Detective Jack Stratton Box Set

by Christopher Greyson

  “Shaw swiped a driver’s license from one of the other sales reps at his company, and then returned it without the guy knowing. He used a prepaid credit card that he’d been using to hide his affair from his wife. And he used that same card to buy a new GPS to replace the one Tommy stole. The rental car company had no idea. But the linchpin was that phone app, Jack.”

  Jack struggled not to look too pleased.

  “You were right on the money. Shaw left his own cell phone at the hotel in Schenectady. The phone records show that Shaw’s cell phone received a call from an unknown number one minute before he called Stacy. We traced the unknown number to an over-the-counter burner phone purchased with the same prepaid credit card. With that app he rerouted the call, making it look like he had an ironclad alibi.”

  “He really planned this thing in detail,” Ted said.

  “Right down to where he was going to attack her,” Clark said. “I’ve no doubt he even walked Stacy through the park a few times so she’d take the same way home.”

  “Monster,” Ted mumbled.

  Jack wanted to know every detail. “What about her car?”

  “He pulled the starter relay fuse to disable it, so she’d have to walk. Afterward, he drove her car away from the body so we’d be looking for evidence in the wrong place. And he staged an accident where he knew the car would be found right away. He needed to firmly establish that she went missing during the time he was in Schenectady with his perfect alibi.”

  “With all the security cameras nowadays, how come none of them caught him walking back into town?” Ted asked.

  “He dumped the car right next to the main electrical lines. Then he stayed on the path underneath the lines until they reached Hamilton Park. I’m telling you, this was all carefully planned.”

  Jack shook his head. “But why? I don’t understand. What was the motive?”

  “That law office you followed him to? They were handling a civil suit against the Darrington Fertility Clinic. A few years back, Stacy Shaw had undergone a botched procedure there, which doctors believed had left her sterile. Then she got pregnant.”

  Jack shook his head. “I still don’t get it.”

  “The clinic was about to settle with the Shaws for two million dollars.”

  “He murdered his wife and child for two million dollars.” Jack stared at the wall.

  His dad put his hand on Jack’s shoulder. “That man is pure evil. And if not for you, he would have killed again. You saved Murray’s life.”

  Jack nodded absently, a little dazed by the puzzle that was still raveling and unraveling in his mind. “How is he?”

  “He’ll be fine. Concussion, a few stitches,” Clark said. “He gave us a statement, and so did the homeless woman, Robyn.” Clark wiggled a finger in his ear. “My ears are still ringing from when she insisted on demonstrating how loud her whistle goes.”

  Jack chuckled, remembering the alarm whistle, then the red cap cresting the hill, and finally little Robyn herself.

  Ted suddenly tipped his head to the side, as if decoding an urgent message from his subconscious. He said to Jack, “You know, her Red Sox hat—”

  Jack talked fast. “That’s great, everyone’s okay. That’s the important thing. Right?”

  “I’m proud of you, Jack.” Clark grinned. “Hell, even Vargas was impressed, though he’d never admit it.”

  Jack looked down; his dad smiled proudly.

  “Oh, hey, what about J-Dog? I mean, Jay.”

  “Good news: he’s being transferred to Fairfield General Hospital. All charges against him are dropped.”

  “Tommy?”

  “After all his family went through, the superintendent plans to pull some strings. For his cooperation, I think he’ll be looking at some community service. If he keeps himself clean, he’ll be able to work something out.”

  Clark, who had elected not to take the third chair in the room and had been standing the whole time, squared his shoulders and raised his voice a couple notches.

  “Now. The night’s not over. We need to discuss what you two did. I specifically told you both that this was dangerous and you should back off. You kept going. There are consequences for that.”

  Jack was too surprised to say anything.

  “Wait a second,” Ted said. “How would it look if you charged Jack after all he’s done?”

  “We’re not going to charge him. But the wrath you two are about to face is far worse than prison.” Clark walked over to the door, opened it, and stood aside.

  In the hallway, Laura Stratton was speaking with the doctor.

