Silent Witness

A child in jeopardy

A double homicide has left the quiet town of Country Corners reeling. Sheriff Elizabeth Bradford is shocked by the crime…and by her urge to protect the only witness—a five-year-old autistic boy. For little Jeremy, Liz will do anything­—even team up with psychiatrist Dr. Adam Morgan, the former high-school sweetheart who shattered her trust.

Back then, Adam thought leaving town was his only option. He’s never stopped regretting it. Jeremy holds the key to a killer’s identity. And with Jeremy—and Liz—now in the crosshairs, Adam needs to find answers before he loses everything he cherishes.

“If we’re going to do this, we have to move fast. You have to get rid of Sal and Paul. Now. They can’t know we’re leaving.”

Liz shot a troubled glance Adam’s way. He was asking her to make a split-second decision. And it wasn’t a simple decision. Whatever choice she made would have long-lasting effects on a small boy’s life.

She had always run things by the book, followed the rules just as her father had taught her. No one would ever expect her to sanction this idea—and that might be the very reason it could work.

Adam’s eyes locked with hers in an intense, steady stare. “Trust me.”

Trust him?

Dear Lord, I trusted him once with my heart and he shattered it into a million pieces. Do I dare trust him again—this time with my life…and the life of that innocent child? Help me make the right decision, Lord.

Liz looked at Adam and nodded. “Let’s do it.”

DIANE BURKE

is the mother of two grown sons and the grandmother of three wonderful, growing-like-weeds grandsons. She has two daughters-in-law who have blessed her by their addition to her family. She lives in Florida, nestled somewhere between the Daytona Beach speedway and the St. Augustine fort, with Cocoa, her golden Lab, and Thea, her border collie. Thea and Cocoa don’t know they are dogs, because no one has ever told them. Shhh.

When she was growing up, her siblings always believed she could “exaggerate” her way through any story and often waited with bated breath to see how events turned out, even though they had been present at most of them. Now she brings those stories to life on the written page.

Her writing has earned her numerous awards, including a Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence.

She would love to hear from her readers. You can contact her at [email protected].

Silent Witness

Diane Burke

For every child of God defeats this evil world,

and we achieve this victory through our faith.

—1 John 5:4

My sincerest thanks to my wonderful editors,

Sarah McDaniel-Dyer and Tina James. They go the extra mile to make my work the best it can be. I am truly blessed.

Contents

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

ONE

The person who coined the phrase “you can’t go home again” apparently forgot to tell Adam Morgan.

Sheriff Elizabeth Bradford tossed the remnants of her half-eaten sandwich to the ducks and wished she could figure out a way to avoid running into him. She’d rather have a root canal without Novocain, or break up a barroom brawl. She’d buried this chapter of her life. Was it too much to wish it would have stayed buried?

Liz watched the Missouri residents pass by from her spot on the park bench. Children played on swings and hung from monkey bars. Owners walked their dogs. People rested under trees reading books or they huddled together having quiet conversations. Everything appeared like any normal summer day—except it wasn’t, was it?

Adam Morgan was back in town.

Her stomach clenched.

This was crazy.

They broke up over fifteen years ago. She’d put it behind her and moved on, or at least that’s what she kept telling herself.

The radio transmitter on Liz’s shoulder crackled and the dispatcher’s voice called out her personal identification code. “Bravo 24.”

Liz rose and headed toward her patrol car. Putting her personal issues aside and, in full sheriff mode, she hit the transmit key on her shoulder.

“Bravo 24. Go ahead.”

“Code 187. Location 145 Creek Trail.”

She stopped abruptly. Her heart skipped a beat. Double homicides? Here? Nothing ever happened here. Nothing bad, that is.

Sure, they had some problems with drugs. All towns did. Their first drug-related homicide had happened just last week. A small-time dealer was murdered and his body left in an alley behind Smitty’s bar. But, overall, Country Corners was a quiet, off-the-beaten-path kind of town.

Liz hit her transmit key. “Dispatch, give Darlene a call. I know it’s her day off but I want all hands on deck. Send the rest of the team to the site. And don’t forget to notify Matt.”

“Team already dispatched, Sheriff, as well as the coroner. Sal handled it. He called Darlene in, too.”

“Good. En route in five.”

Code 187. Location 145 Creek Trail.