Book Excerpt
Good investigator, bad cop
I rang the bell and waited. I reached for the button again, when we heard the deadbolt unlock. The door opened slowly. Normy stood before us.
“Good morning, Mr. Rasmussen,” I said, then began by introducing Hannah. She stood next to me in her freshly pressed uniform, one hand on her hip and the other resting on her holstered gun. “This is Inspector Buckley with the Penticton Police Department.”
“This is harassment,” Normy said. “I told you before that I already gave my statement to the police.”
“I read your statement, Mr. Rasmussen,” I told him, “and there was something about it that bothered me.”
“I didn’t see anything that night,” he said, though his initial confidence seemed to be wavering.
“You told Detective—” I paused and glanced over at Hannah. It was a signal to get her more involved. “What was his name?”
“Detective Vance,” she said, stepping forward. Hannah began rapping her fingers against her holster. The effect was perfect. Normy’s Adam’s apple bounced up and down, as he swallowed nervously.
“That’s right, Detective Vance,” I said. “You told Detective Vance that you hadn’t seen or heard anything that night. You were at home watching the news, when the Connelly’s got home.”
“Yeah, so what?”
“Detective Vance hadn’t told you what time the Connelly’s had gotten home.” Hannah took another step closer. Now she was right beside me. Her tapping got louder. “How did you know when they got home, Normy?”
Rasmussen looked as guilty as sin. His eyes flew from mine to Hannah’s gun hand and past her to the squad car’s flashing lights and then closed. His shoulders slumped forward. “Oh God, oh God, oh God. I’ll tell you everything.”
This was going far easier than I expected. We’d hardly even gotten into the good cop, bad cop routine and I was really looking forward to being the good cop—well investigator, in my case. I glanced at Hannah and nodded.
“Before you say anything else, Mr. Rasmussen, it is my duty to inform you that you have the right to retain and instruct council without delay.” Hannah began explaining his rights, while removing handcuffs from her belt.
“Wait, I didn’t kill her,” Normy interrupted. “I might have seen something, that’s all.”
“You killed her alright,” Hannah said, stepping toe-to-toe with him, dangling the cuffs in front of his face, “and then you chopped her into small pieces and dumped her body into the lake. You’re gonna fry for this, Rasmussen.”
Wow, Hannah makes a great bad cop. Rasmussen looked ready to cry.
“No, it wasn’t me.” He backed into the doorframe. Hannah crowded closer. “Honest to God, I swear.”
I pulled her back and got between them.
“Let the man talk,” I said. His terrified eyes never left Hannah for a moment as she skulked back and forth, looking as though she might jump past me at any moment and pummel him senseless.
“About a year ago some raccoons were getting into our garbage.” Rasmussen looked down at his feet.
“We’re not here about raccoons,” Hannah barked, lunging forward.
I blocked her advance. “I’m sure Normy has a point to this story.”
“One night I chased them out of the yard and into the trees,” he said, pointing at the bluff between their yard and the Connelly house. “They got away, but as I headed back something caught my eye.” When he glanced up at me, I could see that embarrassment had replaced his fear.
“It’s okay, Normy,” I told him soothingly. “You can tell us.”
Good investigator, bad cop
I rang the bell and waited. I reached for the button again, when we heard the deadbolt unlock. The door opened slowly. Normy stood before us.
“Good morning, Mr. Rasmussen,” I said, then began by introducing Hannah. She stood next to me in her freshly pressed uniform, one hand on her hip and the other resting on her holstered gun. “This is Inspector Buckley with the Penticton Police Department.”
“This is harassment,” Normy said. “I told you before that I already gave my statement to the police.”
“I read your statement, Mr. Rasmussen,” I told him, “and there was something about it that bothered me.”
“I didn’t see anything that night,” he said, though his initial confidence seemed to be wavering.
“You told Detective—” I paused and glanced over at Hannah. It was a signal to get her more involved. “What was his name?”
“Detective Vance,” she said, stepping forward. Hannah began rapping her fingers against her holster. The effect was perfect. Normy’s Adam’s apple bounced up and down, as he swallowed nervously.
“That’s right, Detective Vance,” I said. “You told Detective Vance that you hadn’t seen or heard anything that night. You were at home watching the news, when the Connelly’s got home.”
“Yeah, so what?”
“Detective Vance hadn’t told you what time the Connelly’s had gotten home.” Hannah took another step closer. Now she was right beside me. Her tapping got louder. “How did you know when they got home, Normy?”
Rasmussen looked as guilty as sin. His eyes flew from mine to Hannah’s gun hand and past her to the squad car’s flashing lights and then closed. His shoulders slumped forward. “Oh God, oh God, oh God. I’ll tell you everything.”
This was going far easier than I expected. We’d hardly even gotten into the good cop, bad cop routine and I was really looking forward to being the good cop—well investigator, in my case. I glanced at Hannah and nodded.