  Jack could count on one hand the number of times he’d seen his mother truly angry. As she fumed in the hallway, Jack realized he might need to start using both hands to count.

  His father’s mouth fell open. “You called my wife?”

  33

  You Think I’d Miss This?

  Two Weeks Later

  Jack parked the Impala at the end of Kelly’s long driveway. The Dawsons were having another picnic, and once again Jack was invited. He didn’t know whether that was a good thing.

  Well before he reached the door, Kelly ran around from the back of the house, straight to Jack, and wrapped her arms around him. “Hey! I didn’t think you’d come.”

  He gently pulled her long hair to one side, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath at the back of her neck. Jasmine? Vanilla? He held it in as long as he could.

  “You think I’d miss this?” Jack grinned. “I didn’t want to wait a whole day to see you again.”

  They were right on the edge of a kiss when a pack of guys, including Warner, Preston, and Archer, walked out of the backyard. Warner said something, and they all burst out laughing.

  “If they ask you to play football, say no,” Kelly whispered. “Just tell them your shoulder’s still healing.”

  “No can do, sorry. It’s a guy thing.”

  She pleaded, “My brother is just doing this because of Dad, and”—she huffed. “Warner and I—”

  “Were a thing.” Jack shrugged. “Past tense.”

  “Not for him. I heard him tell Preston that he was gonna really bust you up if you played again.”

  “I kinda figured that when Preston called me and suggested another game.”

  Kelly’s mouth opened, but she closed it when her brother strode up.

  “Glad you could make it, Jack,” Preston said with a Ken doll smile.

  Warner sneered, opting for silent sarcasm.

  “I’m actually looking forward to it.” Jack handed his keys to Kelly.

  As they walked across to the backyard, Kelly squeezed his hand and mouthed, Don’t.

  Jack just smiled.

  “Same teams as last time?” Preston asked. “With you we have nine, but Hayden can sit out.”

  “It’s okay, Preston, I’m glad you’ve got eight guys. I figured I’d take you up on your offer.”

  Preston looked confused. “What offer?”

  “Last time, Archer said it’d be okay if I brought some friends.” Jack hitched his thumb down the street toward two approaching cars. “Just a few guys I grew up with.”

  A rusted brown van pulled up, followed by a gray sedan. All six foot six of Chandler got out of the van first. The driver’s door opened and Gino, an even six feet tall but almost three hundred twenty pounds, got out next. Then the van side door slid open, and Bobbie G and Anthony got out and stood next to Chandler. Bobbie G was a little smaller than Chandler but outweighed him by forty pounds. Anthony’s enormous biceps, covered in tattoos, bulged as he crossed his arms.

  “What’s up, Jack!” Estoban jogged up from the sedan and knuckle-bumped Jack. Two other big guys followed him, along with Michelle, Makayla, and Lori.

  Jack surveyed the group of guys—they were as large as an NFL team. “Thanks for coming,” he said with a smile. Then he turned to Warner, who was noticeably paler. “Well, let’s play some football.”

  Michelle, Makayla, and Lori joined Kell
y and her girlfriends on the sideline as the two teams lined up. Warner’s team got the ball first, and on each of the first three plays, they all ended up flat on their backs, groaning in pain. On the fourth play, Archer wisely just threw the ball away.

  Then Jack’s team got the ball. Estoban, their quarterback, huddled up the team. “I say we let our host score the first touchdown.” He turned to Jack. “Jack, fake like you’re going left, then cut back behind me and I’ll toss the ball to you. Stick close to the sideline.”

  Chandler leaned in. “Jack’s got a bull’s-eye on his back and a bum shoulder, so no one let the other team get near him. Got it?”

  Everyone nodded.

  Chandler cracked his knuckles and grinned at Jack. “We’ve got your back.”

  As planned, Estoban tossed the ball to Jack. Jack bobbed left, then right. He cut quickly in front of Preston before he had time to react—then he made sure to run the ball right past the ladies on the sideline, grinning the whole way. He made it look good, but the truth was, with his friends guarding him, Jack could have walked down the field and scored.

