On The Lam: A Margot Harris Mystery (Margot Harris Mystery Series Three Book 3) Read online

  On the Lam

  Margot Harris Series 3

  Book 3

  Nora Kane

  On the Lam by Nora Kane Copyright © 2021 by Nora Kane.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission. This book is a work of fiction. Any reference to real people or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the authors imagination and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Books by Nora Kane

  1. Secrets of Woodcrest Manor

  2. Wolverine Harbor Novellas Series

  Book 1 - The Veil of Deceit

  Book 2 - The Veil of Envy

  Book 3 - The Veil of Vengeance

  3. Margot Harris Series One

  4. Margot Harris Series Two

  6. Margot Harris Series Three

  Book 1 – On The Prowl

  Book 2 – On The Money

  Book 3 – On The Lam

  Book 4 – On The Loose

  Book 5 – On The Edge

  FREE GIFT!

  Claim Your Free Copy of My Book Secrets of Woodcrest Manor.

  This book is not available anywhere else, exclusive for subscribers of Nora Kane’s Newsletter.

  When the Patriarch of the Woodcrest Family was found dead in the flowerbed under his bedroom window, the local police department called it suicide. His son hired Private detective Emmy wanting to uncover the real truth behind his father's death. Surrounded by so many individuals who could benefit from his death, now the responsibility is on Emmy to figure out who was responsible. When Emmy starts to talk to the heirs the Woodcrest family's secrets begin to emerge.

  Table of Content

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

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  Prologue

  “Are you clear on your target?”

  “Yeah, I’ve got it.”

  “Good.”

  “You can count on me, boss. This one will go smooth.”

  “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

  “Sorry about the last time but…”

  “Don’t apologize. Apologies only remind me of your incompetence.”

  “Sorry…”

  “Did you not hear me?”

  Grady decided to change the subject. Even though they were talking on the phone and they might not even be in the same state, he feared making him angry. The man on the other end of the line could do some awful things to a person when he was in a good mood. Grady didn’t want to even contemplate the things he could do if he was actually pissed off at a person.

  “Does the one I’m taking alive get the special treatment?”

  “You worry about the abduction. I might be doing the treatment myself on this one.”

  Grady tried to keep his voice even as he asked, “You in town?”

  “Where I am is not really your concern. Call me on this phone when it’s done.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Grady checked his tools. He had the Taser and zip ties ready. He had his knife to do the work and his gun in case things went sideways. He got out of the car and walked to the garage. He’d wait for his victim there.

  The door was unlocked just as he was told it would be.

  He opened it up and stepped inside. It was pitch black inside. He was feeling along the wall for the light switch when something hit in the back of his head. The next thing Grady knew, he was on the ground. The lights came on and Grady rolled over and got a view of the barrel of a gun.

  “You were sloppy. You should have known I always show up early.”

  Grady was getting ready to beg for his life when the man holding the gun pulled the trigger.

  While Grady’s brains seeped out of the large wound the hollow point forty-five caliber slug made in the back of his head on the way out, his killer took his burner phone out of his pocket.

  The shooter called the only number in the contacts.

  “Grady?” the man on the other end said.

  “No.”

  “Is he alive?”

  “No.”

  “Interesting.”

  “You the man who wants me dead?”

  “Well, I did, but now I have some other ideas. If you’re interested.”

  “I’m listening.”

  Chapter 1

  Twelve years later

  “Has anyone ever told you that you’re kind of hot?”

  “Cassie, did you make an appointment to hit on me?”

  “You’re not my type, Margot.”

  “Now that we’ve settled that, what can I do for you?”

  “I want to hire you.”

  “I kind of figured that. That’s usually why people come by my office during work hours.”

  “I have a new show and I want you to be on it.”

  “Did you somehow forget how you putting me on your old show went horribly for everyone?”

  “I’m not going to forget that anytime soon. Probably never.”

  “Yet you’re starting the show back up?”

  “No. Heck no. This show is totally different.”

  “What is it? Make-up tips? Movie reviews?”

  “No, I’m doing an unsolved mystery thing, where I look at an old unsolved crime.”

  “So, are you going to try to solve the mystery?”

  “Me? No, I’m like the host. I’m going to leave that to the professionals. That’s where you come in.”

  “Me?”

  “You’re a detective, a good one. Plus, as I said, you’re kind of hot and people like that.”

  “Can you afford my hourly rate?”

  “Well, no. The budget is tight, but I already talked to Shaw about that. He agreed it would be great advertising for the agency, and we set up a profit-sharing thing if the show takes off. He said he’d pay you your hourly rate, just like normal. Assuming you say yes.”

  “Did he want me to say yes?”

  “You’d have to ask him. I’d say he did, or he would never have even discussed terms. He did tell me it was up to you. If you say no I don’t think he’s going to say anything.”

  Margot leaned back and looked Cassie over. She still wasn’t sure how she felt about her.

  “Do you need some time to think about it?” Cassie asked.

  “I know you mean well, but I don’t want to be a YouTube star.”

  “You sure?”

  “Yeah, I think so.”

  “Don’t you want to know what the show will be about?”

  “Let me guess. Someone got murdered, and no one was ever arrested for it?”

  “Yeah, of course, but there’s more to it than that. The hook is in the details.”

  “I really don’t care.”

  “You sure?”

