by Todd Borg
“So you’re saying someone helped these men?” Lucy asked.
“Not helped. Ordered. There was a general who planned and orchestrated the crime. That general was your mother.”
Emily made a little scream and raised her hand to her mouth. “What are you saying? You’re crazy.”
“I wish it were so. But I knew it when you described bitcoin as a digital currency, words that neither Bill Lindholm nor Anders Henriksson had used. It showed that you did, in fact, know about bitcoin. We’ve got you several different ways. The FBI has searched the Brotherhood computer server that runs its website. They found an archive with the original ad you placed for an enforcement team that included a helicopter pilot. They’ve traced your bitcoin payments back to the man who responded to that ad. You’ve committed many crimes in multiple counties. But I think the murder pulls rank, and the murder took place on the cliffs of Job’s Sister, in El Dorado County. So Sergeant Bains gets first dibs on you.”
Sergeant Bains unhooked the handcuffs from his belt and walked over.
“Emily Taylor, you’re under arrest for ordering the murder of Yardley LaMotte and for ordering the kidnapping of Jonni Cooper. There are a host of racketeering laws you’ve broken, but we’ve got enough for now.” Bains proceeded to give her the Miranda warning.
As Bains pulled Emily’s hands behind her back and started putting the cuffs on her, she began screaming. “He was a bastard, Lucy! He was everything bad you thought and worse! He made you sign a prenup. Your support made it so he could be a success. But he was unfaithful to you. He might have made billions and then divorced you, and you wouldn’t have gotten a penny. I was looking out for you. I was going to make sure you got what was owed to you!”
Bains walked Emily toward the stairs up to the street. His path took Emily past Lucy.
“No, mother,” Lucy said in a low voice filled with sadness. “Now you’re getting what is coming to you.”
After Bains had taken Emily Taylor away, we redirected our attention to the sunshine and the lake and the beer.
I turned to Jonni whose wheelchair was in the shade of a tree. “Jonni, are you going to tell us what you figured out about Yardley’s password?”
“If I told you, that would counter the whole point of a password, right? I told Lucy, and she reset the password.”
Street and Diamond and Santiago and the two money men joined us.
I raised my beer. “A toast to Jonni’s recovery,” I said.
“To Jonni,” Street said.
Everyone clicked bottles.
“How are you going to celebrate?”
“Because Lucy now owns Stone Lodge, I asked her if I could go back there and fix my bad memories. It’s an amazing place. So Lucy’s letting me and dad and Brie go up there to have a little vacation. I’m going to sit out in the yard and read a good book.”
“Speaking of which,” I said, “I almost forgot. I found an antiquarian bookseller who had a book I liked. It was produced in eighteen ninety-four as a one-hundredth anniversary special edition.” I handed her a package. I hadn’t been able to find wrapping paper, so I put it in a paper sandwich bag and tied a string around it in the loose shape of a bow.
Jonni opened it up. Her motions made Spot wake up enough to lift his head. He started panting.
“The Mysteries of Udolpho!” Jonni said. “Ann Radcliffe’s masterpiece. And this one is bound in leather!” She turned to Brie. “Do you know why I always liked this book so much? Because your last name is Du Pont. And the character Monsieur Du Pont in the book helps Emily escape from the castle.”
Brie nodded but didn’t speak.
Spot sniffed the leather-bound book and reached for it.
Jonni snatched it back from his jaws. “This isn’t a leather slipper, Largeness! This is literature! You don’t eat it. You - I don’t know - I guess you live it.”
About The Author
Todd Borg and his wife live in Lake Tahoe, where they write and paint. To contact Todd or learn more about the Owen McKenna mysteries, please visit toddborg.com.
A message from the author:
Dear Reader,
If you enjoyed this novel, please consider posting a short review on any book website you like to use. Reviews help authors a great deal, and that in turn allows us to write more stories for you.
Thank you very much for your interest and support!
