Terri Reed - The Deputy’s Duty

A book in the Fitzgerald Bay series, 2012

Dear Reader,

In 2012 Love Inspired Books is proudly celebrating fifteen years of heartwarming inspirational romance! In honor of this special occasion, we’re spotlighting the Love Inspired Suspense series this month.

If you haven’t read a Love Inspired Suspense book before, now is a wonderful time to discover them.Love Inspired Suspense offers gripping suspense, compelling romance and an inspirational message-all within one series. These edge-of-the-seat, contemporary romantic suspense stories feature Christian characters facing challenges to their faith…and to their lives!

We’re excited about our author line-up this month. Look for Threat of Darkness by Valerie Hansen, the latest book in her exciting miniseries, The Defenders. Terri Reed delivers the dramatic finale to Love Inspired Suspense’s continuity series, Fitzgerald Bay, with The Deputy’s Duty. Rachelle McCalla’s Reclaiming the Crown miniseries continues with Prince Incognito. Susan Sleeman rounds out the month with Double Exposure, the first book in her new miniseries, The Justice Agency. And enjoy a fifteenth anniversary bonus story at the end of each book.

I hope you enjoy each and every story. Look for four new Love Inspired Suspense books every month for the perfect combination of riveting suspense and inspirational romance!

Sincerely,

Tina James

Senior Editor

Writing a continuity series involves the collaborated efforts of the other authors and the editors. It was a joy to work with my fellow authors: Shirlee McCoy, Valerie Hansen, Rachelle McCalla, Stephanie Newton and Lynette Eason. I’d like to thank my editors Emily Rodmell and Tina James for your patience, for the time and energy you put into making all our books the best they can be.

Special thanks and acknowledgment to Terri Reed for her contribution to the Fitzgerald Bay miniseries.

“The house is the second one on the right.”

Deputy Chief Ryan Fitzgerald nodded to the officer sitting next to him and tightened his grip on the steering wheel of the official Fitzgerald Bay vehicle. He pulled to the curb in front of a boxy house with a front brick facade and white siding. The paved driveway was empty. He doubted this trip to the town of Revere would pay off, but it was the only lead he had to a murder suspect and a missing eighteen-month-old little girl.

He glanced around, taking stock of the neighborhood. Quiet, tree-lined street. No one was out and about on this blistering June day. Better indoors, out of the sun and the humidity. The lucky ones with air conditioners, blowing out cool air.

His gaze snagged on a burgundy Subaru parked across the street. His gut clenched.

Meghan Henry’s car.

What was the nosy reporter doing here? Ever since she had arrived in Fitzgerald Bay six months ago, she’d been hounding him for answers in her cousin Olivia Henry’s murder. He didn’t blame her for wanting to see justice done. Olivia’s death had rocked the community of Fitzgerald Bay and the Fitzgerald family. She’d been his brother Charles’s nanny for his twins at the time of her death. Everyone who knew her had said she was a sweet woman. No one could understand why someone would kill her.

Her body had been discovered at the base of the lighthouse cliffs. A life cut too short.

So yes, Ryan understood Meghan’s desire to see the culprit arrested and put away, but not at the expense of his family.

With everyone in town believing Charles was capable of killing Olivia Henry, all of the Fitzgerald Bay police force had worked overtime to clear his name. Meghan Henry’s constant questions and snooping had hindered the investigation and inflamed the citizens of Fitzgerald Bay with suspicion.

And now here she was, poking around at the one lead he had to go on in another recent murder case.

Burke Hennessy, a prominent lawyer in town, had been found dead in his home by his wife, Christina. At first glance the death appeared accidental or possible suicide. But the M.E. discovered evidence to suggest murder. And his wife was the prime suspect.

Burke had been running for the mayoral seat until his untimely death. The medical examiner found Burke had ingested a potent combination of drugs, enough to incapacitate him while the murderer suffocated him with a down pillow. Feathers had been found in his nose and throat and the official cause of death had been ruled asphyxiation. They found the pillow that had been used hidden in a closet in the Hennessy home. Christina’s fingerprints were all over it. The D.A. thought he had a good case for murder. Now all Ryan had to do was find Christina and bring her into custody.

If Meghan hadn’t already spooked Christina and sent her fleeing again.

Ryan was going to arrest Meghan for obstructing justice the second he saw her. He could imagine her wrinkling up her pert nose and daring him with her green-hued hazel eyes. The woman possessed a fiery spirit, for sure. A testament to her Irish heritage.

Like his sisters and mother.

“Stay with the car,” Ryan said to the rookie in the passenger seat as he exited the vehicle. “Keep an eye out for anything suspicious.”

Officer Jackson nodded and climbed out to rest his lanky frame against the fender. He crossed his arms over his chest.

Ryan marched up the concrete steps and rapped his knuckles on the heavy-duty metal screen door. From somewhere inside a woman sang a lullaby, the sound melodic and pleasing. And familiar. He paused, searching his brain for recollection.

A second later a woman, mid-forties with frosted hair and an ample girth, appeared at the door. Since the Hennessys lived a few doors down from Ryan’s family home, he recognized Helen Yorke, the Hennessys’ former housekeeper.

Helen wiped her hands on an apron covered with red cherries as her brown eyes widened with surprise. She pushed open the screen door. “Deputy Chief Fitzgerald?”

“Hello, Helen,” Ryan responded, trying to peer into the house over the woman’s shoulder. “Is Christina Hennessy here?”

She shook her head. “Not at the moment. Why?”

Not a wild-goose chase after all. Things were looking up. When his youngest sister, Keira, a rookie officer with the FBPD, had suggested contacting the Hennessys’ ex-housekeeper, Ryan had been dubious. He couldn’t see Christina seeking refuge with a former employee. Looked like he owed Keira an apology for doubting her. And a chocolate sundae. His baby sis had a penchant for chocolate.

“Do you know where Mrs. Hennessy went? Did she have Georgina with her?” Ryan asked, keeping a sharp eye out for any sign of deception in the woman’s face and demeanor.

“Christina showed up on my doorstep yesterday asking if I could keep little Georgina for a few days while she dealt with some personal business. She was so distraught over the death of poor Burke I could hardly refuse. What is this about, Deputy?”

Distraught, my eye, Ryan thought, but refrained from commenting. “Georgina is here, then.” This, at least, was good news. The child was safe. When Christina had disappeared with her adoptive daughter, Ryan had feared for the little girl’s safety.

Helen tucked in her chin. “She’s in the other room. We were putting her down for a nap.”