I wandered toward the back room. Constable Swan looked up. She looked tired, like she’d had one shift too many, but she smiled at me. A wide, friendly smile, nothing like her usual smirk. It surprised me, and I found myself smiling back. Feeling better.
“This is quite the invention, O’Toole. Not the latest technology, but it did the trick.” She looked down at her boots, big and clumsy on her small frame. “I’m glad you came out of this all right.”
I didn’t say a word. A rush of blood tied my tongue in knots. But I didn’t feel tired and sore anymore, and I had a funny feeling in my gut. Maybe this new technology stuff was worth another look after all. There might even be some money in it.
BARBARA FRADKIN is a child psychologist with a fascination for how we turn bad. She is best known for her gritty detective series featuring Ottawa Police Inspector Michael Green. She won Arthur Ellis Best Novel Awards for both Fifth Son (2005) and Honour Among Men (2007).
Titles in the Series
RAPID READS
* * *
And Everything Nice
Kim Moritsugu
The Barrio Kings
William Kowalski
The Fall Guy
Barbara Fradkin
Generation Us The Challenge of Global Warming
Andrew Weaver
Love You to Death
Gail Bowen
The Middle Ground
Zoe Whittall
One Fine Day You’re Gonna Die
Gail Bowen
Ortona Street Fight
Mark Zuehlke
The Second Wife
Brenda Chapman
The Spider Bites
Medora Sale
That Dog Won’t Hunt
Lou Allin
The Way It Works
William Kowalski
The Fall Guy Page 6