  “Yeah.”

  Cassie stood up and walked to the door. Befo
re she opened it she turned and asked, “Even if I were to tell you the killer mailed the victim’s wife his eyes?”

  “Are you serious?”

  “I wouldn’t kid about that.”

  “Sit back down.”

  Cassie smiled as she took her seat on the opposite side of Margot’s desk.

  “How’d you know about that?” Margot asked her.

  “It’s public record.”

  “No, I’m not talking about your cold case.”

  “Then what are we talking about?”

  “Don’t mess with me, Cassie.”

  “Okay, I have sources in the department. They told me about the eye in the box that was addressed to you.”

  “Who?”

  “Sorry, I can’t give up a source. Surely you understand that.”

  “I guess I do, and I guess it doesn’t matter. Unless it’s Radcliff, there’s not much I can about it anyway.”

  “It wasn’t Radcliff.”

  “Good, I didn’t want to look for a new place to live. Is that why you’re asking me to be on your show? The eye thing?”

  “I was going to ask you anyway, but seeing the connection did make it easy to decide which case I was going to ask you about first.”

  “How about we make a deal?”

  “That’s what I’m here for.”

  “I’ll be on your show for any case but this one and you have to promise to leave this one alone.”

  “Why? I mean, it’s weird and certainly grisly but—”

  “—If it’s connected to the shit I stumbled on, you don’t want anything to do with it. I’m seriously considering leaving it alone myself.”

  “Can it be any worse than that mess we both got in with the Cartel?”

  “Yes.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yeah, seriously. The guy who’s doing this seems to be on another level of nasty. You don’t step on a rattlesnake if you can walk around.”

  “Well, no one watches a video of people walking around a rattlesnake.”

  “I’m serious.”

  “I can tell. If you don’t want to be on this show, that’s up to you, but I’m doing it. I’m like halfway done. It’s not like I have an unlimited budget.”

  “It’s still a bad idea.”

  “Because it might be the legendary Boog?”

  “Who?”

  “Don’t pretend you don’t know.”

  Margot shrugged. “It certainly could be. How do you know about him?”

  “I have sources, remember?”

  “Oh, yeah.”

  “For the record, my source thinks there’s no such person. He figures it’s just a scare story, an urban legend for people on the wrong side of the law. I mean, the name is literally short for the boogieman.”

  “Your source might not be wrong. Boog or not, I’ve got a trail of bodies that says someone dangerous is involved.”

  “Well, that kind of goes without saying, doesn’t it?”

  “Sure, but it goes back to what I was saying. Why step on the snake when you don’t have to?”

  “I think we already covered that. Would you be more interested if I told you I have a new witness?”

  “Probably not.”

  “I don’t believe you. Don’t you want to interview my new witness?”

  “You have a new witness?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “Who?”

  “He’s my witness. He agreed to talk to me. He trusts me more than the cops, and I’m guessing he’ll see you as a cop unless I tell him you’re part of the show, then he’ll trust you too.”

  “It’s your show, why don’t you interview him?”

  “I am, but I’m not a detective. I can’t do as good a job as you. There’s a lot of competition for this kind of thing. We need to be good.”

  “Is that a compliment?”

  “Yeah, second one today. Just think, maybe he can help you find the guy who sent you the eyeball.”

  “I told you I was leaving that one alone.”

  “You said you were thinking about it, and we both know you won’t leave it alone. Leaving things alone isn’t your style.”

  “The police can handle it.”

  “Sure, but again, not your style.”

  “Yeah? Maybe I’m trying to be more prudent. My previous style kind of makes things messy.”

  “Sure, but you get things done.”

  “Alright, I’ll tell you what. Send me what you’ve got, and I’ll read it over and make a decision.”

  “It’s already in your inbox.”

  “Really? What if I’d said no?”

  “Deleting an email isn’t exactly a difficult task. Besides, we both know you aren’t saying no.”

  “We’ll see.”

  Chapter 2

  Margot opened the file and started reading. All this had taken place when she was just starting out with the police. As a new uniformed officer, she hadn’t been involved in any way with this one. While she’d heard about it, she really didn’t know any more than anyone else.

  Steven Armstrong had left his wife and son on a Saturday afternoon about ten years ago and never returned. Unless one counts his eyeball. He said he was going to do some handyman work for a man named Skinner, but Ms. Armstrong told police she figured it was just as likely he was going to be over at a dive named Gumby’s drinking cheap beers or at a strip club called the Purple Palace drinking cheap beer and watching women dance naked.

  According to Skinner, he didn’t have any work for Armstrong, and he didn’t see him all day. The staff at Gumby’s claimed he never showed up and no one at The Purple Palace remembered seeing him either.

  Ms. Armstrong claimed that at the time she was only mildly concerned. According to her, Steven was the kind of guy who might walk out on a Saturday afternoon and not show his face again until the middle of the week. She told police later that Steven did things they both agreed she would be better off not knowing about.

  Later, after the eye, detectives asked her if Steven’s mystery jobs ever took multiple days and she said for the record, “What part of we agreed I wouldn’t know anything about that shit did you miss?”

  Ms. Armstrong didn’t file a missing person’s report until he’d been gone five days. The report didn’t say it, but Margot got the feeling the general attitude with the police investigating the missing person's report was that Steven left on his own accord.