Vengeance Road Read Online Free Page B

Barracks.”
    Gannon grabbed his jacket.
    He’d go out there and see if anyone would talk to him.
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    The New York State Police patrol east and northeast Erie County from the drowsy suburb of Clarence, east of Buffalo. Clarence Barracks was on Main Street, housed in a plain one-story building.
    When Gannon arrived, the woman at the reception desk was twirling her pen and talking on the phone.
    â€œI’ve been temping all week, just when they get this big case…meeting after meeting, people coming, people going—one second, Charlene.” She clamped her hand over the phone. “May I help you?”
    â€œI’d like to see Michael Brent or Roxanne Esko. I’m with the Buffalo —”
    â€œThey’re all in the meeting, third door on the right.” She pointed down the hall with her pen. “I’m supposed to send everybody there.” She went back to her conversation. “What’s that? She’s pregnant! OH MY GOD! How many is that now?”
    â€œBut I’m with the Buffalo Sentinel .”
    Ignoring what he’d said, the receptionist pointed him down the hall.
    â€œGo,” she told Gannon. “It’s all right. Everybody’s in the meeting.”
    He hesitated for as long as it took the receptionist to buzz him through the security door. As he went down the hall he could almost hear the floor cracking under him for he was treading on thin ethical ice. Through innocent circumstance he’d gained entrance to the inner sanctum of the investigation of Bernice Hogan’s murder. The door to the meeting was half-open. He could hear loud voices.
    How should he play this?
    He’d knock on the door, identify himself then request to speak to Brent or Esko. They’d likely shoo him away, have him wait at reception.
    At that instant the door opened and a man he didn’t recognize exited, talking on his cell phone. Gannon turned and bent over a water fountain as the man, his tie loosened, shirtsleeves rolled up, whisked by him to the opposite end of the hall talking loudly on his cell.
    â€œTell Walt this Hogan thing is going to be a ballbuster,” he said into the phone. “No one will believe where they’re going with it. Yeah, they’re keeping a tight lid on this. Yeah, I got to get back.”
    The man returned to the room and Gannon inched closer to the door.
    It remained partially opened. Voices of people arguing spilled from it.
    â€œI don’t buy it.”
    â€œLook at what we know so far.”
    â€œWhat you have so far is hearsay, Mike!”
    Gannon’s breathing quickened. As he inched closer he got a limited view of a large whiteboard. He glimpsed a patch of handwritten times, dates, streets, arrows, then a clear view of initials written in blue marker under the heading“Suspect.” The initials on the board were blocked by an open hand slapping it to stress the point someone was making.
    â€œGiven all that we’ve got so far, all that we’re following up with, this guy is our suspect and the focus of our investigation.”
    The hand vanished.
    Gannon’s heart beat faster as he glanced around to be sure no one could see him. He stepped closer and saw the initials of the suspect.
    K.S.
    Who was that?
    â€œIt’s bullshit, Mike, I’m telling you!”
    For an instant Gannon caught sight of someone he knew.
    â€œHow can you be so sure? We just don’t buy it.”
    â€œIt’s not a done deal. Listen, we’ve got a lot of hard work ahead of us, but based on what we’ve got, everything points to him. He’s the key.”
    â€œLet’s see if I have this right. Based on the things a couple of crack hoes on Niagara told you, you’re telling us that a cop, a decorated detective, is your suspect for Hogan?”
    A cop?
    Gannon froze.
    Then he felt a hand on his shoulder.

6
    G annon turned around to see the receptionist’s puzzled