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    Dark Sky
    Dark Sky
    Dark Sky
    Ebook160 pages2 hours

    Dark Sky

    By Amber Douglas

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    About this ebook

    Set a few months after the events in Blood in the Water, Skye Martin and Lucas Ashborough are forced to work with another precinct detective team as their murder cases are connected.

    Mix two dead sisters, a handful of ex-boyfriends, a dash of jealousy, and add a pinch of crushed dreams.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAmber Douglas
    Release dateJun 13, 2013
    ISBN9781301495542
    Dark Sky
    Author

    Amber Douglas

    I'm a native Arizonan and while growing up, I would often write down notes about stories germinating in my head. I was always interested in the fantasy genre, having been introduced to Anne McCaffrey's Riders of Pern book series (may she rest in peace) in elementary school. I devoured Piers Anthony, Raymond E. Feist, and later, Lord of the Rings. In trying my hand at mysteries, I've found they are fickle things, like a knot in yarn. Instead of cutting it, try to work it out and once unraveled, have a straight line of yarn again. I will some more books coming soon, so please enjoy the ones I have out now. Reviews from readers: The Fallen Angel Review by: Gerty So on Jan. 20, 2013 : Wow, what a story.... I loved it.... Please keep writing, you are great at it..... A Highly Recommended Read..... The Fallen Angel Review by: Anonymous (Barnes and Noble) on June 27, 2013: Short and sweet...a happily ever after ending The Fallen Angel Review by Val Zykwa (Apple store) It was ok...I wish it was longer! A Pie for Papa Review by: Gerty So on Jan. 20, 2013 : Another great read......

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      Book preview

      Dark Sky - Amber Douglas

      Dark Sky

      Amber Douglas

      Dark Sky

      Published by Amber Douglas

      Copyright 2013 Amber Douglas

      Smashwords Edition

      Smashwords Edition, License Notes

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      Other books by this author:

      REN and Other Tales of Fantasy

      Blood in the Water

      When the Light Cometh

      Mermaid’s Song*

      White Demon

      Andromeda’s Harmony*

      Demon Scion: Book 2 of Dracula’s Revenge series

      Dracula’s Revenge

      The Shepherd’s Flock

      The Protector

      Red Moon

      A Pie for Papa

      Murder in Room 220

      Ren*

      The Fallen Angel

      * available as single ebooks

      Dark Sky

      Chapter 1

      Detective Skye Martin brushed her long black hair away from her face as she studied the body. The dead woman was a young teenager, dark hair, blue eyes, with red blood soaking her blue sundress, the color a burgundy tone around where the liquid originated. Beside her, Lucas Ashborough sighed. She could feel his looming presence, and was thankful for it. In her head, she started jotting down mental notes about the body. Lucas’s voice interrupted her.

      You okay, darlin’?

      I’m fine. She gave him a half-smile. She turned to the M.E. What was the cause of death?

      M.E. Dianna Harrison took off her spectacles. Her clear green eyes were sharp. Multiple stab wounds in her body. I’ll know more once I get her on the table and…cleaned up. She sniffed slightly, her grey hair pulled back in a loose bun. She was going on sixty, already was the proud grandmother of three grandchildren.

      Time of death, at least?

      Mm. Between eleven and two this morning.

      The body of the young girl was lying in the alleyway, the blind corridor unfortunately had no cameras, as Skye noted. No one to see her come in. No one to see her die. She closed her eyes, feeling the queasiness again. She turned away, opening her eyes, and started walking towards the car, hearing Lucas’ deep footsteps behind her.

      You all right?

      Fine. Skye leaned on the door, breathing slowly. I just felt nauseous, is all. I’m okay. Let’s get back to the precinct.

      All right. But I’m driving. Skye didn’t argue with her partner. Lucas drove the car back to the 10th Precinct.

      Detective Jack Collier and his partner Benjamin Benny Watson were busy on their phones when Skye and Lucas came in. Jack hung up his phone first and fell in step. Hey, got an ID. Charlotte Salt, age seventeen, went to NYU part time.

      Did you track down the parents?

      Just did. Benny held up a green Post-It note. Mr. Daniel and Mrs. Gabriella Salt are flying in from the Florida Keys, where they were vacationing. They should be here in a day.

      Skye sat down in her chair, rubbing her stomach. Almost on cue, Jack left quietly and returned with a Sprite, which Skye gratefully accepted. Thanks.

      All right, you two canvass the neighborhood. Skye and I will go to the school. Lucas ordered the two, who nodded and left, gathering their coats.

      Skye had half the can down before she felt relief from the bubbly. I’m better now. Let’s go. Her hazel eyes met his grey ones. What? I’m fine. Let’s go.

      Maybe you shouldn’t. You should stay here, close to the toilet.

      Skye restrained the urge to kick him. "We are investigating. There is no ‘I’ in ‘we’. We’re going. She turned around, striding to the elevator. She had to smile a little when she heard her partner mutter behind her back, That’s the Skye I know."

      NYU’s campus was huge. Skye was soon leaning against the wall, breathing heavily. She cursed her body for making her lethargic at a critical time. She caught her partner frowning deeply in concern. Skye muttered some curses in Spanish, then followed Lucas into the nearest hall.

      They finally arrived at the dean’s office. Mr. Peter Douglas was reading a stack of papers on his desk when they came in. Hello. He stood up to shake hands with them. Peter Douglas.

      Detective Lucas Ashborough. This is my pardner, Skye Martin.

      Please take a seat. Can I offer you anything?

      Do you have any soda? Skye couldn’t help asking.