Todd
Titles by Todd Borg
TAHOE DEATHFALL
TAHOE BLOWUP
TAHOE ICE GRAVE
TAHOE KILLSHOT
TAHOE SILENCE
TAHOE AVALANCHE
TAHOE NIGHT
TAHOE HEAT
TAHOE HIJACK
TAHOE TRAP
TAHOE CHASE
TAHOE GHOST BOAT
TAHOE BLUE FIRE
TAHOE DARK
TAHOE PAYBACK
TAHOE SKYDROP
Copyright © 2018 by Todd Borg
Thriller Press First Edition, August 2018
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Published in the United States by Thriller Press, a division of WRST, Inc.
This novel is a work of fiction. Any references to real locales, establishments, organizations, or events are intended only to give the fiction a sense of verisimilitude. All other names, places, characters and incidents portrayed in this book are the product of the author’s imagination.
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from Thriller Press, P.O. Box 551110, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96155.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018936162
Paper book ISBN: 978-1-931296-26-7
Cover design and map by Keith Carlson
Manufactured in the United States of America
This book is for Kit
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Twice in the past, I’ve participated in character-name auctions. As part of a charity fundraiser, people bid for the right to have their name used for a character in my novel. This year, two separate fundraisers auctioned off names in the book that follows.
The first took place at the Carson City Library year-end gala fundraiser. Lucy LaMotte won that auction. The money goes to the Friends of the Library.
The second fundraiser was at the Left Coast Crime convention, for which I served as Toastmaster, and which took place in Reno. Nina Mazzo won that auction, and the money went to the Women and Children’s Center of the Sierra.
My thanks to both Lucy LaMotte and Nina Mazzo. I hope you enjoy the characters that resulted.
Once again, my editing experts are Liz Johnston, Eric Berglund, Christel Hall, and my wife Kit. While I get all the credit for mistakes - and trust me, there were lots! - these fantastic editors get all the credit for the fixes. I am indebted to them more than I can say.
Artist Keith Carlson produced another spectacular cover. In addition to encouraging people to read the book, it will no doubt entice some to go out and try paragliding!
As for all the other stuff that helps an absent-minded writer ignore the real world long enough to write a novel, Kit provides double what I need.
Thanks to all.
PRAISE FOR TAHOE SKYDROP
“ANOTHER IMPRESSIVE CASE”- Kirkus Reviews
“A SURPRISE TWIST WILL GIVE YOU AN EXTRA JOLT”- Gloria Sinibaldi, Tahoe Mountain News.
PRAISE FOR TAHOE PAYBACK
“AN ENGROSSING WHODUNIT” - Kirkus Reviews
“ANOTHER GREAT TODD BORG THRILLER - Book Dilettante
“FAST PACED, ABSORBING, MEMORABLE” - Kittling: Books
Borg’s Tahoe Mystery series chosen by Kittling: Books as ONE OF THE TEN BEST MYSTERY SERIES
“GRIPPING SCENES AND CATCH YOUR BREATH MOMENTS” - Gloria Sinibaldi, Tahoe Mountain News
PRAISE FOR TAHOE DARK
“ONCE AGAIN, BORG HITS ALL THE RIGHT NOTES FOR FANS OF CLASSIC DETECTIVE FICTION in the mold of Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandle
