Organized for Homicide (Organized Mysteries Book 2) by Ritter Ames Read Free Book Online Page A

turned their way, but the fabric around the face and the darkening sky made identification impossible from that distance.
    " Quick, we need an ambulance and police!" Kate gave the operator the address and information as Meg hurried toward the still body. From her vantage point in the drive, Kate heard the front door crash open. She ran to better see the front of the house, and watched the tall, thin, hooded person pause for a moment then leap the side hedge and quickly disappear down the street. No way she or Meg could have caught the mystery person. More importantly, given the situation it didn't seem prudent to even try. The visual impression she'd gotten as the runner streaked out of the front door told Kate the hooded perp was taller than she was so could still outweigh her.
    Relief flooded through her system when the sound of sirens erupted from the direction of the community 's entrance. A boxy ambulance pulled up behind the first squad car.
    " That way!" Kate pointed, and Meg waved to the EMTs. Constable Banks jumped out of the black and white. She thanked the emergency operator for staying on until help arrived and pocketed the phone. Neighbors started stepping out into their front yards.
    It wasn 't until she was at the actual scene of the crime that everything suddenly hit her, and she started shaking. Meg moved in for a comforting embrace but was shivering as much herself. One of the neighbors ran to fetch a blanket for them.
    Everyone stayed back and let the emergency crew have room to do their job, so Kate didn 't see the victim when they turned her over. But she had gotten a glimpse of long dark hair splayed across the back of a pink shirt. She turned away when the visual of all the blood on the stonework hit her. However the shirt and jeans left little doubt in her mind about who lay motionless beneath the balcony. The bigger question was why the real estate woman returned to the house after the afternoon altercation with Collier. Also, why so much blood surrounded the body.
    One of the emergency team hurried forward pulling the compressed gurney, and another member raced by to grab more supplies from the back of the vehicle.
    Constable Banks gave voice to Kate's thoughts, "Lot of blood from the fall—must have cracked her head. Though I can't understand why she came back. Would have just been arrested."
    " We saw someone in a hoodie push her over the balcony," Kate explained. "Someone tall."
    Meg shook her head and tried to speak, "No…" She coughed and got some of the tension out of her voice. "I could see when I got close. She didn't just fall…" A tear snaked down her cheek. She started bawling into Kate's shoulder. "Oh, Katie!" Meg hiccupped a couple of times, then said, her voice muffled, "Her throat was cut."
    " What was that?" Banks took a step nearer.
    " She said Erin Parker's throat was cut," Kate said. "Do you think Collier could have been defending his home?"
    " No!" Meg pulled back, trying to talk but unable to.
    " I thought that was what you said," Kate apologized. "I'm sorry, I—"
    Meg held up a hand, then took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure. She spoke slowly, "Yes, I said her throat was cut. But it's not Erin Parker. It's Lila, Blaine Collier's ex-wife."
    " What about Mom?"
    Everyone turned and found Sydney behind them, dressed in dark running clothes. Her hood lay back against her shoulder blades, but her outfit was much like the one the mysterious person wore.
    A second later, Blaine Collier 's silver BMW screamed into the driveway, and he was out almost before the engine was off. "What's going on here?" Blaine Collier strode up to Banks but stretched to try to see what the emergency crew was doing.
    " Don't let his kids get out of the car," Kate warned.
    " My kids? Why?" Collier glared at Kate. "Dara and Dustin are coming home with the Harper family. They wanted to go to their house and play video games. Bob Harper was fine with it. Now, what's going on here?" He wrapped an