Read BREAKING STEELE (A Sarah Steele Thriller) Online

Authors: Ellie Aaron; Ann Patterson

Tags: #action, #Adventure, #thriller

BREAKING STEELE (A Sarah Steele Thriller) (16 page)

BOOK: BREAKING STEELE (A Sarah Steele Thriller)

11.7Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub

Read Book Download Book

ads

At the breakfast table, Mandy served me warm cinnamon rolls with green tea just the way I liked it.

“How long are you going to spoil me like this?” I asked, taking a big mouthful of the sweet bread.

“Don’t get used to it,” she said. “But we are going to take a trip to Rio next month. We’ve always wanted to go there together, and we better do it soon before you’re attached to another case.”

I gave a small smile. Another case. I was looking forward to my next one. Where would it take me this time?

I zoned back to the present. “Okay, we’ll go.” I said. “Let’s book the tickets right away before Dan calls me in. The investigation turned up nothing with our finances but did find out that Sawyer was behind the paid jury scandal.”

“I never trust lawyers.” She grinned and spooned some sugar into her coffee. And then her eyebrow creased.

“What is it?” I asked, my stomach dropping.

“There’s just something I don’t understand, something that doesn’t add up,” she said. “If you came here from the bed and breakfast, why didn’t you bring your bag?”

I hesitated a beat to think up a lie. “I left my bag because I wanted to sleep there tomorrow night.” But the hesitation was all she needed to know that something was up.

Silence stretched between us. I took a sip of tea, and it tasted more bitter than normal.

“I know you’re holding something from me,” she said. I was about to say something when she held up a hand. “And that’s okay. Just know that I’m here.”

I moved my roll from one side of the plate to the other. My heart felt full. Those words meant more to me than she’d ever know.

Chapter 55

THE DNA FROM THE basement where we found Angela was not a match for Glen Williams and his case began to fall apart just as fast as the one against Hank Williams did. I cursed the judge and Dan almost fired me for embarrassing him. Our DNA evidence was thrown out because of how long it sat in the barn, but it really didn’t matter because nothing matched Glen Williams anyway.

I spentthe better part of a week obsessed, and pored over all the notes and video of the Hank Williams trial, and tried to find the connection. The DA’s office was a hellhole. Dan was angry, but I guessed it was because I wouldn’t respond to his advances and because the case was falling apart and making him look bad.

“I just don’t get it.” Joshua nodded and looked at me from behind a stack of boxes. We were putting in long days again in what seemed to be a repeat of the Hank Williams trial.

“It has to be something stupid,” Joshua said and went back to work.

I had a video on and was watching myself give the opening on the Hank Williams case. The camera panned to Hank and something jumped out at me. “No way.”

Joshua looked up at me and blinked. “What?”

I skipped forward to another scene and watched Hank intently.Then without saying a word,I ejected the DVD and put in one from earlier in the week at Glens Williams arraignment. Glen sat there in court with a bored look on his face, the same look his brother had, it was creepy. Glen fiddled with a pencil and I gasped.

“I gotta go.”

Joshua stuttered, “Sarah, where—what did you see?” I didn’t wait, I couldn’t because I just found out why nothing fit.

Chapter 56

AN HOUR LATER, I was sitting in the visiting area waiting to see Glen Williams. He was being held at the state penitentiary, but in a posh cell. I was not the acting lead on his case after cussing the judge out, so I got in without his lawyers present.

Glen shuffled in with and sat down across from me, just a piece of security glass between us. I picked up the phone and he smiled at me. I hated that smile.But this time I had him, he just didn’t know it yet.

“Miss Steele, how nice of you to come visit me.How is the case going?” He was jeering me.

“Not good, really, you seem to be one step ahead of everyone.”

“It is easy when I am innocent, the guilty are the only ones who need to hide.”

I held back a gag. “I know who you are. I know why the DNA is not a match and I wanted to come down here and see the look in your eyes when this weak woman puts you away for life.”

Glen’s eyes darkened and he put on a fake smile. “You are a spunky one, I like the spunky ones, maybe when I am out we can play again.” This time I didn’t hesitate.

“Oh, don’t worry, the game is over, and you lost.” I paused. “Hank.”

Hanks eyes darted back and forth but he regained his composure and snarled. “How?”

It was my turn to smile, “Now, now, Hank, that would be too easy. I like it better this way.It is a game, after all, you figure it out.”

With that, I hung up the phone and called for the guard. Hank glared at me and slammed the phone down. He was using his left hand.

