Dead Woman Crossing J.R. Adler (early reader chapter books txt) 📖

thrown around like a rag doll. Her heart broke for her weak mother. But other than that… she was fine.

“I’m fine.”

Two paramedics with a stretcher and medic bag approached quickly.

Before they could ask, Kimberley said, “Inside.”

They nodded and ran past. When the door opened to the house, she could once again hear her mother screaming and crying.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Sam asked, holding her face in the palms of his hands, looking into her eyes, searching them.

Kimberley nodded.

He pushed some of her hair back so he could see her better. “You’ve got a bruise coming on right here.” He gently touched the side of her temple, running his fingers down her cheek, tracing the discolored skin. She winced slightly.

“You should see the other guy,” Kimberley teased.

“Burns, grab me an ice pack from the ambulance,” Sam instructed.

Deputy Burns nodded. Moments later, he handed over the ice pack.

“Go on and help them inside,” Sam said.

“There’s two pieces of evidence that need to be bagged and tagged. A .38 caliber and a flip phone. One’s in the living room, the other in the hallway,” Kimberley said.

Hill and Burns nodded and hurried inside the cottage. Sam held the ice pack against the side of Kimberley’s face. “Hold it right there.”

She didn’t argue with him this time.

“I’m going to have one of the paramedics check you out. You might have a concussion.”

“I’m fine.”

“I don’t need you to play tough detective right now. I need you to listen.” He tilted his head.

The door to the cottage swung open. A paramedic walked backward, pulling the stretcher through, while the other pushed on the end. Bearfield and Sam immediately went to help as they were struggling with the rock-lined path and the fact that David was a massive lump of uncooperative dead weight. Nicole walked beside him, holding his hand, crying. Just as they started loading him into the ambulance, a voice screamed from the main house.

“Dad, oh my God, what happened?” Emily cried out, running toward her father.

She tried to get close to him, but the paramedics told her to back away.

“Dad!” she yelled.

His mouth and nose were covered with an oxygen mask, so he didn’t speak. He wasn’t even attempting to say anything as his daughter and his wife wept over him.

“Tell me what happened!” she yelled, this time directing her attention at Sam. “Tell me!” She threw her hands up.

David pulled his oxygen mask off. “Emily…” He tried to lift his head to look at her.

Emily turned back toward David. “Dad.” Her eyes widened.

“I’m sorry,” he said, letting his head drop back on the stretcher. He didn’t have the strength to hold his head up high, nor the dignity to.

Emily took a small step back, crying into her hands.

A paramedic slid the mask back on him, and they lifted him into the ambulance, wheeling the stretcher in.

“Can one of you check on my detective?” Sam asked.

“We’ve got to get him to the hospital,” the paramedic said.

“It’s fine. We’ll follow behind,” Kimberley cut in.

Sam pulled out his handcuffs and cuffed David’s wrist to the stretcher.

“Is that really necessary?” Emily cried.

“It is,” Sam said. “We’ll be right behind you.”

Emily turned to Kimberley. “You’ve destroyed my family. First Wyatt, now my dad.”

One paramedic hopped into the back of the ambulance. “Immediate family only.”

Emily turned and climbed in without saying another word to Kimberley.

Nicole hesitated, looking at David and then back at Kimberley. Her face crumpled. More tears spilled out. “I’m sorry. I have to make sure he’s okay.” She turned her back on her daughter, stepping up into the ambulance. The other paramedic shut the doors and ran around to the front, hopping into the driver’s seat.

The sirens blared and the lights flashed as they sped off.

“Hill, you got the evidence bagged and tagged?” Sam asked.

“Yeah.”

“Good. Leave them with Burns and follow them to the hospital. He might be injured, but he is a tough bastard and very large, so don’t let David out of your sight. We’ll be there in a bit.”

“Yes, sir,” he said, running to his vehicle.

Sam let out a deep breath. He pulled his radio from his holster. “All available units to the Turner Farm. All available units to the Turner Farm off of N2440 road.”

He put the radio back in his utility belt and walked back to Kimberley.

“I’m going to have the team do a clean sweep of the farm.”

Kimberley nodded.

“Bearfield, I want you to take the lead on searching this place. Start with the outbuildings. Bag up anything that could have been used to decapitate Hannah Brown.”

“You got it,” Bearfield said, beckoning Burns with his hand. The two started off toward the back of the cottage.

“You did good today,” Sam said to Kimberley.

“No, I didn’t.” She shook her head.

Sam tried to look her in the eye, but Kimberley wouldn’t meet his gaze. She was ashamed that she hadn’t seen the signs, that she discovered who David really was over the dumb luck of looking for her daughter’s stuffed animal. Her instinct should have told her as soon as she stepped foot in the house that David wasn’t a good man. She should have seen it in her mother’s weakened and sad appearance. She should have known with how David acted around her. It was all right under her nose, right in front of her face. But she didn’t see any of it.

“It’s hard to see trees when you’re standing in the forest, right? Didn’t you tell me that?” he said, raising an eyebrow.

“Something like that…” Kimberley sighed, opting not to correct the saying. It made more sense to her that way.

“I kind of got a sense of what happened here, but ya mind sharing it with me on the ride to the hospital where you will be looked over by a doctor, and no, that is not a request. If it’s too much, you can give your statement tomorrow, but I will not budge on the wellness check.”

“Yeah, that’s fine… hold on,” she said, handing him the ice pack. She walked toward the