Broken Alliance (Mountainside Mysteries Book 1)

Book summary

In the quiet town of Mountainview, a librarian's shocking discovery of a dead body sets off a tense investigation. Assistant district attorney Greg and detective Brian must navigate a web of deceit and hidden connections as they race to uncover the truth before the killer strikes again.

Excerpt from Broken Alliance

Jenna stepped out into the crisp, bright morning. It was still early, and the sun glistened on the dew. The previous night, there was a heavy rainfall and now everything looked sparkly and fresh. Her German Shepherd puppy, Otto, was pulling eagerly on the lead. He was normally very well behaved, but this morning he was eager to get going. “Settle down,” Jenna told him. He ran up to her and licked her hand. Eventually, they both got into a comfortable pace, with him periodically lurching to the side of the road to explore some creature or scent. He was so curious.

Jenna loved walking with Otto. It got her outdoors, gave her the exercise she craved and she enjoyed his company. A beautiful girl, with long auburn hair and emerald green eyes, Jenna had no trouble getting all the attention and company she wanted from men, but having recently broken up with a two-timing boyfriend, she was not interested. Her eighteen -month old pup Otto was a perfect companion, loyal and true.

They continued along their usual route. The country road from their house led to a path around a small pond. On hot North Carolina afternoons, Otto loved to splash and swim in the pond, but this was a work morning, and Jenna had to get moving. “Maybe later,” she told the pup, as he started pulling toward the pond. Only he wouldn’t stop pulling. A low rumble erupted in his throat and progressed to a loud growl. “Stop it, Otto,” Jenna shouted, tugging on the lead. “I have to get to work. No time for pranks this early in the day.” But she was puzzled. He had never acted like this before. She could not get him to continue the walk. He growled and kept pulling her into the undergrowth lining the road. Jenna took a deep breath and looked. Suddenly she saw what had upset the dog. What looked like a human arm was sticking out of the brush.

“Are you OK?”She cried to the arm. Only Otto’s barking answered her. The arm did not move and kept sticking out at an unnatural angle. She felt her breakfast coming up, and it was all she could do not to throw up. She suspected the owner of the arm must be dead, and she was not going to investigate. She couldn’t anyway, with Otto going crazy. She groped for her cell phone and dialed 911. After giving her name and location she briefly described what she saw.

“You see a person in the bushes? Are they conscious?” Asked the dispatcher.

“I don’t think so. There is an arm pointing up out of the bushes. I can’t get closer because of my dog.”

“Is anyone else there who can check on them?”

“No, it’s just me.”

“OK, stay there. There is an ambulance on the way.”

“I can’t stay, I have to go to work. I don’t know anything other than what I told you.” Jenna didn’t add that she didn’t think the owner of the arm needed an ambulance.

“Stay on the line with me and remain where you are. They are almost there. Is the person moving at all?”

Jenna could already hear sirens in the distance. Good, she thought. Maybe she would still make it to work on time after all. Maybe the guy in the bushes was just drunk or passed out on drugs. Maybe this would be over in a few minutes. Something in the back of her head bothered her, though. She had seen people who had passed out from intoxication. Somehow this was different.

The dog settled down as if he knew he had done his job, and now others were going to take over. She sat on the side of the road, petting him and deriving some comfort from his warmth. She realized she was shaking, and settled down to wait. There was nothing more she could do. The dispatcher asked her question after question, basically to make sure she was still there. In less than a minute a police car arrived. Then another police car and then, right behind them, an ambulance pulled up, turned off its siren but left the lights on. All the activity made Otto tense again and she held him tight on a short leash.

Two young deputies got out of their car and a couple of EMTs hopped out of the ambulance. One deputy and the medical technicians went to the guy in the bushes. The other deputy approached her and stopped a short distance away, eying Otto. He was tall, with blond hair. He smiled. It was a friendly smile that put her at ease but without a whole lot of warmth. A police smile.

“I’m Officer Morris. Are you Jenna?”

“Yes, I called 911. I was hoping to get to work. Do I have to stay around?”

“Probably not. I mean, he’s probably just passed out. Hopefully he didn’t overdose on something. Either way, we shouldn’t need you too much longer.”

As he said this she could see the others backing out of the bushes. The EMTs were walking slowly without a sign of the briskness they had displayed a minute ago. The other deputy was talking to someone on the mini-mike that hung on his shoulder. She heard him mention a code. She thought it was 230. She looked up at Morris.

“230?”

“Yeah. He is deceased all right. I better get your full name, address and phone number. And stay here for a moment until investigations gets here. Just in case.”

She was starting to seriously wish that she had walked Otto somewhere else that morning. This was already getting complicated. And now she was definitely going to be late for work.

“But I don’t know anything else. Can’t they come to my house if they have questions? I just live down the road.”

The other officer came up and pulled Morris aside. He spoke briefly. Morris raised his eyebrows and whistled softly. Then he returned to Jenna. His casual attitude was gone and he seemed slightly tense and a little more business-like.

