The Collie Murders: A Serial Killer Crime Thriller by Jared Paul Read Free Book Online Page B

you?”
                 
    Louis answered Jon’s question as he walked from around the other side of the car, “Because of who her daddy is, right Abby? I bet he’d have a heart attack knowing who his little girl is running around town with.” He glanced at Jon, “No offense, buddy.”
                 
    Jon shrugged, “None taken.”
                 
    “My father makes dating anyone difficult, so what? I didn’t want to make trouble for Travis. As it is, you got more on your hands than you realize. My father wants this stuff hushed out and dealt with quick because of the elections coming up. He doesn’t want the people to think he’s not able to keep them safe.”
                 
    Jon put a hand to the bridge of his nose. Abigail’s words made a lot more sense than he wanted them to. He knew the Mayor, knew the type of man he was. Marshal Bradley would step on his grandmother if she was in the way of what he wanted. It also made sense why the Hadley boys were keeping roost inside of his station. Hadley was close, it was a bigger city and it held auxiliary force for the town of Collie if any major event happened and they needed the extra men. On any day of the week, Jon knew he had about five men at his disposal, more if he tapped the trainees. However, Hadley had a regular force of about thirty.
                 
    Jon gave Abby another glance over. He couldn’t see what Travis saw in this pretty packaged brat, but then, Travis had a way of seeing people for who they really were and not for what they appeared to be.
     
    He said, “We’ll take care of things, don’t worry. The most they can do to him right now is drill him full of stupid questions and try to make him admit or say something in their favor. The worst thing that Travis has against him is his reputation.”
                 
    “That’s why I’m here!” Abby emphasized her words waving her arms around like a lunatic.
                 
    Jon smiled as he rubbed his leg. There it was, a kernel of something interesting peeking through her exterior. Spunky, wasn’t she? He said, “Look, you can go in there, give them what you told me, but I don’t think they’ll let him go until I find someone to take his place. If it’s like you say and your father called in the auxiliary force for Collie, then he wants Travis to take the hit. They probably won’t listen to you.”
                 
    Louis broke in, “The best thing you can do for him is not make him worry about you. If your father is like you say he is, then he won’t be happy that you’re throwing yourself on the spikes for Travis. Everyone will know that you two have been together if you provide him with an alibi.”
                 
    Abby’s eyes watered but it was clear she was forcing herself not to cry in front of the two fully grown men she’d just met. She said, “So there’s nothing that I can do for him?”
                 
    Louis smiled softly, a smile that said he knew what she was thinking and that he felt sorry for her. It was a sign to Jon that there was something more going on with Travis and Abby than what met the eye.
                 
    Louis put a hand to Abby’s shoulder. “You can make things easier on him by not making him worry about you.” He paused a moment and then smirked. “You could spend some time with me, if you wanted to. I can take your mind off things.” He waggled his eyebrows for emphasis.
                 
    Abby hauled off and kicked Louis in the shin, so hard, that he had to hop around in a circle looking like a one-legged circus monkey.
                 
    “You’re lucky I didn’t aim that somewhere else.”
                 
    “I was joking!” Louis managed as he nursed his bruised shin.
 
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    “You’re taking too long to scrape that slide, Dr. Lance. Come over here and give me a