Dead Man's Curve
Page 17
Cal nodded knowingly. “It’s good to know that you feel that way. Quite frankly, we may never know who actually committed the act. This whole situation is so messed up and disturbing, but at least the mastermind behind everything won’t be going anywhere for a long time.”
She tapped the bar and ordered a bourbon. Ironically enough, it was a shot of Lee Creeks’ finest. “I’ll drink to that,” she said. “Cal Murphy, you’re one exceptional human being.”
Cal thanked Mrs. Riggins before she walked away and smiled as she did.
***
THE NEXT MORNING as Cal and Kelly drove back to Atlanta, Kelly scrolled through social media apps talking about Cal’s story that detailed Lee’s dark deeds and the control he held over the town. He’d managed to convince Gatlin to run the story in the Atlanta paper—and pay him handsomely for it. Other news outlets were reporting on Cal’s story as well, and it dominated the front page of national news websites.
“I can’t believe this,” Kelly said. “You never get so many good comments like this. Want me to read some of them to you?”
He shook his head. “No comments praising the article are going to be more satisfying to me that what just happened in that town. Let’s just leave it at that and move on. I was just doing my job.”
“Yeah—a job you don’t have now,” Kelly said.
“Don’t worry. Something will come up.”
Cal’s phone buzzed. Kelly looked at the unfamiliar number. “Who do you know in Charlotte?”
He grabbed the phone from her and answered it, smiling as he talked. When he hung up, he looked at her and winked.
“What?” she said.
“Something just came up. I just got offered a job in Charlotte.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
THE KENTUCKY HILLS are a place very dear to my heartas I’ve spent plenty of time visiting them as well as driving through them—and it was a great joy to be able to set a story there.
When it comes to those who helped me with the novel, the usual suspects abound, but I first must acknowledge you, the reader, for fueling my passion to write these stories.
Jennifer Wolf once again helped make this a better story with her deft editing skills.
Dan Pitts crafted a beautiful cover that captures the mystery and wonder of where this novel took place.
Bill Cooper continues to crank out stellar audio versions of all my books—and I have no doubt that this will yield the same high-quality listening enjoyment.
As always, I must acknowledge my wife for allowing me the time to write this story.
And without you, the reader, who has found my work—and enjoyed it—I never would have trudged on with the arduous task of writing more novels. Just knowing that you’re out there and enjoying the diversions created by my books continues to inspire me to press on and work diligently to refine my craft.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JACK PATTERSON is an award-winning writer living in southeastern Idaho. He first began his illustrious writing career as a sports journalist, recording his exploits on the soccer fields in England as a young boy. Then when his father told him that people would pay him to watch sports if he would write about what he saw, he went all in. He landed his first writing job at age 15 as a sports writer for a daily newspaper in Orangeburg, S.C. He later earned a degree in newspaper journalism from the University of Georgia, where he took a job covering high school sports for the award-winning Athens Banner-Herald and Daily News.
He later became the sports editor at a daily newspaper in south Georgia before working in the magazine world as an editor and freelance journalist. He has won numerous writing awards, including a national award for his investigative reporting on a sordid tale surrounding an NCAA investigation over the University of Georgia football program.
Jack enjoys the great outdoors of the Northwest while living there with his wife and three children. He still follows sports closely.
He also loves connecting with readers and would love to hear from you. To stay updated about future projects, connect with him over Facebook or on the interwebs at www.IamJackPatterson.com
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DEAD MAN’S CURVE
© Copyright 2014 Jack Patterson
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law.
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
eBook ISBN: 978-1-938848-60-5
First eBook Edition 2014
Cover Design by Dan Pitts
Published in the United States of America
Hangman Books
Boise, Idaho 83714