  After they had regrouped for first down, Jack tossed the ball back to Archer, who held onto it and yelled, “Time-out! Hold on a second.” Still holding the ball, he ran over to his jacket. He took out his phone and held it up to his ear. Then he turned back to the guys. “Sorry, guys. I totally forgot—something. I have to go.”

  One of the other kids ran over to Archer. “I… I was supposed to help you with that, right?”

  Archer looked puzzled at first, and then quickly nodded. “Yeah. Sure. Yeah, we gotta go.”

  “We should just call it then,” muttered two other guys from Warner’s team, walking off the field.

  “Come on, guys,” Warner whined.

  “Hold up, Warner.” Jack strode over to him. Warner looked off to the side. Jack lowered his voice and leaned in. “Are we done?”

  Warner scrutinized the grass. “You mean with the game?”

  “All the games,” Jack growled. “Look, this is how we’re going to handle this. I’m dating Kelly now. You got a problem with that, tell me, and we’ll settle it right here, right now.”

  Warner swallowed. He looked over at Preston, but there was no help there.

  Jack straightened up.

  Warner’s shoulders slumped. “I get it. I’m done.”

  “Game’s over then.” Jack strutted over to his crew like a pirate on a captured frigate. “Looks like we won, boys!”

  Cheers, jeers, and high fives were quickly exchanged.

  “Hey, Jack,” Lori called out as she ran up to him. “Nice touchdown.”

  “Thanks.”

  “I haven’t gotten to tell you yet. Guess who got indicted a few days ago?”

  Jack broke into a wide grin.

  She nodded. “Yep. Leland Chambers did the walk of shame—in handcuffs and everything. Do you know how many employees he’s made miserable over the years? He had it coming.”

  “Speaking of which, have you heard from Jeremy?”

  “He’s doing great. He came back home. After it came out what Leland had done, they reinstated him, and Betty made sure they gave him a few extra weeks’ vacation.”

  That was the best thing Jack could have heard, along with the news that Betty was now director of finance.

  Lori left to get some lemonade, and Chandler, Michelle, and Makayla walked over to Jack. “The girls want to go get some ice cream,” Chandler said. “You coming?”

  “I’ll catch up with you. I gotta say bye to Kelly and swing by home before I come over.”

  “We’re watching the game at Estoban’s later, right?”

  “I have one stop to make first.”

  “You’ll be late.”

  “I won’t.”

  “Wanna bet?”

  Chandler reached for his wallet, and Jack laughed. “Get outta here.”

  As Jack’s friends piled into their vehicles and drove off, Kelly appeared beside him. “Well, that was a blowout.”

  “I’m glad Preston quit before Chandler started to really play.”

  She laughed. It was light and happy.

  Jack smiled.

  “Thanks for saying something to Warner.”

  “Who?” Jack pulled her close.

  She grinned and kissed him. Their heads shifted, and so did their hands. Jack’s breathing sped up, but Kelly pulled away. She cast a quick glance at her house and tipped her head seductively.

  Jack kissed her again.

  She pressed into him and then, after another intense round, she pushed back. “You’re so bad,” she purred.

  “Can you come over tomorrow night? My mom’s having a belated birthday thing for me.”

  She nodded. “Can I bring a present?”

  Jack’s breath hitched. “It might be difficult wrapping yourself. Maybe just put a bow on top of your head.”

  She giggled.

  Jack held her around the waist. “Seriously, you don’t have to get me anything. I’m just doing it for my mom.”

  “I want to.” She bit her bottom lip. “Besides, you just gave me an idea.” She pouted. “I’m just bummed I have to wait until then.”

  “Maybe we could go out tonight? I’m watching a game with the guys, but that’ll be over by eight.”

  Kelly bit her lip and slowly twisted back and forth. “I’ll convince my mom.”

  Jack leaned in.

  “No, no, no…” She wagged her finger. “I’ll never let you go if I kiss you again.”

