by David Thurlo
Charlie got hugs from Nancy and Gordon. DuPree shook Charlie’s hand and even smiled.
“Sorry we didn’t catch up to you,” Gordon apologized. “There was video of the attack and the Chevy they dumped you inside, but we ran into a hitch when the car was found just a few blocks away in a parking lot, along with the smashed remains of your dearly departed cell phone. That’s where they must have transferred you to that pickup.”
“We’ve got an ATL out of the truck with the plates you provided, but no luck so far,” DuPree cut in. “Medina here thinks that Mr. Porter may have already switched vehicles. We don’t know what to look for now. Wish we could put a face to him.”
“The man may have left some trace DNA in that vehicle,” Nancy said, “but he’s got several hours’ head start. He could be out of state by now. Or in Juarez.”
Charlie nodded. “That would be my guess. I think the guy was a vet, so fingerprints should be on file. Maybe, at some point, he wasn’t wearing gloves.”
“Excuse me, people, but I need to break up this party and interview Mr. Henry one more time,” SAC Jackson stated, walking over to join them. “You’re invited to attend, Detectives,” he noted to Nancy and DuPree. “Ready, Charlie?”
“Just a minute, Agent Jackson.” Charlie turned to Gordon. “Jake might need some help at the shop. You and Ruth don’t have any reason to stick around, and I have a friend keeping an eye on the Koury family.” Charlie nodded to Gordon, knowing he’d get the message. “I’ll catch a ride to work from here.” He was still holding Ruth’s hand, and gave it a squeeze.
“You might want to get some sleep first, Charlie,” Gordon suggested. “My place, maybe?”
“I’ll see how alert I am once I’m done here.”
“He didn’t take your keys?” Gordon asked.
“Miraculously, no.”
“Porter must have liked you, pal. Getting new keys, changing locks, canceling credit cards, that’d be a hassle,” Gordon said.
“Somewhere in there was a conscience. He’s killed before, though. It didn’t seem to bother him at all, taking out…” Charlie looked down at Ruth. “Sorry. I don’t mean to sound cold.”
“I understand,” she replied. “But you’d better get started here with the FBI,” she added. “The sooner you’re done, the sooner you’ll be back with us.”
Back with us. Charlie liked the sweet sound of that, or maybe it was just Ruth’s slightly deeper voice, a beautiful sound he’d only heard when they were alone. He gave her hand a final squeeze, ignored Gordon’s smug smile, and then nodded to the SAC. “Let’s do this.”
ALSO BY DAVID AND AIMÉE THURLO
THE CHARLIE HENRY MYSTERIES
The Pawnbroker
Grave Consequences
Rob Thy Neighbor
THE ELLA CLAH MYSTERIES
Blackening Song
Death Walker
Bad Medicine
Enemy Way
Shooting Chant
Red Mesa
Changing Woman
Plant Them Deep
Tracking Bear
Wind Spirit
White Thunder
Mourning Dove
Turquoise Girl
Coyote’s Wife
Earthway
Never-Ending Snake
Black Thunder
Ghost Medicine
THE SISTER AGATHA MYSTERIES
Bad Faith
Thief in Retreat
Prey for a Miracle
False Witness
The Prodigal Nun
Bad Samaritan
About the Author
DAVID THURLO is the author or coauthor of more than eighty novels. His writing partner was his late wife, Aimée, a native of Havana, Cuba. She passed away in 2014. Their books have been sold worldwide and have received the New Mexico Book Award for Mystery and Suspense, a Willa Cather Award for Contemporary Fiction, and the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award. David was raised on the Navajo Nation and still lives and writes in New Mexico. You can sign up for email updates here.
Thank you for buying this
St. Martin’s Press ebook.
To receive special offers, bonus content,
and info on new releases and other great reads,
sign up for our newsletters.
Or visit us online at
us.macmillan.com/newslettersignup
For email updates on the author, click here.
Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Also by David and Aimée Thurlo
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
KILL THE HEROES. Copyright © 2017 by David Thurlo. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.minotaurbooks.com
Jacket photographs: sunset © Michael Randolph Rowan / Shutterstock; bullets © Svetlana777 / Shutterstock
Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Names: Thurlo, David, author.
Title: Kill the heroes / David Thurlo.
Description: First edition.|New York: Minotaur Books, 2017.|Series: A Charlie Henry mystery; 4
Identifiers: LCCN 2017010854|ISBN 9781250119667 (hardcover)|ISBN 9781250119674 (e-book)
Subjects: LCSH: Retired military personnel—United States—Fiction.|Iraq War, 2003–2011—Veterans—Fiction.|Veterans—Crimes against—Fiction.|Mass shootings—Fiction.|GSAFD: Suspense fiction.|Mystery fiction.
Classification: LCC PS3570.H825 K55 2017|DDC 813/.54—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017010854
e-ISBN 9781250119674
Our ebooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension 5442, or by email at [email protected].
First Edition: August 2017