      I only have Coke and Sprite. The dean said in an apologetic tone.

      Coke, please. The dean handed her the can and Skye sipped it. We’re here about Charlotte Salt. We understand she was a student here?

      Of course. What happened to her?

      Skye and Lucas shared a look before Lucas answered. She’s dead. Found in an alleyway, stabbed to death.

      The dean groaned and pinched his nose. Oh, that’s terrible. She was one of my brightest students. She was on her way to getting her baccalaureate degree in astrophysics.

      Can you think of anyone who would want to hurt her? Maybe an enemy or someone she jilted? Skye asked.

      Mr. Douglas frowned. She came to me a few months back, crying because she had a huge fight with one of her classmates, John Doyle. He had threatened her life in a drunken rage and she was afraid for her life. I expelled him from the university. Since then, other students had come forward, thanking me for that.

      Why, was he violent? A woman-beater?

      I had multiple complaints about him being that. The fight with Charlotte was the last straw in my book.

      Skye had finished her soda. She crumpled the can and tossed it in the trashcan as she stood up. Thank you for your time, Mr. Douglas.

      I hope I was helpful. We lost a brilliant student here.

      Lucas handed the dean his card. If you remember anything, just give me a holler. Skye walked out of the dean’s office first, and found herself heading down a hall. She nearly ran into the door of the ladies room, throwing herself at a toilet.

      The soda did nothing to calm her stomach. It came up as well as the rest of breakfast. She rinsed her mouth at the sink and came out, discovering Lucas who faithfully stood by the door, waiting for her.

      How much longer does this has to go on, Skye? He growled as they walked down to the parking lot. Any more, and I’ll have to stick your butt in the hospital.

      Then where would you be without me? Skye teased, getting into the passenger side of the car.

      I mean it, Skye. You’ve been having this vomiting for three weeks now. How much longer?

      Skye sighed in frustration. She had just gotten back from her monthly checkup by the doctor. Two more weeks at the most. It’s supposed to subside in the third month.

      At the most. Lucas repeated. So, one more week or so of you yakking up your breakfast and anything you put down?

      Yes. Start the countdown.

      Lucas chuckled at her sarcasm. Skye was secretly grateful he didn’t mention the issue again on the ride back to the station. They walked into the squad room and Skye sat down in her chair, sighing in relief. She wondered why her lower back hurt. She reached behind and rubbed the muscles, vowing that she would be chained to the desk until the baby comes.

      Lucas set a can of Sprite on her desk. Try this. Coke don’t do you no good anyways.

      Yes, Doc Tex. She heard her partner sigh in exasperation.

      Do you want to get over this or not?

      Skye narrowed her eyes at him. "You’re treating me like I’m sick. I’m not. I’m with your child."

      Ain’t my fault. He perched his butt on a corner of her desk.

      Skye closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Not your fault?

      Ain’t my fault you’re knocked up.

      That did it. Skye stood up abruptly and pushed him off the desk. She followed through with his stumble, taking fistfuls of his shirt and slamming him hard into the wall, hearing a satisfying thwack as his head hit the wall. She heard someone snarl, "If you ever say that about our baby again, I don’t care what stupid policies are in place, I swear to God, I will hurt you and I will enjoy every minute of it. If you don’t want it, fine. But it’s mine. So stay the fuck away! She pushed him harder against the wall as emphasis. Now go do something useful, Ash." Skye stepped away from him, still feeling the raw anger simmering.

      Lucas noticed the captain frowning in their direction. Um, I’ll go update the captain.

      Fine. The word was snarled quietly. Skye took a sip of Sprite and coughed. Then she noticed Det. Benjamin Benny Watson standing there, waiting patiently to speak. Her anger calmed down to guilt. Benny. What do you got?

      He swallowed first before speaking. We’re bringing in John Doyle now. We searched the crime scene, found no prints, but the M.E. made a discovery.

      Okay. Skye found her voice took on a more professional tone. How many wounds were in the body?

      Almost half a dozen. The only one that was the main cause of death was the one to the lung. The rest were postmortem.

      Why the lung? Why not the heart? Skye mused. Benny seemed to answer that for her.

      Make the victim suffer.

      Why? The psychology suggests revenge. Making the victim suffer for pain caused in the killer’s life.

      Benny consulted his mini notebook. Went by the crime scene again to canvass. Lack of blood around the entrance suggests she was dropped there from somewhere else.

      But where would she have been? She lives in this part of the city.

      Benny could only shrug. Skye was starting to get a small headache from the theorizing. Her spat with Lucas was quickly forgotten as she mused on these new findings. His partner, Jack Collier, came up to the two.

      John Doyle’s in the Interrogation Room.

      Skye nodded. All right. I’ll go in. No one else. The two men knew better than to argue with her. She walked down the hall towards Interrogation Room One, glancing in the window and seeing a young kid covered in tattoos sitting in the room, dressed in tattered shirt and jeans. He had a curled upper lip frozen on his face as she walked in.

      You a cop or a ho?

      Cop. Detective Skye Martin.

      He merely shrugged. I liked ho better.

      I’m sure. Skye grimaced. She prayed her queasiness wouldn’t come up. Tell me about Charlotte Salt.

      Lottie.

      Skye noted the shortened first name as he talked.

      Okay, she’s a bitch. She’s a ho. She got me kicked out of NYU. What else?

      Why’d you kill her? The question had the intended effect. John frowned and his breathing sped up.

      She-she’s dead?

      Yes.

      Who? Skye raised her eyebrows at him. He got the message. "I

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