Ghost Walking (A Maggie York Paranormal Mystery Book 1) by Ally Shields Read Free Book Online Page A

the shooter would need a very steady hand to hold a rifle still enough to fire accurately. Someone experienced, like a pro.
    Brandt watched, a puzzled look on his face. “Find anything?” He turned on a flashlight he’d brought from the car and shined the light along the foot of the wall.
    She checked the length of the wall on the side where Hurst had been sitting, then jumped down, crossed to the other side, and checked it too. Finding nothing, she returned to help Brandt search the ground.
    It had been six months. Any evidence that once existed would be long gone. And what were the chances a pro would leave anything behind?
    “It was worth a try,” Brandt said, finally turning the flashlight off. “I’ll take another look at the bullets collected from the scene, but there wasn’t anything that was obviously a sniper round.”
    Maggie sighed. Even if they had the bullet, it would be difficult to prove it. This wasn’t the first shooting in the neighborhood, and the CS techs had found all kinds of evidence, most of it old, and all of it hopelessly scattered during the fight and by rescuers’ feet.
    “The idea of a sniper puts a different spin on the case,” Brandt said. “Was Castile even present?”
    “No. In fact, the fight was just between two street gangs, local punks.”
    “So the tip was a setup. Premeditated. You were lured here.”
    Someone had planned her death? It was a sobering thought.
     

CHAPTER FIVE
     
     
    The following morning Brandt was back at the courtyard shortly after seven with a disposable coffee cup in hand. York’s focus on the wall had made him more than curious, and he wanted a better look for himself. What had she been thinking? She’d started to say, “I saw…” what? A rifle flash? Not likely with her back turned.
    He checked the gutters along the street first and the cracks in the sidewalk. Any place that might hide a bullet casing. There was no guarantee any had been left behind, but finding one would confirm her theory. He scuffed his toe along the bottom of the wall both inside and outside the courtyard and dug around with a stick in a nearby flowerbed. Not a glint of metal.
    He threw the now-empty coffee container in a nearby waste can and returned to lever himself onto the wall. He sat with his legs on the courtyard side and scrutinized the area. A shooter would have had a clear shot of anyone in the courtyard. Why had he chosen York? Had he been waiting for her?
    Witnesses reported only one shot. If it was a bolt-action sniper rifle, it’s unlikely a casing was left behind. A semi-auto, maybe. On the off chance something was ejected, where might it have gone that he hadn’t already looked?
    “What ya doing up there, mister?”
    Brandt looked down to see of boy of about seven, reddish brown hair and freckles, blue backpack. “Looking for something I lost.”
    “Up there?” The kid frowned.
    “No, but I thought I could see better from up here.”
    “Can I come up and help?”
    Brandt smiled. “I’m done looking, and I’m coming down.” He hopped off the wall. “Shouldn’t you be in school?”
    “Not yet.” The boy tilted his head. “What did ya lose?”
    Couldn’t hurt to tell him. Maybe he’d seen something. Boys picked up all kinds of junk. Brandt used to have a collection of stones and odd things he kept in a shoebox until his younger brother stole it.
    “A bullet casing. Do you know what that is?” When the boy shook his head, Brandt explained, showing him the under two-inch length with his fingers. “It’s a small metal cylinder about this long and kind of a gold color. Have you seen anything like that?”
    “Nope, but my mom doesn’t let me hang out here much.”
    “Well, then…if you’re not supposed to be here, maybe you should go on to school.”
    “Yeah, OK.” He adjusted his backpack. “I can ask my friends. They sometimes play here.”
    “That would be great. If you find it, give me a call.” Brandt took a card from his shirt