Catching heat, p.1
Catching Heat, page 1
PRAISE FOR JANICE CANTORE
“Questions of faith shape the well-woven details, the taut action scenes, and the complex characters in Cantore’s riveting mystery.”
BOOKLIST on Burning Proof
“In Burning Proof, Cantore proves her skills as an author with multilayered plots, all with an underlying focus on faith. Her twenty-two years of experience on the police force lends her riveting police-crime drama totally suspenseful, authentic, and memorable.”
CBA RETAILERS + Resources
“[In] the second book in Cantore’s Cold Case Justice series . . . the romantic tension between Abby and Luke seems to be growing stronger, which creates anticipation for the next installment.”
ROMANTIC TIMES on Burning Proof
“This is the start of a smart new series for retired police officer–turned–author Cantore. Interesting procedural details, multilayered characters, lots of action, and intertwined mysteries offer plenty of appeal.”
BOOKLIST on Drawing Fire
“Cantore’s well-drawn characters employ Christian values and spirituality to navigate them through tragedy, challenges, and loss. However, layered upon the underlying basis of faith is a riveting police-crime drama infused with ratcheting suspense and surprising plot twists.”
SHELF AWARENESS on Drawing Fire
“Drawing Fire rips into the heart of every reader. One dedicated homicide detective. One poignant cold case. One struggle for truth. . . . Or is the pursuit revenge?”
DIANN MILLS, bestselling author of the FBI: Houston series
“This hard-edged and chilling narrative rings with authenticity. . . . Fans of police suspense fiction will be drawn in by her accurate and dramatic portrayal.”
LIBRARY JOURNAL on Visible Threat
“Janice Cantore provides an accurate behind-the-scenes view of law enforcement and the challenges associated with solving cases. Through well-written dialogue and effective plot twists, the reader is quickly drawn into a story that sensitively yet realistically deals with a difficult topic.”
CHRISTIAN LIBRARY JOURNAL on Visible Threat
“[Cantore’s] characters resonate with an authenticity not routinely found in police dramas. Her knack with words captures Jack’s despair and bitterness and skillfully documents his spiritual journey.”
ROMANTIC TIMES on Critical Pursuit
“Cantore is a former cop, and her experience shows in this wonderful series debut. The characters are well drawn and believable, and the suspenseful plot is thick with tension. Fans of Lynette Eason, Dee Henderson, or DiAnn Mills and readers who like crime fiction without gratuitous violence and sex will appreciate discovering a new writer.”
LIBRARY JOURNAL on Accused
“Cantore provides a detailed and intimate account of a homicide investigation in an enjoyable read that’s more crime than Christian.”
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY on Accused
“Janice Cantore’s twenty-two years as a police veteran for the Long Beach Police Department [lend] authenticity in each suspense novel she pens. If your readers like Dee Henderson, they will love Janice Cantore.”
CHRISTIAN RETAILING on Abducted
“[Avenged] offers plenty of procedural authenticity and suspense that will attract fans of Dee Henderson.”
LIBRARY JOURNAL
“Cantore . . . delivers another round of crime, intrigue, and romance in her latest title.”
JOYCE LAMB, USA TODAY on Avenged
“Set in a busy West Coast city, the story’s twists will keep readers eagerly reading and guessing. . . . I enjoyed every chapter. Accused is a brisk and action-filled book with enjoyable characters and a good dose of mystery. . . . I look forward to more books in this series.”
MOLLY ANDERSON, Christianbookpreviews.com
“Accused was a wonderfully paced, action-packed mystery. . . . [Carly] is clearly a competent detective, an intelligent woman, and a compassionate partner. This is definitely a series I will be revisiting.”
MIN JUNG, freshfiction.com
“Abducted is a riveting suspense . . . [and] the many twists and turns keep the reader puzzled. The book is a realistic look into the lives of law enforcement officers. Abducted is one book I couldn’t put down. Can’t wait to see what Carly and Nick might be up to next.”
PAM, daysongreflections.com
Visit Tyndale online at www.tyndale.com.
Visit Janice Cantore’s website at www.janicecantore.com.
TYNDALE and Tyndale’s quill logo are registered trademarks of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Catching Heat
Copyright © 2016 by Janice Cantore. All rights reserved.
Cover photograph of woman taken by Stephen Vosloo. Copyright © by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.
Cover photograph of man copyright © Tetra/Corbis. All rights reserved.
Cover photograph of shoreline by Angelina Odemchuk/Unsplash.com. All rights reserved.
Cover photograph of smoke copyright © nikkytok/Dollar Photo Club. All rights reserved.
Illustration of folder by Hakan Ertan/Creative Cloud. All rights reserved.
