Mystery Picks of the Day - September 11, 2013

Today the HBS Mystery Reader’s Circle features our Mystery Novels Picks of the Day. These are some of the BEST DEALS from outstanding Mystery Authors for the Kindle at Amazon.

Follow this blog for outstanding Mysteries and great prices.

My Blood Runs Blue


Author: Stacy Eaton

Price: $ 2.99

Book Trailer: My Blood Runs Blue
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Officer Kristin Greene has always felt that something was missing from her life. Although her job with the Fawn Hollow Township Police Department keeps her busy, she still feels like there is something else out there for her.

She soon finds herself investigating a homicide where a young woman has had her throat ripped out. When she has to give the death notification to the family, her investigative nature comes out fast and strong when the parents seem too accepting of their daughter's death and make comments that just don't fit.

When the family requests the assistance of the VMF Securities, Kristin is confused that they would think a security company could assist with the murder investigation. When Julian and Alexander arrive she quickly finds herself being pulled into a love triangle that has been going on longer then she has been alive. Why do they look at here as if they know her? And why do they keep talking about Calista?

Join Kirstin as she fights to learn the truth about the recent murder, the seductive and blood drinking men that have entered into her life and the rear truth about herself.

Author Genre: Crime, Thriller and Mystery

Website: Stacy Eaton
Author's Blog: Stacy Eaton, Author
Twitter: @StacySEaton
E-Mail: Mybloodrunsblue@aol.com
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Author Description:
Stacy is a full-time Police Officer who enjoys crime scene investigation above all else. She also owns a business that deals with helping people get the awareness out for the causes they care most about. She is a mother of two and her husband is also in law enforcement. She is very much into photography and carries her Nikon Digital SLR with her almost everywhere, just in case. She also has two Shiloh Shepherd dogs and loves to play catch with them.

Stacy uses her experience at work to make the stories more believable. Weaving bits of crime solving knowledge into her stories of fiction to make them more lifelike. She writes using a unique style that keeps you in the minds of all the important characters.

Switching back and forth from mind to mind to keep the readers aware of what each character is feeling and why they do the things they do.

Her first book, My Blood Runs Blue was the start of her writing career. It brings the world of law enforcement into the paranormal world of vampires. It is a suspenseful adult series that will keep you guessing from chapter to chapter.

Envy


Author: Sandra Brown

Price: $ 1.99


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From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Alibi comes a new novel of suspense and revenge as a reclusive writer seeks to destroy the friend who betrayed him.

Amazon.com Review

The prologue of a novel arrives in the Manhattan offices of a book editor, who's intrigued enough to chase its mysterious author, identified only by his initials, to his decrepit plantation on an island off the Georgia Coast. That's the first clue that fiction is stranger than fact; few publishers (if any) would go to that sort of trouble for anything less than a new J.D. Salinger novel. But bestselling author Sandra Brown makes the most of her far-fetched premise, setting up a convoluted plot that keeps the reader engrossed despite its flaws and foibles.

Maris Matherly-Reed is more than an editor. She's also the beloved daughter of the publishing house's highly respected and successful leader, and the wife of Matherly Press's second-in-command, the smooth, suave, double-dealing Noah Reed. Reed, it develops, is the real target of the literary scam set up by the reclusive writer of the novel whose opening pages so captivate Reed's spouse. P.M.E., the writer, has a score to settle with Maris's husband, and he doesn't care whom he hurts as long as he brings Noah down. At least, not until he meets Maris, who has an unfortunate habit of falling in love with her authors (see above; that's the second clue). Brown is a master at romantic suspense, and Envy displays the talents that have won her a devoted following: a deft hand at evoking the vulnerability and humanity of her protagonists, a sure command of narrative tension, and a nice sense of place. This is a terrific hammock read, just right for a summer day as sultry and humid as Envy's Low Country setting. --Jane Adams

Author Genre: Mystery & Thrillers, Literature & Fiction, Romance

Website: Sandra Brown
Twitter: @SandraBrown_NYT
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
Facebook: Check Out Facebook

