Read Online 1 Death Comes to Town by K.J. Emrick - Free Book Online Page A

herself so I went over to her to see if she was alright.”
    “You?” She snorted. “You were never the helpful type.”
    “See, right there is why I divorced you,” he complained. “You never had any faith in me. None.” He ran a hand through his hair and started to pace back and forth.
    “I broke it off with you, Jeff. I thought you had something to tell me?”
    He stopped his pacing and looked at her. “Fine. Be like that. Anna wasn’t making much sense, but I asked her if there was anything I could do for her just like I always do for a friend,” he made sure to add. “She told me that she had seen something but was practically talking over herself and I’m not sure exactly what she said. Something about someone new in town.”
    Darcy stared at him for a moment. “That’s it? That’s your big news? What do you think she meant?”
    Jeff shrugged. “I only know of one new person in town. That’s your sister’s new partner, this Jon character. That’s why I didn’t take this to the police, see?”
    Darcy shook her head. “You must have misunderstood. Besides I was with Grace and Jon when it happened.”
    “Sure, Darcy. You’re always right, after all.” He waited a moment and when Darcy didn’t rise to his bait he said, “Guess I’ll see you later then.”  He turned away and headed towards the door.
    When he got to the door she shook her head at herself for treating him so badly. He came to her, after all. “Why do you care anyway Jeff? You were never close to Anna.”
    He shrugged again. “You and me might have fallen apart, and I still want those photos you stole from me, Darcy. But I always liked Anna. She didn’t deserve this.”
    Then he turned and left the store leaving Darcy standing there, wondering about Jeff’s sudden unselfish gesture. And what was it with him and those photos?
    ***
    That night Darcy was pacing back and forth in her kitchen. She was out of options and knew what she had to do next. She’d put it off long enough. Now, for Anna’s sake, she needed to do it. She had to turn to the spirit world. She looked at Smudge and sighed. The cat blinked at her. “Yeah. I know,” she answered his unspoken encouragement.
    She grabbed a flashlight from off the counter in the kitchen and pulled on her jacket. Closing the front door behind her she walked slowly down the path towards Anna’s house.
    As she cut through the mist, she couldn’t help but think about the last time she took this walk, the night she’d found Anna’s dead body. Anger coursed through her and she knew that she had to bring the murderer down.
    That resolve carried her to Anna’s front steps.
    When she reached Anna’s house she turned the flashlight on and ducked under the yellow police tape that was stretched across the front door. She cautiously entered, her nerves on edge, and went to the spot where she had found Anna’s body the other night.
    The spot wasn’t marked. Not even any blood on the floor. She remembered exactly where it had been, though. Sitting down on that spot she closed her eyes and told herself to relax. She created a picture of the mist in her mind. It was a method she employed to clear her mind. Concentrating on the haze allowed her to center herself and connect with the other side.
    It was sudden, when it happened. With a jolt she was transported to another place. Everything came to her in flashes once again. This wasn’t accidental, though. She was intentionally seeking it out. This time, she saw more.
    She saw Anna opening the door, then her visions flashed to Anna pouring the tea, then to Anna running into the living room, then her on the floor. Darcy could see a clock in the background in that instant. It read ten o’clock.
    Abruptly she was thrown out of the vision. She fell forward onto her hands and knees, panting like she had run a marathon. Her head was spinning. She scrubbed a hand over her face as she tried to settle down. Although the vision was painful to watch she