Designed by Jennifer Ghionzoli
Edited by Erin E. Smith
Published in association with the literary agency of D.C. Jacobson & Associates LLC, an Author Management Company. www.dcjacobson.com
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Deuteronomy 10:18 in chapter 1 is taken from The Living Bible, copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Catching Heat is a work of fiction. Where real people, events, establishments, organizations, or locales appear, they are used fictitiously. All other elements of the novel are drawn from the author’s imagination.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Cantore, Janice, author.
Title: Catching heat / Janice Cantore.
Description: Carol Stream, Illinois : Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., [2016]
| Series: Cold case justice
Identifiers: LCCN 2016016021 | ISBN 9781414396705 (softcover)
Subjects: LCSH: Policewomen—Fiction. | Private investigators—Fiction. |
Murder—Investigation—Fiction. | Cold cases (Criminal investigation)—Fiction. |
GSAFD: Mystery fiction. | Christian fiction.
Classification: LCC PS3603.A588 C38 2016 | DDC 813/.6—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016016021
ISBN 978-1-4964-1827-2 (ePub); ISBN 978-1-4143-9673-6 (Kindle); ISBN 978-1-4964-1826-5 (Apple)
Build: 2016-08-12 10:13:27
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I’D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE the help of Detective Stephen Jones (ret.), Officer James P. Barringer, and Commander Lisa Lopez; the encouragement of Don Jacobson, my agent; and the overall support of Kitty Bucholtz, Marcy Weydemuller, Cathleen Armstrong, Kathleen Wright, Wendy Lawton, and Lauraine Snelling, my writing friends, for always being there to listen to the ideas as they bounce around—some good, some not so good—and to always tell the truth about what is what.
And thanks to Erin Smith, my awesome editor, and all the great people at Tyndale that I am blessed to be able to work with.
“Vengeance is mine, and recompense,
for the time when their foot shall slip;
for the day of their calamity is at hand,
and their doom comes swiftly.”
DEUTERONOMY 32:35
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Chapter 71
Chapter 72
Chapter 73
Epilogue
Preview of Accused
About the Author
Discussion Questions
PROLOGUE
“THIS LOOKS LIKE a fairy-tale cottage, one you’d see painted on the cover of a kids’ book.” Abby Hart turned toward Robert “Woody” Woods as they reached their destination. “Trouble is, in those books something bad often lives in the cottage.”
Her partner laughed. “Think an ogre lives here?” he asked as they stepped out of the car.
“If this were fairy-tale Grimm, you can bet that’s what we’d find.”
She stood by the car door for a minute and took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air. It had rained yesterday, but today was gorgeous—seventy-five degrees, puffy white clouds dotting a brilliant-blue sky with a gentle breeze rustling leaves on the trees. She turned as the patter of paws caught her attention. A medium-size shepherd trotted up to her, wagging his tail. Abby missed her own little dog, Bandit, and bent to scratch the shepherd’s head.
“Hey, cutie, you live here?”
Woody joined her, and for a moment they showered the dog with praise.
“Nice dog. Collar, no tag. Wonder where he belongs.”
“He’s a little on the thin side. . . . I wonder.” She looked toward the house. “We can ask, but first let’s find out about the odd guy that used to work here.”
They left the dog and walked toward the house. Around them birds chirped, and she noticed a hummingbird feeder hanging from a branch on one of the oak trees.
Abby knocked on the door and stepped off the porch to wait, noting that the dog had followed and was watching her, tail wagging. She’d try to remember to ask who owned the dog—if they came up empty on their search, that was. They were asking about a cold case, and you never knew if you were going to touch a nerve, unearth a buried clue, or receive blank, empty stares.
She took a police tactic out of habit, moving to one side of the door as Woody stood on the other. She had been part of the West Coast’s federal cold case squad since November and was now working with Woody and PI Luke Murphy. But she’d known and worked with Woody for years before that. He’d been her first training officer in uniform and a good, solid friend for the fifteen years since. Though he’d retired from the PD, Woody eagerly jumped aboard the cold case squad and Abby was happy to be teamed up with him.
She was about to knock again when the door opened. From the corner of her eye, she caught a blur of fur and realized that the dog had fled, tail between his legs. Frowning, she turned to the tall, dark-haired and bearded man who had stepped partially into the doorway but stayed in the shadows.
“Sergio?” Abby asked.
“Sí. El jefe, he send you?” Through his thick accent, his tone was guarded, suspicious, and it set Abby on edge. But there could be a lot of reasons he was nervous.
“Yes, I’m Detective Hart, and this is Investigator Woods. The owner told you we’d be coming by to ask you some questions?”
“About Chester?”
