Seeking Justice by L. A. Dobbs EPUB & PDF – eBook Details Online
- Status: Available for Free Download
- Author: L. A. Dobbs
- Language: English
- Genre: Hard-Boiled Mysteries
- Format: PDF / EPUB
- Size: 2 MB
- Price: Free
A chill ran down Police Chief Sam Mason’s spine as he took in the grim
scene before him. Amidst the towering trees of the owl sanctuary, a
woman lay sprawled on the ground, her face obscured by a curtain of blond
hair. Next to her, the lifeless body of a tiny owl, its white feathers ruffling in
the breeze, tugged at Sam’s heartstrings.
The hush of the forest felt heavier, the usual ambient rustle of leaves
and chirping of distant birds eerily absent. The only sounds piercing the
quiet were the restless sniffing of his K-9, Lucy, and Beryl Thorne’s
intermittent nose blowing.
His second in command, Jo Harris, methodically documented the scene.
With phone camera in hand and razor-sharp focus, she made a record of the
crime scene.
“Did you see anyone leaving?” Sam’s voice cut through the silence, his
eyes meeting Beryl’s. Always a little too close for comfort, Beryl stood near
him, her red-rimmed eyes peering out from a crumpled tissue.
“No.” Beryl sniffled. “I came to photograph the owls, like I usually do,
and then… I found her.” She leaned into Sam, her sobs soaking the fabric of
his uniform. Sam caught Jo’s gaze over Beryl’s trembling form. Jo rolled
her eyes. Lucy let out a low woof as if agreeing with Jo’s eye roll.
“Beryl,” Sam said, gently extricating himself from her grasp. “You can
head home. We may need more from you later, so be ready.”
“Thanks.” Beryl managed a half smile, her doe-like eyes shimmering
with unshed tears. She turned and left, her body trembling slightly. The
vulnerability in her posture tugged at Sam, but an instinctive caution held
him back. He watched her leave, a familiar unease niggling at his
conscience.
His gaze flicked back to the crime scene, but his mind drifted to Beryl’s
notorious husband. Lucas Thorne, the underhanded swindler and suspected
drug dealer, had been a literal thorn in his side for years. It was Beryl’s
evidence that had finally put the man behind bars, yet her eagerness to
betray her own husband raised more questions than it answered. It was true
that she did come to photograph the owls often, but Sam still got a feeling
that might not be the whole story.
Sam shook off the thoughts. He needed to focus on the scene in front of
him.
“Sam.” Jo motioned him over. She was crouching by the victim, her
fingers lightly brushing away some debris from the woman’s hair. Jo’s
sharp green eyes were narrowed in concentration.
“Look at this.” She gestured at the victim’s matted hair, revealing bits of
bark embedded in the blond strands. “She didn’t fall here accidentally. She
was hit with that log.” Jo pointed at a hefty piece of wood nearby, its rough
bark mirroring the fragments in the victim’s hair. “Must have been hit hard,
too, to fall so hard onto that jagged rock.”
Jo moved to a patch of mud near the log, her eyes catching a peculiar
pattern. She knelt down, her fingers hovering over the impressions in the
soft soil.
“Sam, look at these footprints,” she said, her voice laced with intrigue.
“The edges have tread, but the middle is smooth. Maybe someone with an
odd gait. I’ve never seen wear like this.”
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