Sister of Silence (36 page)

I put down my notebook and looked at him. “You’re left-handed, too?”

“Yes, isn’t everybody?”

I laughed. “Well if they aren’t, they should be. Thank you, Deputy Haney, Deputy Stiles. It was nice of you both to come over here to pay me a visit.”

“If anyone ever says we did it, we’ll just deny it,” Deputy Stiles said, grinning widely. “And it’s Joe. He’s Charlie, but I can’t speak for him. He won’t even let me call him that.”

The laughter I had tried to hold back finally came bursting out, filling the small office with sound.

“Now Stiles, don’t go telling anymore lies, or I’ll have to get the Sheriff after you again,” Joe’s sidekick chided him. Then he looked at me. “Charlie’s just fine.”

Joe elbowed Charlie
again. “Let’s go, I’m missing my lunch,” he said with a gruffness I realized was just for show.

I had to sit down and compose myself when they left. I had never met two such characters in my entire life. A regular Laurel and Hardy, without the slapstick antics. And who knew what those two were capable of, when they weren’t out in public?

With a quick look at the clock, I forced my attention to the notes and the news release in front of me as I began composing the article. Two hours later, when the first run of tomorrow’s edition came hot off the presses, I saw
my story on the front page, above the fold.

“Local couple remain in serious condition after car overturns.” My byline was right below the headline.
What a great feeling to see my name there, and to know I wrote the article so many people all around the county will read during breakfast tomorrow morning.

Thank you so much for reading
Sister of Silence
, and helping us educate and empower abused women and children! That’s because I’m donating a portion of my proceeds to Samantha’s Sanctuary, a 501(c)3 non-profit I established in 2012.

I
f you would like to be notified when
To Shatter the Silence
will be available, please email me at
[email protected]
and I will add you to my list. Please write “To Shatter the Silence” in the subject line so I don’t miss it.

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