“Yeah, what kind of problems did he cause?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know where he is.”
“What can you tell us about the man?”
He shook his head, looking for all the world like he didn’t understand the question. Abby squinted, trying to read his face in the shadows.
“We’re not from immigration,” she said, hoping he’d stop being obtuse. “We’re looking for a witness to a crime that occurred near here a few years ago. Maybe it was this Chester.”
She glanced at her watch. They were scheduled to meet Agent Orson for an early lunch after this contact, and at this rate they would be late.
“Your boss told us you fired him. Do you remember anything about him?” Woody asked, trying a different tack.
“Sí, I fire him, but I don’t know where he go.”
He looked bewildered again, and Abby got impatient with the shtick. And with the sun hitting her in the face, this was a position of disadvantage. She was ready to move on but wanted to be 100 percent certain.
“Maybe you have employment paperwork we could look at. Would you mind if we came inside to talk for a few minutes?” she asked, praying the man wouldn’t pretend he didn’t know what that meant. His employer had told them that most employee records were kept with Sergio. She hoped he’d have something that would provide a more detailed work history about Chester than they had so far.
Thankfully, Sergio nodded and stepped aside, motioning for Abby to enter his home. Abby stepped up onto the porch and into the house, Woody behind her.
Sergio let them enter and closed the door. Abby turned to look at him just as he brought his elbow up and struck Woody full force in the back of his head. Woody went down hard.
Shock gripped Abby by the throat, and she dropped her notebook to reach for her gun.
Too slow.
Sergio knelt on Woody’s back, flipped open a switchblade, and held it to the fallen man’s neck, just below the ear.
“Don’t move or I will kill him,” he ordered, voice calm, with no trace of an accent. Keeping the knife pressed to Woody’s neck with his left hand, he held out his right hand. “Hand me your gun by the grip.”
Abby hesitated as Sergio pressed with the knife and a drop of blood pinched out.
Face flushed, she tried to think, tried to see a way out of surrendering her weapon.
“Now. The gun. Hurry.”
Knowing Woody would bleed out in bare minutes if Sergio pressed any harder, Abby carefully drew her weapon and handed it to Sergio. He took it and thankfully removed the knife from Woody’s neck and stood upright, pointing her .45 at her. As he backed up, Abby knelt to check on Woody, who started to get up. He put a hand to his neck where Sergio had drawn blood and rose to his knees. To Abby he seemed okay, if a little shaky from the blow to his head.
“Kudos to you two for finding me after all this time. I’ve stayed well hidden but never lost my paranoia. Does Victoria know?”
Neither Abby nor Woody answered.
“Does she know?” he demanded.
“She will, when we take your butt in,” Woody said, the timbre in his voice telling Abby he was more than a little shaken up.
“You don’t get it. You think I’m the monster. You’re wrong. She’s the killer, and if she finds me, she’ll finish the job. I can’t let that happen. I can’t let you tell her that you found me.” He extended the gun their direction.
All Abby could think was Welcome to fairy-tale Grimm.
THREE WEEKS EARLIER
“PLEASE STATE YOUR name for the court.”
Abby had to admit to almost feeling sorry for the woman sitting before the judge today. Less than a year ago, Kelsey Cox had retired as a deputy chief after a thirty-year, trailblazing law enforcement career. And here she was in a prison jumpsuit, no makeup, bad hairstyle, and looking so painfully thin, Abby winced. She also sported what looked like a fresh black eye. Someone in jail had most likely recognized her as an ex-cop. Abby wondered if that was why Kelsey insisted on the fast track for her confession. If so, she understandably wanted to get out of the city jail and into a state facility, where there were fewer chances of being recognized. She was set to confess to murdering and then concealing the body of Buck Morgan, Abby’s father, more than twenty-seven years ago.
Yeah, Abby thought, I almost feel sorry.
Cox cleared her throat. “Kelsey June Cox.” She stared at the microphone she spoke into, seemingly oblivious to anyone else in the judge’s private chamber. This had been one of Kelsey’s demands—along with the plea to speed up the process and have her hearing as soon as possible—that she be able to give her statement in private, with only a few people present and no questions except from the judge. All in exchange for a mere fifteen-year sentence.
Sure, I’m getting a confession, Abby thought. But why do I feel as though in our effort to close this, we’ve dealt away justice—real justice?
She looked over at Walter Gunther, Long Beach’s police beat reporter. She’d fought to have him here in a simple demonstration of petulance. It was one battle won in a lost war. As glad as she was that he was in her corner, she wished it were Luke Murphy by her side, giving her support.
“Please proceed with your statement, Ms. Cox, about what occurred on the night of June 16, 1988.”