Author Description:
Sandra Brown is the author of sixty New York Times bestsellers, including RAINWATER (2010), TOUGH CUSTOMER (2010), SMASH CUT (2009), SMOKE SCREEN (2008), PLAY DIRTY (2007), RICOCHET (2006), CHILL FACTOR (2005), WHITE HOT (2004), HELLO, DARKNESS (2003), THE CRUSH (2002), ENVY (2001), THE SWITCH (2000), THE ALIBI (1999), UNSPEAKABLE (1998) and FAT TUESDAY (1997), all of which have jumped onto the Times bestseller list in the number one to five spot.

Brown began her writing career in 1981 and since then has published over seventy novels, bringing the number of copies of her books in print worldwide to upwards of eighty million. Her work has been translated into thirty-three languages.

A lifelong Texan, Sandra Brown was born in Waco, grew up in Fort Worth and attended Texas Christian University, majoring in English. Before embarking on her writing career, she worked as a model at the Dallas Apparel Mart, and in television, including weathercasting for WFAA-TV in Dallas, and feature reporting on the nationally syndicated program "PM Magazine."

She is much in demand as a speaker and guest television hostess. Her episode on truTV's "Murder by the Book" premiered the series in 2008 and she was one of the launch authors for Investigation Discovery's new series, "Hardcover Mysteries."

In 2009 Brown detoured from her thrillers to write Rainwater, a much acclaimed, powerfully moving story about honor and sacrifice during the Great Depression.

Deadly Offerings

Deadly Trilogy


Author: Alexa Grace

Price: FREE

Book Trailer: Deadly Offerings
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Deadly Offerings is an ebook with a blend of pulsing passion and razor-sharp suspense. It is the first adventure in this sizzling romantic suspense trilogy.

Anne Mason thinks she’ll be safe living in the Midwest building a wind farm. She may be dead wrong. Someone is dumping bodies in her corn field and telling Anne they are gifts—for her!

As the body count rises, Anne realizes a cold-blooded serial killer is patiently waiting and watching her every move. And he won’t stop until he ends her life. It is clear there are no limits to this killer’s thirst for revenge or how far he will go to get it.

After a nasty divorce, Anne Mason does not want to get romantically involved, especially with ex-husband’s attorney, Michael Brandt.

The ruggedly handsome new County Prosecutor is the last person Anne can trust, but may offer her only chance at survival from a psychopathic killer. But will she survive the passion that rages between them?

Author Genre: Romance, Mystery & Thrillers

Website: Alexa Grace Romantic Suspense
Twitter: @AlexaGrace2
E-Mail: alexagrace@cfl.rr.com
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
Facebook: Check Out Facebook

Author Description:
Alexa's journey started in March 2011 when the Sr. Director of Training & Development position she'd held for thirteen years was eliminated. A door closed but another one opened. She finally had the time to pursue her dream of writing books. Her focus is now on writing riveting romantic suspense novels. Alexa earned two degrees from Indiana State University and currently lives in Florida. She's a member of Romance Writers of America (national) as well as the Florida Chapter. Her books Deadly Offerings and Deadly Deception have consistently been listed on Amazon's Top 100 Bestselling Romantic Suspense Books. She was recently named one of the top 100 Indie authors by Kindle Review. A chapter is devoted to her in the book Interviews with Indie Authors. Her writing support team includes five Miniature Schnauzers, three of which are rescues. As a writer, she is fueled by Starbucks lattes, chocolate and emails from readers. Her book Deadly Offerings is the first of her Deadly Trilogy. The second book of the trilogy, Deadly Deception, is available now as is Deadly Relations, the final book of the Deadly Trilogy. Profile of Evil, the first book of the Profile Trilogy will be available in spring 2013.

JET


Author: Russell Blake

Price: FREE


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Code name: Jet

Twenty-eight-year-old Jet was once the Mossad's most lethal operative before faking her own death and burying that identity forever. But the past doesn't give up on its secrets easily.