r, Ross Macdonald, and Robert B. Parker.” - Kirkus Reviews
“I CAN’T RECOMMEND THIS SERIES HIGHLY ENOUGH... THEY. ARE. THAT. GOOD.” - Kittling: Books
“TAHOE DARK IS PACKED WITH ACTION AND TWISTS. THE SURPRISES JUST KEEP ON COMING...THE FINAL SCENE IS ANOTHER TODD BORG MASTERPIECE.” - Silver’s Reviews
“A COMPLEX, INTRIGUING, NAIL-BITING THRILL RIDE TO THE VERY END.” - Tahoe Mountain News
PRAISE FOR TAHOE BLUE FIRE
“A GRIPPING NARRATIVE...A HERO WHO WALKS CONFIDENTLY IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF SAM SPADE, PHILIP MARLOWE, AND LEW ARCHER” - Kirkus Reviews
“A THRILLING MYSTERY THAT IS DIFFICULT TO PUT DOWN ...EDGE OF YOUR SEAT ACTION”- Elizabeth, Silver’s Reviews
PRAISE FOR TAHOE GHOST BOAT
“THE OLD PULP SAVVY OF (ROSS) MACDONALD...REAL SURPRISE AT THE END” - Kirkus Reviews
“NAIL-BITING THRILLER...BOILING POT OF DRAMA” - Gloria Sinibaldi, Tahoe Daily Tribune
“A THRILL RIDE” - Mary Beth Magee, Examiner.com
“BORG’S WRITING IS THE STUFF OF A HOLLYWOOD ACTION BLOCKBUSTER” - Taylor Flynn, Tahoe Mountain News
“THE PACE WILL LEAVE YOU BREATHLESS” - Wendy Schultz, Placerville Mountain Democrat
“ACTION-PACKED IS PUTTING IT MILDLY. PREPARE FOR FIREWORKS” - Sunny Solomon, Bookin’ With Sunny
“I LOVED EVERY ROLLER COASTER RIDE IN THIS THRILLER 5+ OUT OF 5” - Harvee Lau, Book Dilettante
PRAISE FOR TAHOE CHASE
“EXCITING, EXPLOSIVE, THOUGHTFUL, SOMETIMES FUNNY” - Ann Ronald, Bookin’ With Sunny
“THE LANDSCAPE IS BEAUTIFULLY CRAFTED... PACE BUILDS NICELY AND DOESN’T LET UP” - Kirkus Reviews
“BE WARNED. IT MIGHT BE ADDICTING” - Gloria Sinibaldi, Tahoe Daily Tribune
“OWEN McKENNA HAS HIS HANDS FULL IN ANOTHER THRILLING ADVENTURE” - Harvee Lau, Book Dilettante
“I CAN GUARANTEE THAT THE OLD MAN WILL HAVE YOU CHEERING OUT LOUD BEFORE THE END OF THE BOOK” - Cathy Cole, Kittling: Books
PRAISE FOR TAHOE TRAP
“AN OPEN-THROTTLE RIDE” - Wendy Schultz, Placerville Mountain Democrat
“A CONSTANTLY SURPRISING SERIES OF EVENTS INVOLVING MURDER...and the final motivation of the killer comes as a major surprise. (I love when that happens.)” - Yvette, In So Many Words
“I LOVE TODD BORG’S BOOKS... There is the usual great twist ending in Tahoe Trap that I never would have guessed” - JBronder Book Reviews
“THE PLOTS ARE HIGH OCTANE AND THE ACTION IS FASTER THAN A CHEETAH ON SPEED” - Cathy Cole, Kittling: Books
“A FASCINATING STORY WITH FIRST CLASS WRITING and, of course, my favorite character, Spot, a Great Dane that steals most of the scenes.” - Mary Lignor, Feathered Quill Book Reviews
“SUPER CLEVER... More twists in the plot toward the end of the book turn the mystery into an even more suspenseful thriller.” -Harvee Lau, Book Dilettante
“AN EXCITING MURDER MYSTERY... I watch for the ongoing developments of Jack Reacher, Joanna Brady, Dismas Hardy, Peter and Rina Decker, and Alex Cross to name a few. But these days I look forward most to the next installment of Owen McKenna.” - China Gorman blog
PRAISE FOR TAHOE HIJACK
“BEGINNING TO READ TAHOE HIJACK IS LIKE FLOOR-BOARDING A RACE CAR... RATING: A+” - Cathy Cole, Kittling Books
“A THRILLING READ... any reader will find the pages of his thrillers impossible to stop turning” - Caleb Cage, The Nevada Review
