An Eye for Danger Read Online Free Page A

have you contaminating my scene any further." He came to my side and bent to slip them over my shoes as the half-dozen other cops watched.
    Max growled, and I snapped my finger to shush him.
    "Or your dog," added Stone with a wary eye on Max.
    "You can try putting booties on him, if you like." I smirked when Stone gave me a double-take. Go ahead, I dare you.
    "We could try the handcuffs," he replied.
    I kept my lips sealed and lifted my foot. My balance wavered, however, and I grabbed the detective's shoulder. A grin teased his lips, so I withdrew my hand. "Let's just get this over with, shall we," I grumbled.
    "Like the lady said." He rose within inches of my face, and I could smell his breath mint. "But let me know if it gets to be too much. You've seen a lot for one day. For a civilian."
    "I'm not going to pieces on you, Detective." I swallowed hard. I'd run with bigger, tougher boys than cocky detectives.
    As I reached for Max's collar, he bolted toward the mound of leaves. "Max, stop."
    "Secure the damn dog," yelled Stone, as I lunged after Max.
    By the time I reached him, he'd latched onto a solid object in the leaf pile, growling and twisting like it was a pull-toy, so Petosa was shy to inject his bare fingers to grab Max's collar.
    "Drop it," I snapped and withdrew Max before Petosa landed a heel-kick to his ribs.
    "You oughta muzzle that thing," said Petosa.
    My mouth opened to give Petosa, uniform or not, a big slice of Larson pie. That's when I saw the hairy arm Max had flung by the sleeve, causing the attached body to shake free of its leafy cloak. The man's skin was cement gray. I knew first-hand that color, had printed photos of such bodies, won awards for them, for God's sake. I could only assume the man's identity: Tony, the third guy the thugs had argued over. The man whose blood had painted my legs.
    My stomach quivered and I backed away. And bumped right into a brick wall. Stone's chest.
    "Didn't want you to see that." Stone's large hands braced my shoulders and slowly turned me from the scene. He walked me a few steps away, Max trailing us, Stone's arm protectively curled over my shoulders. "We can stop, if you need to rest."
    "No, I'm good. I'm ready," I said, tightening onto Max's collar. Damn it, I'd seen bodies before. Whole bodies, parts of bodies, pieces I could barely discern to be human. I could handle a simple murder scene, and without a damn panic attack, or fainting spell, or reckless dog.
    "Clear the scene," Stone yelled, and I jumped at the sharpness of his tone.
    His men hustled out of his way like nervous children. Their footsteps sounded like drums, their rustling of leaves like cymbals. I tried to clear my mind and squeezed my fingers, which already felt fat and numb with the after-effects of panic.
    Pointing to Petosa, Stone said, "He's your stand-in for the gunman. I'll play the second suspect."
    Gunman. As in Goliath. As in Bear Man. Whom I'd stood inches from and survived.
    "Show time," Stone said with a clap of his hands that snapped me to attention.
    I inhaled slowly, quieted my mind, and gave Max signals to sit and stay far from the body and even farther from the cops: finger up, palm out. Piece of cake.
    Then I gestured for Petosa to move toward Bear Man's original position looming over the mound, where the body now lay exposed. From my angle I could see the man's fingers almost touching Petosa's shoelace. I blinked, looked away.
    "Where were you at this point?" Stone asked.
    Backing halfway down the hill, I stopped and called, "About here. Max on my right."
    Max stirred but I held out my palm. Hold still, buddy .
    "And the second suspect I believe stood here." Stone stepped closer to Petosa's position. Too close.
    "No, back further." I pointed to the hole in the bushes. "He crawled out from there."
    Max bolted, mistaking my words and gesture for commands, and leapt through the hole with a circus lion's grace.
    Shit, not again.
    I darted after him, ignoring Stone's demands to stop,