When her new life on a tranquil island is shattered by a brutal attack, Jet must return to a clandestine existence of savagery and deception to save herself and those she loves. A gritty, unflinching roller-coaster of high-stakes twists and shocking turns, JET features a new breed of protagonist that breaks the mold.

Fans of Lisbeth Salander, SALT, and the Bourne trilogy will find themselves carried along at Lamborghini speed to a conclusion as surprising as the story's heroine is unconventional.

Author Genre: Mystery & Thrillers

Website: Russell Blake Suspense Writer
Author's Blog: Russell Blake - Author Spotlight
Twitter: @blakebooks
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
Facebook: Check Out Facebook

Author Description:
Russell Blake is the bestselling author of twenty-two novels, including the thrillers Fatal Exchange, The Geronimo Breach, Zero Sum, King of Swords, Night of the Assassin, Revenge of the Assassin, Return of the Assassin, Blood of the Assassin, The Delphi Chronicle trilogy, The Voynich Cypher, Silver Justice, JET, JET II - Betrayal, JET III - Vengeance, JET IV - Reckoning, JET V - Legacy, Upon A Pale Horse, and BLACK.

Non-fiction includes the international bestseller An Angel With Fur (animal biography) and How To Sell A Gazillion eBooks In No Time (even if drunk, high or incarcerated), a parody of all things writing-related.

Blake lives in Mexico and enjoys his dogs, fishing, boating, tequila and writing, while battling world domination by clowns.

His blog can be found at RussellBlake.com where he publishes his periodic thoughts, such as they are.

The Kill

The Mafia Trilogy Book One


Author: Jonas Saul

Price: $ 4.99


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The Kill - Book One of The Mafia Trilogy

The son of the most ruthless Mafia boss in eastern Canada is killed, and the father wants revenge.

Darwin Kostas is a law-abiding Canadian, a writer with a new bride and a long list of phobias. His fear of the dark keeps him inside after the sun goes down. He also suffers from aichmophobia, an irrational fear of sharp and pointed objects. If confronted with a knife or a needle, his fear manifests as an out-of-control rage.

He's also the man who accidentally killed the heir to the Fuccini syndicate.

When the newlyweds honeymoon in Rome, a hit team follows. They keep waving things at Darwin--pointy things, like knives. He just can't control himself when that happens, and accidentally kills a few more 'made men.' The Mafia believes Darwin is a trained killer, hired to take them out, and declare an all-out war on the neurotic novelist.

Darwin returns to Toronto, but the hits keep coming. The FBI closes in, and a local biker gang offers Darwin their help.

Darwin just wants to be left alone with the lights on.

Author Genre: Mystery & Thrillers, Horror, Literature & Fiction

Website: Author Jonas Saul
Twitter: @jonassaul
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
Facebook: Check Out Facebook

Author Description:
Meet Jonas Saul, an international bestselling thriller author.

"I have read a lot of Koontz, Patterson, Connelly, Coben ... they were starting to blend together ... in my opinion, Jonas Saul is my favorite author out there." -Reviewer

Jonas Saul is from Toronto, Canada. He lives in Leavenworth, Washington. He is always writing the next novel.

The Sarah Roberts Series are his best selling novels with the highest reviews. The Mafia Trilogy is fast becoming the next series to rival Sarah Roberts.
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Stacy Eaton - Garda – Welcome to The Realm is featured on HBS Mystery Reader's Circle

Stacy Eaton is in the HBS Mystery Book Reader's Circle.

Author Genre: Crime, Thriller and Mystery

Website: Stacy Eaton
Author's Blog: Stacy Eaton, Author
Twitter: @StacySEaton
E-Mail: Mybloodrunsblue@aol.com
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Post with Profile + Q/A: HBS Author's Spotlight

Author Description:
Stacy is a full-time Police Officer who enjoys crime scene investigation above all else. She also owns a business that deals with helping people get the awareness out for the causes they care most about. She is a mother of two and her husband is also in law enforcement. She is very much into photography and carries her Nikon Digital SLR with her almost everywhere, just in case. She also has two Shiloh Shepherd dogs and loves to play catch with them.

