We will welcome back our favorite misanthrope, Ella Reynolds, and her ever so sweet detective, Gabriel Troy. Here is a little excerpt just for you.
I shook my head. Fagan’s car crept up the snow covered lane and parked on the flat area behind us. He tapped on Gabriel’s window and waved for us to follow him to the barn. We hiked in behind him. The old barn groaned under the relentless wind and the smell of dirt and hay mixed with something sweeter that stuck in my throat and made me want to turn around and leave. Goosebumps covered my body and had nothing to do with the cold. I stopped, closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I had to pull myself together. The too familiar feeling of eyes on me, boring into me, made my heart beat quicken. I peeled back my eyelids that didn’t want to open to find no one was looking at me. All forensic investigators were busy photographing and collecting evidence and Fagan and Gabriel we looking intently at the table. I let my eyes slowly travel the room, searching out my discomfort. When I reached the loft an old man in overhauls and a white t-shirt stood out in the open staring down at me. The words to call out to him were on my lips when his face finally registered. His eyes were no more than crimson pools of blood slowly leaking down his cheeks and into his white beard. Everything around me faded, and I could hear the drip of the blood from the ends of his beard to the wood planked floor. Drip, drip, drip. I couldn’t look away from his gruesome gaze; my skin crawled as if trying to get away.
Gabriel stepped between me and the dead farmer, breaking the trance. “El?” He glanced to where I was looking, but didn’t see him. “You okay?”
“Um, yeah. Fine. Sorry. What were you saying?”
He gave me an odd look, but led me over to the table by the elbow. I couldn’t help glancing back up. The man followed me, the floor creaking under his weight, continuing to stare like he knew I could see him. My stomach twisted, but I forced my attention on Gabriel. He’s not real, he can’t hurt me, became my mantra.
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