  “So kiss me again.”

  She took one step forward, and Jack took a step back.

  “Tonight.” He grinned roguishly. “Tonight you’ll kiss me and I won’t let go.”

  She nodded.

  Jack walked to the Impala with a swagger in his step.

  34

  Broken Reeds

  Jack carried two bouquets of flowers into Hamilton Park. It was a beautiful summer day. Walking down the path and then into the woods, he took in a long, deep breath, enjoying a momentary feeling of peace. The sun hung low in the sky, and the darkness under the canopy of the trees was lit from the side by the sun’s rays across the water.

  Jack walked down the embankment to the broken reeds. He swallowed and looked back up the hill behind him, where new grass had already begun to grow up in the path of destruction. Then he looked out across the water. He realized that the memory of her would always haunt him, spur him on when he couldn’t go on. Something like this, he’d never forget.

  And he couldn’t help but wonder what might have been. At this moment, would Stacy have been shopping for her baby? Buying toys for the nursery?

  A gentle breeze stirred the lily pads. The water sparkled and Jack followed the line the sun made to the other side. As the sun dipped lower, the whole pond glittered a bright gold and white.

  Jack unwrapped the flowers and laid each bouquet onto the water. He bowed his head and prayed.

  Then he whispered, “You aren’t trash.”

  The End

  Find out what happens in the next thrilling installment: Jacks Are Wild

  Handsome white knight Jack Stratton is back in this action-packed, thrilling adventure. When his sexy old flame disappears, no one thinks it’s suspicious, except Jack and one unbalanced witness. Jack feels in his gut that something is wrong. He knows Marisa has a past, and if it ever caught up with her . . . it would be deadly.

  Determined to buck the critics and listen to his instincts, he and his feisty young sidekick plunge ahead and start tracking down leads, hoping to find Marisa in time. The trail leads them into all sorts of trouble, and lands them smack in the middle of an all-out mob war between the Italian Mafia and the Japanese Yakuza. When evidence surfaces that Marisa was kidnapped, Jack must navigate through the warring parties, assassins, and cold-blooded hit men to outwit the cunning kidnappers before it’s too late. As the body count rises, the stakes in this game are life and death—with no rules except one—Jacks are wild.
>
  The Detective Jack Stratton Mystery-Thriller Series

  The Detective Jack Stratton Mystery-Thriller Series, authored by Wall Street Journal bestselling writer Christopher Greyson, has 5,000+ five-star reviews and over a million readers and counting. If you’d love to read another page-turning thriller with mystery, humor, and a dash of romance, pick up the next book in the highly acclaimed series today:

  And Then She Was GONE

  A hometown hero with a heart of gold, Jack Stratton was raised in a whorehouse by his prostitute mother. When his foster mother asks him to look into a missing girl’s disappearance, Jack quickly gets drawn into a baffling mystery. As Jack digs deeper, everyone becomes a suspect—including himself. Caught between the criminals and the cops, can Jack discover the truth in time to save the girl? Or will he become the next victim?

  GIRL JACKED

  Guilt has driven a wedge between Jack and the family he loves. When Jack, now a police officer, hears the news that his foster sister Michelle is missing, it cuts straight to his core. The police think she just took off, but Jack knows Michelle would never leave her loved ones behind—like he did. Forced to confront the demons from his past, Jack must take action, find Michelle, and bring her home... or die trying.

  JACK KNIFED

  Constant nightmares have forced Jack to seek answers about his rough childhood and the dark secrets hidden there. The mystery surrounding Jack’s birth father leads Jack to investigate the twenty-seven-year-old murder case in Hope Falls.

  JACKS ARE WILD

  When Jack’s sexy old flame disappears, no one thinks it’s suspicious except Jack and one unbalanced witness. Jack feels in his gut that something is wrong. He knows that Marisa has a past, and if it ever caught up with her—it would be deadly. The trail leads him into all sorts of trouble—landing him smack in the middle of an all-out mob war between the Italian Mafia and the Japanese Yakuza.