Stacy uses her experience at work to make the stories more believable. Weaving bits of crime solving knowledge into her stories of fiction to make them more lifelike. She writes using a unique style that keeps you in the minds of all the important characters.

Switching back and forth from mind to mind to keep the readers aware of what each character is feeling and why they do the things they do.

Her first book, My Blood Runs Blue was the start of her writing career. It brings the world of law enforcement into the paranormal world of vampires. It is a suspenseful adult series that will keep you guessing from chapter to chapter.

Garda – Welcome to The Realm

Author: Stacy Eaton
Book Trailer: Garda – Welcome to The Realm
Amazon


“He is my destiny." There is a place that lies between heaven and Earth, it is called The Realm. Within this place, the Guards of Peace, known as Garda Síochána, learn to guide and protect the ones that live below until they are called home. Officer Corey Hamilton is dedicated to being the best that she can be, in uniform and out. Her loving nature, compassionate thoughts, and warrior strength make her the perfect candidate to join the Garda Síochána and spend her eternity protecting and guiding others. Just before Corey dies in a line-of-duty accident, she meets Officer Mitchell O’Reilly. Her feelings for him may change her destiny, but not for the better, as she falls in love with this married man. Brock, Corey’s personal Garda, will bring her home to The Realm and attempt to train her for her future, even while she still fights for her past. Will Brock be able to direct Corey down the right path, or will she cross the line and fall from grace? Join Corey, Mitchell, and Brock for an emotional and heart-pounding adventure that is sure to make you wonder if angels are really guiding us in our everyday lives.


Stacy Eaton's first novel in the new Guardian Angel Series "Garda - Welcome to the Realm" is told in a first person narrative that makes the story more personalized. It is an exciting read that grabbed my attention from the get-go. Told in "sections" instead of chapters, there is, at times, a bit of overlap in each person's story. You would think that this might make for a repetitive story, but, in reality, it only helps to express each emotion, each situation, with more clarity and more feeling. It enhances the book in a way that is very difficult to pull off. Kudo's to Stacy for that.

Police Officer Coralenna Hamilton (Corey) is well known for her angelic face and body. She is a very strong woman, not only in her field, but also as a person. Falling in love with an unavailable Mitch, her loyalty and strength of character are tested one way after another. When Corey passes away due to an accident in the line of duty, she learns of a whole new level of living, as a Guardian Angel.

Mitchell O'Reily (Mitch) is a fellow officer who hides his own secrets, secrets that lead to his falling in love with Corey. Also a loyal and fair person, Mitch must fight his own demons. After blaming himself for Corey's death, will he make the right choices?

Brock is Corey's Garda. He has watched over her for many years and must continue to do so after Corey's passing. Brock too holds his own secrets, ones that could tear the love of his life away from him as he watches over her to help her make the right decisions, ones that could change her afterlife, and his.

Chase (Mitchell's son), Beth (Mitchell's wife), Montgomery (Brock's Garda) and David (fellow Garda) may not be main characters, but their interactions make sure you will never regard them as bit players either. These characters help give the story more depth and show you a whole new level of loyalty, love and friendship.

Joey is another fellow officer of Mitchell and Corey. He is more than he seems, but in what way?

I can't forget to give a mention to The Maker and the Os Malos. The Maker is a vague but commanding presence that alludes to the creator, but never lets you see beyond what you may have imagined. The Os Malos are the evil ones. They try everything possible to drag the good people over to their side, willingly or not! If you can think of a trick, they will probably already have tried it.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was set at a good pace, never boring, but never rushed. I wanted to keep reading long after I was done. It is an action filled book with much emotion. I laughed, I cried and I yelled (although other than my hubby, I don't think anyone else heard me *Grin*). This book has a romance in it that I can't wait to read more about. The next book in this series can't come fast enough. I highly recommend it.

