Adverse Events, page 30
“Mattingly is trying his best to seem unfazed, but he’s totally thrilled. He called me first thing this morning to tell me the publisher had called to congratulate us.”
“Us, huh? I gather Mattingly didn’t tell him you’d gone down there on your own dime, after quitting?”
“Well, he probably didn’t make a big deal about it. But he won’t try to hide it. He can’t. The question is, will he let me expense my plane ticket and pay me for the time I was down there.”
“He’d better. Or I’ll make sure everyone knows the paper took advantage of you. He ought to be giving you a raise. Once the new job offers start pouring in, he’ll wish he’d done more to keep you here.”
A tremor of unease vibrated through her, an alarm from her emotional security system warning of danger ahead. She met his gaze and held it, ignoring the sirens blaring in her subconscious.
“I’m not interested in another job at the moment,” she murmured.
“No?”
She shook her head and looked back at the waves. He leaned toward her until their shoulders touched.
“That’s the best news I’ve heard all day.”
Acknowledgments
Writing a book while working full time and having a full-time family is tough. I couldn’t have done it without support from my husband, James, who held down the fort every Thursday for writing night. Keziah, thank you for understanding that writing is my ballet. Mimi, thanks for pinch hitting when daddy got stuck at school.
Rachel Le, Katie Gaultney, and Mandi Landry—thank you for your honest feedback and careful reading of the first draft!
Brad Gaultney, thanks for sharing your memories and pictures of Cuba.
To all the friends who encouraged me and asked about my progress, thanks for believing I could do it.
And finally, thanks be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Author, and without Him, no story has a happy ending.
Want to read more?
Don't miss book one in the Galveston Crime Scene series!
A young woman found bleeding to death on a stranger’s front lawn uses her last breath to whisper two words: I’m sorry.
That’s a first for reporter Kate Bennett. She’s determined to find out why a murder victim felt compelled to apologize. And she can’t wait to splash the news of an arrest in 48-point type across the front page of the Galveston Gazette.
Detective Peter Johnson has seen his share of human carnage. He knows from experience justice isn’t always that swift or simple. When the case goes cold right from the start, he clings to faith that the killer will eventually face a reckoning.
But that’s not good enough for Kate.
Vowing to find the answers he couldn’t, she quickly discovers the truth costs more than some people are willing to pay. Can Johnson convince her that justice is still worth fighting for, even if she can’t see it on this side of eternity?
Keep reading...
Can’t get enough of Kate Bennett and Peter Johnson? Learn more about how they met and what drives them in two prequel short stories!
The Jumper tells the story of Kate’s first day at the Galveston Gazette.
He Must Pay gives you a sneak peek into Johnson’s past.
Read them both for free when you sign up for exclusive access to the Galveston Crime Scene!
Join now at GalvestonCrimeScene.com
About the Author
Gripping stories grounded in faith
Leigh Jones started her writing career in elementary school with a story about an enterprising hamster making a bid to take over the world. But after college, she set all dreams of fiction writing aside to chase the daily adrenaline rush of seeing her byline in print. She covered school board meetings, city council intrigue, and the occasional heart-warming feature for several daily newspapers in Texas. She even covered a few murders and one very big hurricane.
She never considered returning to fiction until she became an editor and no longer got to see her byline on the front page. Facing serious adrenaline withdrawals, she began plotting her first novel. Eight years later, it finally hit the virtual store shelves as Look The Other Way, book one in the Galveston Crime Scene series.
When she’s not writing fiction, Leigh works as the features editor at WORLD News Group, a national Christian media outlet that practices biblically objective journalism. There she shepherds long-form story projects for print and podcast.
She lives with her husband and daughter near Houston.
Learn more at GalvestonCrimeScene.com.
Leigh Jones, Adverse Events