“Before you say anything else, Mr. Rasmussen, it is my duty to inform you that you have the right to retain and instruct council without delay.” Hannah began explaining his rights, while removing handcuffs from her belt.
“Wait, I didn’t kill her,” Normy interrupted. “I might have seen something, that’s all.”
“You killed her alright,” Hannah said, stepping toe-to-toe with him, dangling the cuffs in front of his face, “and then you chopped her into small pieces and dumped her body into the lake. You’re gonna fry for this, Rasmussen.”
Wow, Hannah makes a great bad cop. Rasmussen looked ready to cry.
“No, it wasn’t me.” He backed into the doorframe. Hannah crowded closer. “Honest to God, I swear.”
I pulled her back and got between them.
“Let the man talk,” I said. His terrified eyes never left Hannah for a moment as she skulked back and forth, looking as though she might jump past me at any moment and pummel him senseless.
“About a year ago some raccoons were getting into our garbage.” Rasmussen looked down at his feet.
“We’re not here about raccoons,” Hannah barked, lunging forward.
I blocked her advance. “I’m sure Normy has a point to this story.”
“One night I chased them out of the yard and into the trees,” he said, pointing at the bluff between their yard and the Connelly house. “They got away, but as I headed back something caught my eye.” When he glanced up at me, I could see that embarrassment had replaced his fear.
“It’s okay, Normy,” I told him soothingly. “You can tell us.”
About the Book
Title: Framed – A Black Swann Investigation
Author: Wayne Kerr
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Toronto’s newest homicide detective, Reggie Swann, seemed to have it all: great career, handsome husband and plans to start a family, until she was framed for murder…
A cop has very few friends in prison. After surviving ten brutal years behind bars, Reggie’s conviction is finally overturned thanks to her tenacious mother, a new forensic test and a very clever lawyer. She quickly discovers that getting her old life back won’t be as easy as she hoped. To many, she was still as the media had dubbed her: ‘Black Swann – murderer and cop-gone-bad’. The Toronto Police Department still considers her to be a suspect, Reggie’s husband has remarried and the real killer is still on the loose.
Before Reggie can return to Toronto and solve the crime that ruined her life, she reluctantly agrees to investigate a murder in her home town of Penticton, only to discover the two cases which are separated by ten years and five provinces might somehow be connected. Will anyone believe the wild theories of the disgraced detective?
The real murderer does. He framed her once, this time Reggie Swann must die!
Title: Framed – A Black Swann Investigation
Author: Wayne Kerr
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Toronto’s newest homicide detective, Reggie Swann, seemed to have it all: great career, handsome husband and plans to start a family, until she was framed for murder…
A cop has very few friends in prison. After surviving ten brutal years behind bars, Reggie’s conviction is finally overturned thanks to her tenacious mother, a new forensic test and a very clever lawyer. She quickly discovers that getting her old life back won’t be as easy as she hoped. To many, she was still as the media had dubbed her: ‘Black Swann – murderer and cop-gone-bad’. The Toronto Police Department still considers her to be a suspect, Reggie’s husband has remarried and the real killer is still on the loose.
Before Reggie can return to Toronto and solve the crime that ruined her life, she reluctantly agrees to investigate a murder in her home town of Penticton, only to discover the two cases which are separated by ten years and five provinces might somehow be connected. Will anyone believe the wild theories of the disgraced detective?
The real murderer does. He framed her once, this time Reggie Swann must die!
Author Bio
Canadian author, Wayne Kerr, was born and raised in the small town of Biggar, Saskatchewan (New York is big, but this is Biggar). He married his high school sweetheart, Marlene, thirty-nine years ago and has lived happily ever since. They resided in the United States for the past twenty years, but recently returned to Canada and now call the beautiful Okanagan region of British Columbia home. The writer honed his story-telling skills while keeping his five younger siblings and later his daughter entertained during long cold winters. When not reading or writing thrillers, Wayne is probably hiking, biking or playing tennis.
For more information on the author and his books please visit: waynekerrnovels.com or follow him on twitter: @waynekerrnovels
Links
website: waynekerrnovels.com
twitter: @waynkerrnovels
Amazon :https://goo.gl/qQonNw
Canadian author, Wayne Kerr, was born and raised in the small town of Biggar, Saskatchewan (New York is big, but this is Biggar). He married his high school sweetheart, Marlene, thirty-nine years ago and has lived happily ever since. They resided in the United States for the past twenty years, but recently returned to Canada and now call the beautiful Okanagan region of British Columbia home. The writer honed his story-telling skills while keeping his five younger siblings and later his daughter entertained during long cold winters. When not reading or writing thrillers, Wayne is probably hiking, biking or playing tennis.
For more information on the author and his books please visit: waynekerrnovels.com or follow him on twitter: @waynekerrnovels
Links
website: waynekerrnovels.com
twitter: @waynkerrnovels
Amazon :https://goo.gl/qQonNw
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