Simply amazed.

This story is one of the best I have read in a long time. From the opening scene I was drawn in and completely intrigued by the concept. The characters are strong and realistic in both worlds. I have to say it's the read of the year and whether you enjoy love stories or celstial stories or a good cop story, you will enjoy this. Stacy is an amazing author and has a knack of touching your heart and soul in this book. My heart stopped several times, literally. Cannot wait to see if there will be another, because I would love to see more of Coraline and Brock, but especially David.


Excerpt:

Mitchell ~

The smell of rotten garbage tickled my nose, I exhaled to clear it. Walking lightly in the dark shadows of the alley, I peered around the corner of the large commercial dumpster, my gun drawn, heavy in my hands and pointed low. A rat scurried away. I moved on. The target I wanted could be classified as vermin, but he was larger, much larger.

I had been directed to stay put at the end of the alley near the road in case he came that way, but after debating with myself, I left my post in search of the suspect. A nagging voice inside my head told me I should have stayed where I was, but I continued to ignore it.

Sirens in the distance and the just-audible chatter over the radio kept me in tune with where everyone else was. The suspect, who was wanted for aggravated assault, had fled from police after a brief struggle. Now he hid among the dark alleys of the small city.

The sound of footsteps pummeling the ground reached me, and I moved towards the sound. A second set could be heard moving just as fast, if not faster, behind it. Static from a radio echoed around the corner, moving closer. The pounding on the pavement grew louder, and I peeked around the brick wall, the back of my shirt snagging on the rough brick behind me.

The suspect was heading this way, his arms pumping hard, close to his body, his feet beating the trash-strewn alleyway while he tried to outrun the person behind him.

The size of his body blocked most of my view, but I heard the telltale sounds of a radio and the clapping of metal on metal as cuffs banged against each other with each downward motion. I knew the sounds of one of my own.

I braced myself to step out and intercept the subject. My timing was crucial: If I went too soon, he could avoid me, too late, and he could ram right into me before he saw the barrel of my forty-caliber Glock pointed at him.

I glanced around the corner one last time, sucking in a quick breath. I pushed off the wall and pivoted into the path of the oncoming fugitive, my gun pointed straight out in front of me as he closed the gap between us.

Surprise registered on his face. He straightened, trying to halt his forward movement, his feet skidded on the damp asphalt. The knowledge that he was now trapped between two cops crossed the features of his sweaty face, and the whites of his eyes grew large. My mouth opened to speak just as his body pitched forward, a pair of small arms wrapped around his broad chest from behind. He slammed to the ground, hard.

A grunt of pain was expelled into the air. I was not sure if it came from him or the person on his back. My gun now pointed down at the subject, I blinked at the sight, twice.

Now on her knees over the suspect, the pursuing officer grabbed one of his hands from above his head, yanking it hard to the center of his back. The guy’s face came off the ground, wincing in pain from the quick movement.

“Give me your cuffs,” she called out.

I holstered my gun, grabbed my cuffs from the pouch on my duty belt, and handed them down to her. Quite mesmerized by the scene playing out in front of me, I did nothing more than continue to watch her.
This woman dressed in a police uniform, probably half the weight of the guy on the ground, had not only chased him down, but had tackled him face first to the ground. Okay, that was kind of hot. No, that was smoking hot!

“I didn’t do anything!” the apprehended subject screamed.

I watched as she pulled his other arm behind his back just as roughly as she had the first, her chest still heaving from her foot pursuit.

She looked up at me, her face covered in shadows, “You mind?”

Broken out of my admiration by her words, I moved to her side while she climbed off the suspect’s back. Together we pulled him to his feet.
“Man, you made me hit my head! I’m bleeding!”

“Sucks to be you, huh?” Her face lifted to the suspect, then she glanced at me before she looked down at her radio microphone clipped to the front of her shirt.

