Double Cross Read Online Free Page A

and heard the car running.”
    “Was the garage door open?”
    “No. We opened it.”
    “How did you do that?”
    I pointed toward the back gate. “We heard the car running in the garage and went into the backyard to look through the windows. We figured that she must be in the car, so I busted the backdoor glass. We went through the house to the garage.”
    He squinted at the vomit on the driveway. “Where’d that come from?”
    Kacey, who by that time had color in her face again, lowered her head. “That was me. Sorry.”
    I nudged her with my elbow. “Would you please stop apologizing?”
    Ferrell frowned at Kacey. “Were you in the garage, too?”
    “Yes.”
    “You may have carbon monoxide poisoning. You’d better sit down until the paramedics get here.”
    She shook her head. “I didn’t breathe when I was in there. I just haven’t seen as many dead people as she has.” She gave me a weak smile.
    He turned back to me and cocked his head. “I recognize you from somewhere. Are you on TV?”
    “I’m a security consultant.”
    He scratched behind his ear. “Yeah, you said that. I guess you must look like someone.” He turned toward the garage. “I’m gonna take a look. Was the car turned off when you got here?”
    “I turned it off.” I moved my hand toward my pocket where I’d put Elise’s flash drive, but I stopped myself.
    “How long has the garage door been open?”
    Kacey checked her watch. “Fifteen minutes or so.”
    Ferrell looked over his shoulder at a row of live oaks in the backyard near the lake. The tops of the trees swayed. “There’s a lot of air movement around here. It’s probably okay. Sandra, you stay out here and keep an eye on me. If you see me acting funny, hold your breath and come and get me.”
    “I think it would be smarter to wait for the paramedics to get here,” Sandra said. “If there’s already rigor mortis, she’s been dead for hours. Let’s let them check the air out first.”
    Ferrell frowned. “We’ve got a job to do here, Sandra. Just watch me, okay?” He jerked a thumb back over his shoulder. “You ladies better move back there a bit. I don’t want any more casualties.” He walked to the edge of the garage, leaned in, and sniffed.
    “Carbon monoxide is odorless,” Sandra said.
    Ferrell straightened up and hitched his belt. “I know that, but we don’t have any idea what else was going on in there.”
    I couldn’t figure out what he had in mind. The garage was empty except for the car. It was not as if Elise had been running a meth lab.
    Apparently Sandra couldn’t figure it out either. She pulled a notepad out of her back pocket, flipped it open, and began writing something. “Whatever you say, Ed,” she said, without looking up.
    Ferrell took a couple of steps into the garage, stopped, and inhaled. He waited where he was for a few moments. Then he took a few more steps and breathed again. “It seems to be okay,” he said over his shoulder. “Remember to keep an eye on me, Sandra.”
    Sandra sighed, softly enough that Ed couldn’t have heard it. “Don’t worry, I’m riveted.” I had a hunch I had been wrong in my initial assessment of who was in charge.
    Ferrell arrived at the open car door and leaned in. A few moments later he backed his head out again. “It’s carbon monoxide, all right. She’s red as a cherry.”
    “How are you feeling, Ed?” Sandra still didn’t look up from her notepad, and I almost expected her to yawn.
    “I’m fine. The air seems to be okay.” He stuck his head back in the car.
    A siren whined in the distance. Sandra looked toward the corner of the house and flipped her notepad shut. “Paramedics,” she said, as the siren became louder. She walked to the edge of the garage. “Ed, why don’t you come out for a minute and get some fresh air? The medics are just about here.”
    Ed straightened up and walked back out into the sunlight. “Good idea. There’s no rush. She’s not going anywhere.”