“Maybe we could go out tonight then? 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 turned and 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 and shrubs 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.
He had been wrestling with the accolades from well-wishers, and the headlines in the local papers calling him a hero; they gave him no solace. A killer was in prison and an innocent man was now free, but Jack realized how close his family and friends had come to paying the ultimate price because of Jack’s foolish need to prove his self-worth.
And he couldn’t help but wonder what might have been. At this moment, would Stacy have been shopping for her baby? Or 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
The Detective Jack Stratton Mystery-Thriller Series
The Detective Jack Stratton mystery-thriller series has 2,000+ five-star reviews and over half-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:
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.
JACK AND THE GIANT KILLER
Rogue hero Jack Stratton is back in another action-packed, thrilling adventure. While recovering from a gunshot wound, Jack gets a seemingly harmless private investigation job—locate the owner of a lost dog—Jack begrudgingly assists. Little does he know it will place him directly in the crosshairs of a merciless serial killer.
DATA JACK
Jack Stratton’s back is up against the wall. He’s broke, he’s been kicked off the force, and his new bounty hunting business has slowed to a trickle. With no money coming in, Jack’s license to carry suspended, and no good job prospects on the horizon, Jack’s got it tough. He thinks things are turning around when his partner gets a lucrative job setting up a home data network. That is, until he discovers it’s for a handsome, jet-setting software tycoon. The “boy billionaire,” as Jack grudgingly refers to him, takes a liking to his computer-savvy girl. Jealous, Jack thinks life can’t get any worse, but when the computer program the CEO invented becomes the key tool in an international data heist, things turn deadly. In this digital age of hackers, spyware, and cyber terrorism, data is more valuable than gold. The thieves plan to steal the keys to the digital kingdom, and with this much money at stake, they’ll kill for it. Can Jack stop the pack of ruthless criminals before they can Data Jack?
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Novels featuring Jack Stratton in order:
AND THEN SHE WAS GONE
GIRL JACKED
JACK KNIFED
JACKS ARE WILD
JACK AND THE GIANT KILLER
DATA JACK
and coming soon…
JACK OF HEARTS
Epic Fantasy
PURE OF HEART
Now Available
Looking for a mystery series mixed with romantic suspense?
Be sure to check out Katherine Greyson’s bestselling series:
EVERYONE KEEPS SECRETS
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank all the wonderful readers out there. It is you who make the literary world what it is today—a place of dreams filled with tales of adventure! To all of you who have taken Jack and Replacement under your wings and spread the word via social media (Facebook and Twitter) and who have taken the time to go back and write a great review, I say THANK YOU! Your efforts keep the characters alive and give me the encouragement and time to keep writing. I can’t thank YOU enough.
Word of mouth is crucial for any author to succeed. If you enjoyed the series, please consider leaving a review at Amazon, even if it is only a line or two; it would make all the difference and I would appreciate it very much.
PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW HERE
I would also like to thank my wife. She’s the best wife, mother, and partner in crime any man could have. She is an invaluable content editor and I could not do this without her! My thanks also go out to: my two awesome kids, my dear mother, my family, my wonderful team; Maia McViney, Maia Sepp, Jennifer Merrigan, my fantastic editors—David Gatewood of Lone Trout Editing, Faith Williams of The Atwater Group, and Karen Lawson and Janet Hitchcock of The Proof is in the Reading, my fabulous proofreader—Charlie Wilson of The Book Specialist, my fabulous consultant Dianne Jones, the unbelievably helpful beta readers, and the two best kids in the world.
About the Author
My name is Christopher Greyson, and I am a storyteller.
Since I was a little boy, I have dreamt of what mystery was around the next corner, or what quest lay over the hill. If I couldn’t find an adventure, one usually found me, and now I weave those tales into my stories. I am blessed to have written the bestselling Jack Stratton mystery series. The collection includes And Then She Was Gone, Girl Jacked, Jack Knifed, Jacks Are Wild, Jack and the Giant Killer, and Data Jack.
My background is an eclectic mix of degrees in theatre, communications, and computer science. Currently I reside in Massachusetts with my lovely wife and two fantastic children. My wife, Katherine Greyson, who is my chief content editor, is an author of her own romance series, Everyone Keeps Secrets.
My love for tales of mystery and adventure began with my grandfather, a decorated World War I hero. I will never forget being introduced to his friend, a WWI pilot who flew across the skies at the same time as the feared, legendary Red Baron. My love of reading and storytelling eventually led me to write Pure of Heart, a young adult fantasy that I released in 2014.
I love to hear from my readers. Please go to ChristopherGreyson.com. In the coming months, I plan to add free content, including side stories and vignettes involving the characters from the series. Please sign up for my mailing list to receive periodic updates on this and new book releases. Thank you for reading my novels. I hope my stories have brightened your day.
Sincerely,
Christopher Greyson
AND THEN SHE WAS GONE
Copyright: Christopher Greyson
Published: October 1st 2016
The right of Christopher Greyson to be identified as author of this Work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and didn’t purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Find out more about the author and upcoming books online at www.ChristopherGreyson.com
ISBN: 978-1-68399-001-7
And Then She Was GONE: A riveting new suspense novel that keeps you guessing until the end Page 29