Twenty-nine Paul Six, one in custody, alleyway south of Ridge Avenue.”

As she yanked the guy forward, he stumbled, and I realized she only came up to his shoulder.

“Copy Twenty-nine Paul Six, do you need a car for transport?” the radio crackled to life.

“Paul Six, yeah, and the suspect will also need EMS attention, laceration to the head from a fall.”

“Twenty-nine Paul Six, copy EMS.” The dispatcher paused and then continued. “Twenty- nine Paul Six, also, when you are clear, you have a domestic pending.”

“Paul Six, I copy, I’ll be clear soon.” She pulled the guy’s arm harder which forced him to walk faster. With my hand wrapped around his other elbow, I peeked around the suspect’s body to her. She was almost as tall as my five foot seven stature, not petite, but not wide. From what I had just observed, she was in damned good shape. A section of long light-blond hair that had pulled out of the neat knot at the back of her neck lay along the side of her face, hiding her features from me.

Tires screeched to a halt at the end of the alley. Flashing lights from a patrol car bounced off the brick walls. I turned to her again. She pushed the hair behind her ear, her jaw was locked, and a muscle twitched in the side of her cheek while red and blue lights reflected off her clear skin.

“You guys alright?” a voice I recognized called out from the street.

“Hey, Joe, can you take it from here? I need to get going, got another call,” she yelled down the alley.

“Sure, I got it. Good job, thanks for your help.” My partner, Joe Corby, jogged over to us, taking the guy’s arm as she stepped away.

“No problem, you need anything else from me?”

We stepped out of the alleyway. Under bright street lights, other police cars were pulling up to our location. I couldn’t pull my intent survey from her as she backed away, the hair she had pushed behind her ear fell forward as she turned. The urge to reach out and tuck the shiny lock back itched my hand.

“Just a supplement from you. Who took him into custody?” Joe asked her as he pulled open the rear door, prodding the suspect into the back. I let go, never looking away from her.

“Get my report to you later. Ask your partner, he was there.” She smiled and for the first time made direct eye contact with me. Her step faltered and her eyebrows came down just the smallest amount. Her smile faded, and her mouth opened just the tiniest bit into an O shape.

Two very dark eyes bore into mine for three brief seconds. A bolt of electricity zipped through my body, straight to my heart. She stopped moving backwards, cocked her head, and slowly smiled again.

With a quick turn, she spun on her heel and started jogging down the street in search of her patrol car that she’d ditched to pursue the subject on foot.

I watched her until she turned the corner a block away.

“So, what happened?” Joe asked after he closed the back door.

“Who was that?” I countered his question with one of my own.

“Who, the bozo you just arrested?” He started making his way to the driver’s door.

I rolled my eyes at his back, “No, I know who he is. The woman—who was that woman?”

Joe smiled at me over the roof of the car, “Ah, yes, amazing isn’t she?” He climbed into the driver’s seat, putting down the passenger window. “You getting in, Mitch? Or do you plan on walking back to the station?”

I pulled open the door, sliding my wide frame into the tight passenger seat.

“She tackled him.” I laughed, for the first time replaying the scene in my mind of her diving onto his back and going down to the ground fast.

Blue Blood For Life

Book Two of the My Blood Runs Blue Series

Author: Stacy Eaton
Book Trailer: Blue Blood For Life

Amazon


“You belong to me… for life…”

After a month off, Kristin comes back to work happier then she’s been in a long time. Her new status in life has her solving crimes faster and better than she ever could before. When Alex goes missing, Kristin finds she finally has to reveal the secrets of her life to her friends. Will they be able to stand beside her after they learn all that she has hidden from them?

Julian and Gabe stand beside her faithfully as they try to locate Alex. They are surprised to find Trent already in Fawn Hollow, but know that Trent may be the only one to do what Alex has asked them to do. As one more choice is taken away from Kristin, she attempts to make the best of it, but finds herself drawn to Trent in a way Julian and Alexander could never compare to. Trent goes to work with Kristin to keep her safe but will he be able to handle all that her police world entails?

