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

guys wanting to get out of Buena
Viaje as fast as possible, there's only one route that will give them access to
the freeway headed north. Under the overpass to the frontage road running
parallel to Main Street.
    "They'll have four or five stop lights before they hit
the freeway," Lea reasoned aloud. "If Tom got Paul’s call about my
needing help, he'll be thinking the same thing. Hopefully, he's already on his
way to intercept them."
    Spirit cocked his head listening attentively without
averting his eyes from the road.
    The fact there were few cars on the street was to Lea's
advantage. Thank heavens, Buena Viaje is usually wrapped up tight by ten
o'clock at night.
    But just as she sensed she might be closing the gap, a
motorcycle roared around her, forcing her to jam on the brakes as the light
turned red. Lea's hands were sweating as she gripped the wheel. Come on, come
on, come on. Time seemed to be standing still and the van was nowhere in sight.
    Gunning the engine again before the light changed, her
heart dropped as she realized how close they were to the Pier and the last
intersection before the freeway access.
    "I'm afraid we've lost them, Spirit. I guess I was
wrong in my theory about their escape route."
    She rounded the curve and drove toward the parking lot at
the Pier. That's when she saw it. The lights shone on a single vehicle in the
otherwise empty lot: the black van parked at a hasty angle. She swerved the car
into the lot so fast Spirit was pitched across the seat, landing against the
door.
    Lea was so happy to see the van she lost all sense of
caution. Almost before the car had rolled to a complete stop, she jumped out
leaving Spirit behind barking anxiously. Approaching what appeared to be an
empty vehicle, she could see the front doors were wide open leaving the
interior lights on. There was no one inside.
    The back doors were closed. She walked toward them with
great apprehension until she heard the familiar sound of Gracie's barking.
Throwing the doors open, she suddenly found herself on the pavement with
seventy pounds of dog on top of her, licking her face.
    "Okay, girl, you're safe now," she laughed, throwing
her arms around the dog. “Thank goodness, you're safe. Let's go get your
brother before he breaks through the car window."
    With Spirit circling Gracie licking her mouth to show her
how happy he was to see her, Lea reached for her phone. In the middle of
telling a greatly relieved Paul that she found Gracie and would be heading
home, she heard a cacophony of dog wailing coming from under the Pier. Heading
toward the noise, Lea expressed exasperation: "I'm ending the call, babe.
The dogs are raising a ruckus over something. Let me round them up so I can get
out of here."
    Lea walked along the Promenade leading to the old wooden
structure. The Pier was a favorite attraction for fishing, picnics, and views
of the coastline and Islands, but she was in no mood to enjoy the view. She
felt impatient crossing the beach as her shoes began filling with sand, certain
the dogs had found a dead seagull or leftover hot dog to scuffle over.
    Discovering the cause of their agitation, she wasted no
time punching Tom's number in her cell phone.
    "Where the heck are you, Lea? We've been up and down
the frontage road. No sign of the van."
    "I found the van abandoned in the parking lot at the
Pier. Gracie was safe in the back."
    "Darn it. I'm glad you and Gracie are safe but I hate
losing those guys."
    "Sorry to tell you, Tom, but the burglars escaping isn’t
your biggest problem."
    "What do you mean?"
    "I mean Gracie and Spirit just found a dead body under
the Pier."
    * * *
    By the time Lea got the
dogs settled in the car, Tom had arrived. Even as she related to Tom exactly
how she found the abandoned van and the dead body, the parking lot began
filling with police cars and other vehicles. Before they finished their
conversation, a team of crime scene personnel had begun to search the scene and
collect evidence.