them.
    “You have huge
bruises all around your ankles,” Lisa said. She pulled the covers down his body
to reveal his feet. “Luckily nothing is broken. Not even a sprain.”
    “Goddamn,” he
said after whistling. “How did that happen?”
    “You don’t
remember?”
    “The last thing
I remember was watching that shadow,” he said.
    “You drove off
the driveway and into a tree,” Lisa said as she looked at her own feet.
    “That’s rich,”
he said with a gruff. “So, are you going to tell me about what happened or do I
need to call Sheriff Blackwood?”
    Lisa paused
before telling him the story. As she relayed Trevor’s rendition of the events,
he began shaking his head. “The boy has a wild imagination.”
    “Well, that may
be so, Sam, but Jake and a few others verified