Can he handle the side of her that she reveals, the one that Alex and Julian know nothing about? When Kristin and Trent uncover the connection between her job and the kidnapping, they are finally able to put the pieces together, but can they get to Alex fast enough? Will Kristin be able to handle rescuing Alex and all that she learns in the process? Join Kristin, Julian, Trent and Alexander as they dive into a new mystery that will have you turning the pages quickly to find out who is responsible and how Kristin’s life is forever changed once again.


Chapter 19 – Kristin’s Shift

I pulled my vest out of my locker and put it over my head just as he finally spoke.

“Why are you wearing that?”

I glanced at him quickly then turned my back to pull my shirt out of my locker.

“Everyone knows I am religious about wearing my vest. It saves lives, and it would seem kind of strange if all of a sudden I stop wearing it now.”
“Makes sense,” was all he said in return.

John walked into the station then and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Trent.

Trent stood up straight and looked John over from head to toe. I almost laughed as I felt the male testosterone filling up the room.

“Hey, John, this is Trent. He works for Alex and wanted to see how the big boys do it.” I smiled at him, and John seemed to relax and walked forward to shake Trent’s hand.

I heard Trent make a gruff sound at my explanation of his being here. I’m sure he loved my use of “big boys.” I bit back a smile.

John filled me in on his day. Not much going on; some alarms and ambulance calls, nothing major. Trent followed me out of the station as I walked out to the garage to pull out my patrol vehicle. He was lucky that I drove an Expedition as his large frame would have been a tight squeeze in the Charger or Crown Vic patrol cars that we had.

As I was logging on to the computer a car pulled up into the driveway. I looked up and saw that it was an elderly woman, and she pulled up next to me and rolled down her window. I smiled. I knew who she was and what this was going to be about. Perfect.

“Officer Greene, I’m so glad you are on duty. Buffy has taken off again. Do you mind?”

I knew exactly what she wanted me to do. Her little dog had taken off into the park woods again and with her bad hip, she couldn’t venture out to bring her in.

“Mrs. Valero, I would be more than happy to bring Buffy home.” I smiled back at her.

“Oh, thanks, dear. She’s getting restless again. I think they are back,” she said quietly in an awe-filled expression.

I laughed. If she only knew. “No problem. I’ll bring her home in a little while.” I drove off toward the park, typing a message to my dispatcher over the MDC that we had in the car. Our Mobile Dispatch Computers connected us with a lot of information, from our direct connection with our dispatchers and other officers to information on stolen items and car and driver information.

“Who is back again?” Trent asked me as I pulled off the roadway to drive through the grass along the tree line. I couldn’t help but laugh, “Oh, just wait.”

I pulled up along the tree line and hit my air horn twice. Then I climbed out of the truck and whistled loudly in the air. “Buffy, come here!” I shouted and could hear fast little feet tramping over brush and sticks back in the woods. Buffy always came to me.

The little dog wasn’t more than twelve pounds soaking wet and she came bounding out of the brush and right into my waiting arms. She was always happy to see me. I walked around the truck and opened the passenger door. Trent looked at me funny as I handed over the fuzzy little dog.

“Trent, meet Buffy. Buffy, the vampire slayer.” His eyes opened wide as he stared down at the little dog in his lap.

Buffy, in turn, growled at him and pulled her front lip up, baring her sharp canine teeth.

Her entire body vibrated with the growl as she stared him down. The look on Trent’s face was so priceless that I could do nothing but laugh.

“Are you kidding me?” he asked as I closed the door and started back for the driver’s side of the truck. I was still laughing when I got into the seat, and Buffy was still staring Trent down and growling low at him.

“Nope. Buffy knows when the vampires are here.” I put the car in drive and started heading out of the park to take the dog home. Trent sat very stiffly holding the dog as she continued to growl at him. I just kept laughing. This was just a perfect call.
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