Chapter 57

BY THE END OF the week everything changed. Hank was tested and his DNA matched the DNA in the basement where Angela was held. What I saw in the video was Hank Williams writing on a piece of paper with his left hand. But when I killed him, or thought I did, he used his right hand to hold the knife.

The video of the Glen Williams arraignment showed a man writing with his left hand, proving that it was Hank, and Glen was the man I shot at Mandy’s house. Hank let his brother take the fall for him as he tried to get away. But he knew even if he got caught he could get off again because the DNA would not match, and his brother was dead.

Dan spun the Williams case well and the media ate it up. Dan told them, “someone tried to force the ADA to throw a case, but no matter what, the DA’s office would not be bullied. Truth and justice will always prevail.”

I felt like the hero, but it was short lived. Hank Williams was killed three weeks later by another inmate. Shanked in the back with a toothbrush. I didn’t know if Hannah sent the hit out on him, but I wouldn’t put it past her. There was a lot of money riding on his silence. I wondered what her part was in all this but was not going to find out. It was not perfect justice but it was better than nothing.

After a few more lessons at the target range, Solomon finally asked me out on a date. Besides his looks and charm, there was a mystery about him that drew me in. He held me at arm’s length, which was perfectly fine with me. But one day, I wanted to see what lay behind the mask.

I felt on top of the world, as if the sun was a little brighter and the smells of summer were all there in full bloom, just for me. I had some of my life back; something to hold on to, and a weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

I tried to do good in the bounds of the law, but my faith in its system faltered. It was used and abused everyday. Greed. Jealousy. Revenge. Hatred. All battled within the court system, until I didn’t know which side was right. Was it all just a big game?

I did know one thing. I would not be a pawn anymore. I was going to stand up and fight, no mater what that meant.

* * *

Don’t miss the next book in the Sarah Steele Thriller series:

TWISTING STEELE

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

AARON PATTERSON:

Aaron is the father of three kids: Soleil, Kale, and Klayton. He is the author of the bestselling
Mark Appleton
thriller series,
The Airel Saga,
and
The Sarah Steele
thriller series. Aaron worked in the construction field for 11 years and is now a full time writer. Aaron was home schooled and has a bachelors degree in theology. He loves to hike, snowboard, camp, and drink coconut lattes. He is also the founder of StoneHouse Ink and Co-founder of StoneHouse University. He speaks all over the country on the subject of eBooks, writing and the changing publishing world.

Connect with Aaron at his blog: http://theworstbookever.blogspot.com

Friend him on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aaronpatterson

And Twitter: @mstersmith

ELLIE ANN:

I am Ellie Ann.

I was born in the jungles of Thailand, was raised in a small farming village in Iowa, lived in the middle of a Texan desert, and now abide in the Ozarks. I get nerd points for being home schooled. I get nerd points revoked for being a basketball jock in high school. I get nerd points again for dressing as Aragorn for LOTR midnight showings. I’m trying to become a world-renowned geek.

I like writing fairy tales, tall tales, thrillers, steampunk, and am seriously interested in transmedia storytelling. I like reading and watching well-written adventures. My favorite book?
The Wonder Clock
by Howard Pyle.My favorite movie? TheReturnoftheKingPan’sLabyrinthIronManSilveradoSneakersStardust (see that? I cheated there).

I’m married to the best man there is. I’m mama to three adorable children.

I’m specially qualified for the zombie apocalypse in that I know how to load and shoot guns, and I’m a long-distance runner. I’m specially qualified for the energy-crisis apocalypse in that I can ride a horse. I’m specially qualified for the dinoapocalypse or monster apocalypse in that I’m a certified nurse. And I’m specially qualified for the nuclear apocalypse in that I’m not afraid of death or growing a third eye.

email: [email protected]

twitter: @elliesoderstrom

Facebook: Ellie Soderstrom

All rights reserved as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior permission of the publisher.

StoneHouse Ink 2012

StoneHouse Ink

Boise, ID 83713

http://www.stonehouseink.net

First eBook Edition: 2012

ISBN: 978-1-62482-031-1

First Paperback Edition 2012

ISBN: 978-1-62482-032-8

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to a real person, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

Breaking Steele: a novel/by Aaron Patterson & Ellie Ann

Cover design by © Cory Clubb

Published in the United States of America

StoneHouse Ink

Table of Contents

Acclaim for Aaron Patterson

Title Page

Also by Aaron Patterson