For Old Crime's Sake (Chase Charley Mystery Book 1) Read Online Free

parked my car on the street closest to the water. Wham!’s Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go played from the speakers. The song was popular the year I was born, but it was still one of my favorites. Silence filled the car when I turned off the ignition. I’d might as well get this over with.
    After grabbing the items from my purse, I headed for the edge of the river. I felt ridiculous with this trash wrapped up in a napkin, but I didn’t have the heart to tell Courtney I didn’t believe in all this voodoo stuff.
    Golden beams of sunlight covered my path to the river’s edge. When I neared, a young couple strolled past hand-in-hand by the water. I’d wait until they passed before tossing the stuff over the side. I didn’t want anyone to think I was littering. The things Courtney got me into.
    I inched close to the railing and peered down at the water. A slight breeze stirred the hot air and the water flowed past. The sun glistened off the water’s surface. Gentle waves hit the railing below. I needed to hurry so that I could catch Jessie before she was busy with a client.
    No one seemed to be watching now, so with a flick of my wrist I tossed the items into the water. With a splash, the wrapped napkin hit the surface and then floated away. I hoped this would satisfy Courtney. I glanced over my shoulder again to make sure no one had been watching me.
    Now that I’d finished the voodoo task it was time for me to get back to business. I needed to ask my source more information about the house she’d sent me to last night. Why had the party been cancelled and who was that dark-haired cop who’d put a body in the trunk of his car?
    After crossing the parking lot, I climbed behind the wheel and pulled out my phone. I dialed Jessie’s number, but after a bunch of rings, it went to her voicemail. I left a message, then decided I’d head toward her salon anyway. This was too important to wait around for her to call me back. I glanced over toward the water one last time and then pulled away.
    The salon was closer to my apartment than the river, so I had to maneuver the traffic back over to Magazine Street. Beau Modèle was the name of the place. The top was down on my car and a talk radio show played in the background. I had no idea what the hosts were talking about, so I flipped it off and listened to the traffic instead.
    Just a few more blocks and I’d be there. The light changed to yellow, so I slowed down. I might be a so-so journalist, but I was an excellent driver. The traffic signal wasn’t the only light I’d noticed though. When I peered into the rear-view mirror, the twirling blue lights of a cop car flashed behind me. Of all the luck. Was he after me? What had I done?
    I merged to my right and unfortunately he followed. His car was mere inches from mine. I was being pulled over. This day had gone from bad to worse in seconds.
    After flipping on the turn signal, I steered my car over to the side and shoved it into park. I grabbed the wallet from my purse. The faster I gave him my license, the quicker I could get out of there.
    When I glanced in the mirror again, two policemen had emerged from the car. The problem was that I recognized one of them and he wasn’t a person I wanted to see. My stomach turned. This couldn’t be a good thing. The so-called cop I’d seen from last night was approaching my car.
    I thought about peeling away from the curb, but I knew that wouldn’t end well. The other officer looked about twenty-nine or thirty. He was good-looking, with thick dark hair and big brown eyes. The good-looking cop was walking up to the passenger side of my Porsche and the mean-looking cop was coming up to my side. Was this really necessary? I’d seen fewer police on a drug raid.
    The mean-looking officer’s stare was focused on me. He did not look happy. Just as he reached the back of my car, a crash sounded. He’d swung his stick at the back of my car and broken the taillight.
    I tried to remain calm. I