MURDER AT THE PIER (A Sister Sleuths Mystery Book 1) Read Online Free Page A

empty field between the house and the end of the street allowing
them to keep their distance.
    Nevertheless, getting out of the car at the corner to get a
better view, her heart skipped a beat. Mrs. Allen was right: t here were lights in the house. A black van was parked in
the driveway with the loading doors open. Her neighbor was right about
something else: it wouldn't be the owners of the house visiting at this time of
night in the dark.
    "Hurry up, Miguel," a
voice hollered. "We're done here. We'll be late for the meet."
    "Come on guys, we're out of
here, too," Lea summoned the dogs. Hearing the urgency in his master’s
voice, Spirit stopped rooted to the spot, but Gracie's instincts kicked in. She
went racing toward the site, barking loudly.
    The commotion aroused an
instantaneous reaction. Two hooded figures came running out of the house,
glancing frantically in all directions before racing to the van. Not bothering
to secure the back doors, one jumped in the driver's seat and revved the engine
while the other jumped into the passenger side.
    "No, Spirit," Lea yelled, seeing Spirit join his
sister racing for the back of the van. "Come back, Gracie."
    The retriever hesitated between seeing the back doors of
the van flying open in front of him and hearing his master's voice. But the
strength of the border collie's hind legs propelled her easily into the back of
the van as the vehicle leaped to life weaving crazily down the street. The last
thing Lea saw as the van swerved around the corner was Gracie struggling to
keep her balance in the back of the careening vehicle.
    "Come, Spirit, now," she yelled with authority,
sliding behind the wheel of her car and simultaneously opening the other door.
The dog jumped into the car and Lea took off in pursuit, hitting the speed dial
button on her phone.
    "Paul, call Tom at the station right away. Something
terrible has happened." They were in a residential neighborhood but Lea
was driving as fast as she dared in pursuit of the speeding van. "As Mrs.
Allen feared, there was a burglary in progress at the house. Two men stormed
out when Gracie ran over barking and took off. They were in such a hurry, they
didn't close the back doors of their van and she jumped into it."
    "Oh, no," Paul moaned. "Don't tell me you're
chasing them."
    "What choice do I have? I've got to get off the phone.
Call Tom right away. Tell him it's a late model, black, Nissan van headed
toward the Pier on Beach Boulevard. I'll call back when I can."
    Paul’s hands fumbled on the keypad as he dialed Tom's
direct line at the police station.
    "Tom Elliot," he heard the voice say, glad it
wasn't a recording. "How may I be of assistance?"
    "Thank goodness, it's you and not your voice
mail." He quickly explained the situation exactly as Lea had related it.
    "Okay, Paul." Tom switched into the reassuring
mode he adopted when handling people in desperate situations. "We're on
it. I'll take another squad car with me. Don't worry; we'll find them. The van
is probably headed for one of the freeway on-ramps to get out of the area as
fast as they can. I'll alert highway patrol units all along the highway. They
won't get far."
    "Thanks, Tom. Please have Lea call as soon as you've
located them."
    "Of course," the Detective replied, cutting the
call off and putting his game plan into action. Grabbing his jacket, he ran
toward the parking lot.
    * * *
    As Lea waited impatiently
for the street light to turn green, she thought how grateful she was Jon hadn't
come with her. I could use another set of eyes to keep the van in sight, but
this is hardly the kind of adventure I want my son to be part of.
    The moment the light turned, Lea flattened the gas pedal,
throwing Spirit back against the seat. "Sorry, big guy, but I don't have
time to stop to put your seat belt on."
    Spirit dug his claws into the car seat and held on for dear
life, all the time staring straight ahead in the direction where Gracie had
gone.
    If I'm right about these