Resorting to Murder (A Darcy Sweet Mystery Book 11) by K.J. Emrick Read Free Book Online

close her eyes and lean into his comfort.  She wasn't going to ever get used to seeing dead people, no matter how many times it happened or how many ghosts came to visit her or how many departed souls she helped cross over to the other side.  It would just always be wrong for anyone to end up this way.
    This place was so desolate.  So isolated.  No wonder the searchers hadn't been able to find it, Darcy reflected.  They could have walked right by it on the ski run trail and never known it was here.
    They had found the grave of Audie Berkstone.  They had the proof they needed to have an investigation started, and have JoEllen questioned officially.  It sort of seemed like a hollow victory. 
    A twig snapped behind her.  She felt Jon tense, his hands tightening protectively on her back, as JoEllen said, "Put your hands up."
    Darcy started to turn around, to confront the woman, but Jon held her close instead.  "Do what she says," he whispered in Darcy's ear.  "She has a gun."
    Only then did he take his hands off her, lifting them up like JoEllen had ordered.  Darcy turned , slowly, and stepped to the side of Jon.  She didn't want to be in his way if he suddenly made a lunge for JoEllen or tried anything else.  Seeing the heavy black automatic that was pointing their way made her hope he didn't try anything stupid.
    She put her hands up and stood there, waiting for what would come next.
    JoEllen took a step closer to them, her face angry, her eyes narrowed.  She held her gun steady, the knuckles of her hand white and tense.  Darcy's heart caught in her throat.
    "Where," JoEllen growled at them, "is my son?"

Chapter Five
     
    Of course JoEllen would know where this grave was.  Darcy felt stupid for not realizing it sooner.
    They had walked into a trap.
    JoEllen was mad, her face set and her body language radiating anger, but Darcy took it as a good sign that she hadn't tried to shoot them yet.  If she had wanted them dead, Darcy and Jon would already be joining Audie Berkstone over there in shallow graves.
    But what was this about her son?
    As Darcy watched, JoEllen swallowed and her eyes blinked closed and then open again.  "I can't believe that twig snapped," she grumbled.  "Can you believe that twig snapped when I stepped on it?  I mean, how cliché can you get?"
    Jon looked sideways at Darcy.  She could see the same questions forming in his mind that she had herself.  Slowly lowering his hands he tried taking one step forward.  "JoEllen, why don't you put the gun down and we can talk about, well, whatever possessed you to point it at us in the first place."
    "No," she said stiffly.  "You have my son.  I knew all I had to d o was wait.  I knew whoever killed Audie wouldn't be able to resist coming back to view their handiwork.  You killed him.  You have my son."  She switched the gun to a double-handed grip and aimed it at Jon's heart.  "I want my son back."
    Two things became clear to Darcy.  One, JoEllen hadn't killed Audie.  She thought Jon and Darcy had done that.  And two, there was a lot more going on here than met the eye.  Every word JoEllen spoke was dripping with conviction and certainty.  Whatever she thought Jon and Darcy had done, it wouldn't be easy to convince her otherwise.
    Darcy knew they had to try.  Especially since she didn't feel like being shot.  "We don't have your son, JoEllen.  We didn't even know you had a son.  We just came here to have a weekend getaway.  That's all."
    "Liar!"   JoEllen jabbed the gun at them like an accusing finger.  "You took him!  I knew the minute you moved into the cabin next to me.  Not exactly subtle, by the way.  Here's a tip.  Don't blackmail someone and then move next door!"
    "We're not who you think we are," Darcy tried, lifting her hands higher to show she wasn't any kind of threat.  "Me and Jon.  We aren't whoever you think we are.  We don't have your son."
    "Then why are yo u here?  In the woods, next to Audie’s