by James Carol
‘I’m glad he’s dead,’ Templeton said, and the tension between us eased.
‘And I’m glad you’re alive.’
‘Thanks to you. Did you really have to shoot me, though?’
I grimaced. ‘Believe me, I wish there’d been another way.’
Templeton laughed. ‘Lighten up for Christ’s sake. I’m making fun of you. At the end of the day you did what you had to do.’
‘So you say.’
‘I do say. If it wasn’t for you I wouldn’t be here now. Thanks for saving my life.’
‘Any time,’ I said, and immediately wished I hadn’t. It was one of those things that sounded way cooler in my head. Out loud, it made me sound like a dork. We fell into a short silence. Templeton had said what she’d come here to say and now the heavy stuff was out the way neither of us was sure where to go next.
‘Can I talk you into staying a couple of extra days?’ Templeton said, breaking the silence. ‘At least until after Christmas. You can crash at my place. Nobody should be alone at Christmas.’
‘I won’t be alone.’
‘The staff at the next hotel you end up in doesn’t count.’
That was worth a smile. ‘I’m not a big fan of Christmas. It’s all about family and I’d rather forget about mine. I prefer to keep busy.’
‘I won’t push it, Winter, but if you change your mind you know where I am.’
‘Thanks.’
We went downstairs and I asked the concierge to order a couple of cabs. He made the call then told me to wait a second and disappeared into the back office. The aluminium Samsonite case he brought back with him was the same design as the one the Colt 45s had come in. The only difference was that it was larger and heavier. I handed the case to Templeton.
‘You can have this,’ I said. ‘Think of it as a goodbye gift.’
‘What is it?’
‘Open it and find out.’
Templeton walked over to a table and put the case down. She popped the catches with her good hand and lifted the lid. Her eyes widened and she took a sharp intake of breath, swore to herself, then banged the lid down. She was tempted. Maybe just for a second, but she was definitely tempted.
‘A million pounds?’ I asked.
‘I don’t know if it’s a million, but it’s a ton of cash. Used banknotes if I’m not mistaken.’
‘It’s a million. It’s the reward for getting Rachel Morris back. Use it to pay off your mortgage, buy a new car. Take a holiday.’
‘I can’t keep this. It’s from Donald Cole. I need to hand it in.’
‘Hand it in and it’ll end up disappearing into the system,’ I said. ‘You know how these things work. The best thing you can do is split it four ways and arrange for anonymous donations to be made to the families of the Grosvenors’ victims. They’re going to need the money. You can do that, can’t you?’
‘Yeah, I can do that.’
The concierge called over to tell us the cabs had arrived. We headed out through the revolving doors and hugged at the kerb. For a second I thought that hug might morph into something more. I hoped it would, but was enough of a realist to know that it probably wouldn’t. Cheerleaders and straight-A students. It was never going to happen.
And that was before I shot her.
The moment passed and Templeton got into her cab. She gave me one last smile through the window then the car pulled away. The brake lights flared red, the cab slowed then swung right, and she was gone.
I heaved my suitcase into the trunk of my cab, then climbed into the back and told the driver to take me to Heathrow. I had a plane to catch.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My agent, Camilla Wray, has been truly inspirational. Her enthusiasm, professionalism and sharp eye for detail has been invaluable in bringing Jefferson Winter to life. I really do count myself fortunate to have the best agent in the business.
I’d also like to thank Katherine Armstrong at Faber for her superb editing skills. Her sense of humour and love of books is infectious‚ and this makes her a joy to work with.
My good friend Nick Tubby has been fantastic. In addition to critiquing early drafts of my work‚ he has tirelessly answered questions on all things related to guns‚ technology and websites.
In addition I’d like to thank Clare Wallace and Mary Darby at the Darley Anderson Agency, Detective Sergeant Gabriel Chrystal of the Metropolitan Police‚ Kate O’Hearn‚ KC O’Hearn‚ Rosie Goodwin‚ Ruth Jackson‚ and‚ of course‚ the irrepressible Wayne Brookes.
Last‚ but not least‚ my love and thanks go out to Karen‚ Niamh and Finn. You guys make this all worthwhile.
About James Carol
James Carol is the creator of eccentric genius Jefferson Winter, a former FBI profiler who travels the world hunting serial criminals.
When he’s not writing, James spends his time training horses and riders. An accomplished guitarist, he relaxes by writing and recording music. James lives in Hertfordshire with his wife and two children.
Broken Dolls is the first Jefferson Winter novel. Further books in the series are due to be published annually.
For more information please visit
www.james-carol.com
Coming soon from James Carol
Smoke and Mirrors
Everybody’s got something to hide
A Dead Lawyer
Eagle Creek, Louisiana. Lawyer Sam Galloway is burned alive in an
apparently motiveless attack. The local sheriff’s department calls in
former FBI profiler Jefferson Winter to consult on the case.
A Serial Killer
So far there’s just one body, but there are going to be more. A deadline
has been set, the clock is ticking, and Winter has just thirteen
and a half hours to track down the killer, before he strikes again.
A Dark Secret
Winter knows all about secrets. His father, one of America’s most
notorious serial killers, had everyone fooled for years. Winter also
knows that the problem with secrets is that they have a nasty habit of
turning against you when you least expect it.
AVAILABLE AUTUMN 2014
Jefferson Winter: The FBI Chronicles
Can’t wait for your next Jefferson Winter fix?
Look out for the first instalment of The FBI Chronicles,
a series of eBooks following Winter’s FBI career.
Presumed Guilty (eChronicle 1)
AVAILABLE SPRING 2014
DATE: 07/29/99
F. A. O:
Unit Chief Scott Hendry
Behavioral Analysis Unit
FBI Academy
Quantico
Virginia
FROM:
Special Agent Yoko Tanaka, Profiler
CASE:
Four victims – all females – murdered.
Brutal/savage attacks.
Killer: unsub, known as ‘Valentino’.
No description.
No witnesses.
SIGNATURE:
‘Valentino’ takes his victims’ hearts as trophies.
SUSPECT:
NAME: Jefferson Winter
AGE: 19
NOTES:
Suspect has an off-the-chart IQ.
Textbook psychopath.
History of psychopathy in the family
(see separate file attached; Case # BAU/15_1979-1991/winter).
Suspect has confessed and knows details of the crimes that only the perp could know.
Open and shut case – recommend First Degree Murder to the DA.
Death sentence likely outcome.
STATUS OF CASE:
Pending …
For up-to-date information on James Carol and Jefferson Winter, please visit
www.james-carol.com
There’s plenty here to keep Jefferson Winter fans happy.
Information on new releases and personal appearances, along with sample chapters and audio
clips from the books. You can also sign up for the Jefferson Winter newsletter.
Why not email James directly or friend him on Facebook? He’d love to hear from you.
First published in 2014
by Faber and Faber Ltd
Bloomsbury House
74–77 Great Russell Street
London WC1B 3DA
This ebook edition first published in 2014
Typeset by Faber and Faber Ltd.
All rights reserved
© James Carol, 2014
Cover design: Images © Johnny Ring
The right of James Carol to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with Section 77 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly
ISBN 978–0–571–30275–8
Table of Contents
LandingPage
Title Page
Dedication
Prologue
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
Acknowledgements
About James Carol
Coming soon from James Carol
Copyright