“THE BOOK CLIMAXES WITH A TWIST THE READER DOESN’T SEE COMING, WORTHY OF MICHAEL CONNELLY” - Heather Gould, Tahoe Mountain News
“I HAD TO HOLD MY BREATH DURING THE LAST PART OF THIS FAST-PACED THRILLER” - Harvee Lau, Book Dilettante
PRAISE FOR TAHOE HEAT
“IN TAHOE HEAT, BORG MASTERFULLY WRITES A SEQUENCE OF EVENTS SO INTENSE THAT IT BELONGS IN AN EARLY TOM CLANCY NOVEL” - Caleb Cage, Nevada Review
“TAHOE HEAT IS A RIVETING THRILLER” - John Burroughs, Midwest Book Review
“WILL KEEP READERS TURNING THE PAGES AS OWEN RACES TO CATCH A VICIOUS KILLER” - Barbara Bibel, Booklist
“THE READER CAN’T HELP BUT ROOT FOR McKENNA AS THE BIG, GENEROUS, IRISH-BLOODED, STREET-WISE-YET-BOOK-SMART FORMER COP” - Taylor Flynn, Tahoe Mountain News
PRAISE FOR TAHOE NIGHT
“BORG HAS WRITTEN ANOTHER WHITE-KNUCKLE
THRILLER... A sure bet for mystery buffs waiting for the next Robert B. Parker and Lee Child novels” - Jo Ann Vicarel, Library Journal
“AN ACTION-PACKED THRILLER WITH A NICE-GUY HERO, AN EVEN NICER DOG...” - Kirkus Reviews
“A KILLER PLOT... EVERY ONE OF ITS 350 PAGES WANTS TO GET TURNED... FAST” - Taylor Flynn, Tahoe Mountain News
“A FASCINATING STORY OF FORGERY, MURDER...” - Nancy Hayden, Tahoe Daily Tribune
PRAISE FOR TAHOE AVALANCHE
ONE OF THE TOP 5 MYSTERIES OF THE YEAR! - Gayle Wedgwood, Mystery News
“BORG IS A SUPERB STORYTELLER...A MASTER OF THE GENRE”- Midwest Book Review
“EXPLODES INTO A COMPLEX PLOT THAT LEADS TO MURDER AND INTRIGUE” - Nancy Hayden, Tahoe Daily Tribune
PRAISE FOR TAHOE SILENCE
WINNER, BEN FRANKLIN AWARD, BEST MYSTERY OF THE YEAR!
“A HEART-WRENCHING MYSTERY THAT IS ALSO ONE OF THE BEST NOVELS WRITTEN ABOUT AUTISM” STARRED REVIEW - Jo Ann Vicarel, Library Journal
CHOSEN BY LIBRARY JOURNAL AS ONE OF THE FIVE BEST
MYSTERIES OF THE YEAR
“THIS IS ONE ENGROSSING NOVEL...IT IS SUPERB” - Gayle Wedgwood, Mystery News
“ANOTHER EXCITING ENTRY INTO THIS TOO-LITTLE-KNOWN SERIES” - Mary Frances Wilkens, Booklist
PRAISE FOR TAHOE KILLSHOT
“BORG BELONGS ON THE BESTSELLER LISTS with Parker, Paretsky, and Coben” - Merry Cutler, Annie’s Book Stop, Sharon, Massachusetts
“A GREAT READ!” -Shelley Glodowski, Midwest Book Review
“A WONDERFUL BOOK”- Gayle Wedgwood, Mystery News
PRAISE FOR TAHOE ICE GRAVE
“BAFFLING CLUES...CONSISTENTLY ENTERTAINS” - Kirkus Reviews
“A CLEVER PLOT... RECOMMEND THIS MYSTERY” - John Rowen, Booklist
“A BIG THUMBS UP... MR. BORG’S PLOTS ARE SUPER-TWISTERS” - Shelley Glodowski, Midwest Book Review
“GREAT CHARACTERS, LOTS OF ACTION, AND SOME CLEVER PLOT TWISTS...Readers have to figure they are in for a good ride, and Todd Borg does not disappoint.” - John Orr, San Jose Mercury News
PRAISE FOR TAHOE BLOWUP
“A COMPELLING TALE OF ARSON ON THE MOUNTAIN” - Barbara Peters, The Poisoned Pen Bookstore
“RIVETING... A MUST READ FOR MYSTERY FANS!” - Karen Dini, Addison Public Library, Addison, Illinois
WINNER! BEST MYSTERY OF THE YEAR - Bay Area Independent Publishers Association
PRAISE FOR TAHOE DEATHFALL
“THRILLING, EXTENDED RESCUE/CHASE” - Kirkus Reviews
“A TREMENDOUS READ FROM A GREAT WRITER” - Shelley Glodowski, Midwest Book Review
“BORG OFFERS A SIMPLY TERRIFIC DOG” - Barbara Peters, The Poisoned Pen