“Sorry, Jenna. I really am. The investigators shouldn’t be long. You can probably leave fairly soon. They are definitely going to want to speak with you now and probably at some point in the future as well.”

His prediction proved correct. It didn’t take any time before an unmarked gray SUV pulled up and a guy in khaki pants and a polo shirt emerged. Short and a bit stocky, he did not look like a policeman. He looked more like her father on his way to play a round of golf. His dark hair showed some gray and he was clearly older than the officers. He instantly took charge.

“Is this the young lady who found him?” He called out to Morris.

“Yes sir.”

“I’ll be with her in a minute. All right, let’s secure the scene.”

The other officer and a third cop who had arrived in the interim began to encircle the area in yellow police line tape. It read, “crime scene DO NOT CROSS,” in black letters every few feet. Morris moved Jenna back beyond the tape. She started to ask again if they could get her part over with but the guy in charge was gone, easing into the brush. A deputy with a camera followed him. It suddenly seemed that there were cops everywhere. There was even a state trooper, chatting with the EMTs who were still there by the ambulance. She noticed its lights were now off.

Brian Murphy quickly took in the scene. A body lying face-up with a bullet hole in the head. The face was familiar. He was sure he knew the man. Before they touched anything, the deputy with the camera took several photos of the body as it lay. He pointed to a military-model 1911 lying close to the body, and placed a card with the number one on it next to the gun. He then took several pictures of it before Murphy picked the gun up carefully with his latex-gloved hand. He inspected it briefly and handed it to yet another deputy who was designated to collect the evidence. That officer was also wearing latex gloves and carrying a clipboard with a numbered chart on it. He carefully removed the loaded magazine from the gun and racked the slide, expertly ejecting a .45 caliber round into his palm. The gun was now unloaded and safe to store or send to the lab. He removed a small bag from a duffle bag at his feet. In the bag, he placed the round that had been in the chamber. In another bag, he placed the loaded magazine. In a larger paper bag, he placed the gun and the other two bags containing the magazine and the single round. On that bag, he wrote a large “1” with a felt pen.

On the chart, he noted the gun was item 1 and that it was loaded when recovered.

“Any ID?” Murphy asked the cameraman.

“Yes, his wallet is intact. It’s Barry Gulden, local defense attorney. You know him?”

Now things came into focus. Of course he knew Gulden. He was not truly local, moved into the area a few years ago and married a local real-estate broker, had a reputation as a social climber and great defense attorney. Though, when Brian had a case with him a year ago, he hadn’t been impressed. Those thoughts ran through his mind as he examined the scene more closely.

There were no evident footprints, which suggested Gulden must have arrived before the rain. The soaking-wet body confirmed that. Could have been a suicide, he thought. But how did he get here? Brian was pretty sure the Guldens had a big house on the other side of town. Definitely not hiking distance. He could have been dropped off. No point in spinning theories until he had some evidence and leads. He noted Gulden was dressed in a suit and tie, indicating he was coming from work or some social event. All things to check out.

He’d talk to the scared-looking girl who couldn’t wait to go home. Then he’d have to notify the widow and interview her. The autopsy would hopefully provide more clues. It would be a full day. He told the deputy to make sure that they checked Gulden’s hands for gunshot residue. Even though it had rained, there was a chance of locating some on his hands which would get them closer to the suicide possibility. He also told them to find the spent shell casing that should be in the vicinity. If located, it would be photographed and a map drawn to show its location in relation to the body. That would be critical.

Jenna stood wearily as he approached. She’d been sitting there for an hour, and the sun was getting hot. She eyed the detective warily, noticing the tattoo peeking out from under his sleeve. He looked unfriendly and a bit dangerous. She was feeling harassed, didn’t understand what more she could tell him, and wished he would go away.

“Good morning, Miss Harkin. I’m Detective Murphy, and I’d like to ask you some questions.” He smiled and pulled out a badge to show her.

“Detective, I’ve already told the officer everything I know, which isn’t much.”

“I know, it’s annoying. I won’t keep you long. Would you please tell me everything that happened this morning, starting with who you are and where you live?”

Jenna groaned.

“OK, I’m Jenna Harkin and I live a few blocks away at 56 Lakeview Road. I was walking my dog, Otto, when he discovered what looked like a human arm sticking out of the bushes. It wasn’t moving, and I couldn’t get close to look because of the dog, so I called 911. Two hours later, here we are and I’m late for work. Sorry I can’t be more help.”

“You are helpful. I needed to have a clear picture of what happened. Is this your normal route?”

“Yes. Sometimes we go the other way, but usually this is it.”

“Have you seen anybody or any vehicle go by while walking?”

“No, nothing. Can I go now?”

“Yes, thanks for your cooperation. What is your cell number in case we need to contact you again?”

She gave the number and took off for home at a fast pace. Otto was happy to be on the move and out of the sun. She hoped that was the last she would see of this particular detective.