Shotgun Mine
Page 25
The mayor gawked when Layne opened the box, showing off the gold within. He could see it reflected in her eyes, which seemed to come to life for the first time since they’d entered the room. It seemed to hit her in two waves: first, her eyebrows went up. A second later, her jaw dropped.
“This is… this is real gold?”
Layne nodded.
“Your generosity is incredible, Mr. Parrish. I didn’t know your father well, but I think he’d be happy to know that these resources will be used to help the town he loved so much.”
Layne cleared his throat. He couldn’t imagine George Parrish being happy about anything to do with Shotgun, but he held his tongue. “Maybe so. But I’m not doing it for him.”
The mayor frowned at this, but Layne didn’t feel the need to explain himself.
Winnie sighed. “There’s a problem. I’m going away on an extended leave, and it’s going to force me to resign as mayor.”
Layne’s eyes fell on the desk, to a pamphlet for Destiny Garden, a detox facility in Denver. She noticed him noticing, and she scooted a notebook over to conceal the pamphlet.
So, the mayor had to resign to deal with a drinking problem. That could’ve explained why she’d been not only cagey, but resistant to working with him over the last few days. Layne knew what drunks were like in the depths of their misery.
“I understand, but I still need to work this out. Who do I deal with in the meantime?”
“Me,” Molly Waffles said.
Layne eyed her. “Excuse me?”
“I assume there’s going to be an emergency election?” she asked the mayor.
The mayor nodded. “That’s right. We’re going to announce today, and then everything will move swiftly. Probably within the next two or three days, you’ll have a new mayor. At least an interim one.”
“Has anyone else expressed interest?” Molly asked.
The mayor shook her head.
“You’re going to run for office,” Layne said, staring at his ex-girlfriend. It was a question, but he’d said it like a statement of fact.
Molly Waffles nodded. “Of course I am. No offense, Mayor Caldwell, but I think it’s time this town had a different kind of leadership. We’ll let them see what happens if they ever try to bring a mess like this into Shotgun again.”
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HERE WE GO AGAIN
Thank you for coming along on this weird ride into Layne’s past. His life has always been full of colorful characters, so it’s no surprise his hometown is too. I think Molly will make an excellent mayor, don’t you?
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For more Layne Parrish, check out MUSEUM ATTACK. It’s an intense thriller novella, but it’s not available for sale. You can only get it at www.jimheskett.com/readergroup
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In my life, I’ve had four cats. Maggie, Mexicali Blues, Shannon, and Yarra. This is for them.
MAGGIE came to me one day in the pasture while I was collecting pecans from the pecan trees. She followed me home and never left.
MEXICALI BLUES appeared one day at the edge of a blanket. I and my high school sweetheart were watching the fireworks downtown, and this gorgeous white kitty came up to us and decided to stay. She chose us, not the other way around.
I found SHANNON at a rescue, and he demanded I pay attention to him. Shannon saw me through some dark times.
And YARRA joined our family most recently, a sickly and sneezing cat with ear mites. But she blossomed into a beautiful creature. She’s eight pounds of fury, and if she had sixty more pounds, I’m sure she’d murder us all in our sleep.
All material copyright the most awful year of 2020 by Jim Heskett. No part of this work may be reproduced without permission.
Published by Royal Arch Books
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Books by Jim Heskett
For a full list of all Jim Heskett’s books, please visit www.RoyalArchBooks.com
If you like thrillers, you’ll want to take a gander at my Micah Reed series. It’s where Layne Parrish got his start, actually. In particular, the Micah Reed thriller Shock Collar, serves as a "prequel" of sorts to the Layne Parrish solo series. See how a dog walk ending in bloodshed sends Micah on a quest for truth, and Layne on a path to reclaim his past and future. And find out more about how the Liberty Head nickels changed Layne’s life.
About the Author
Jim Heskett writes stories about outsiders who fight crime.
The author was born in the wilds of Oklahoma, raised by a pack of wolves with a station wagon and a membership card to the local public swimming pool. Just like the man in the John Denver song, he moved to Colorado in the summer of his 27th year. He's never looked back. Aside from a wild year traveling the world, he hasn't let the Flatirons mountains out of his sight.
Jim fell in love with writing at the age of fourteen inside a copy of Stephen King's Carrie. Poetry provided his first outlet for teen angst, then later a smattering of mediocre screenplays, and eventually crime thriller fiction a la Elmore Leonard. In between, he worked a few careers that never quite tickled his creative toes.
He hasn't ever forgotten about Stephen King.
You can find him currently huddled over a laptop in an undisclosed location in Colorado, dreaming up ways to kill beloved characters.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, he believes the huckle is the king of berries and he refuses to entertain any arguments to the contrary.
He writes award-winning crime thrillers seasoned with a dash of snark. Sometimes he writes these books with co-authors like Nick Thacker.
Details and FREE, exclusive books at www.jimheskett.com