Smoky Mountain Investigation Read Free Page B

I’ll ever be around here.”
    * * *
    “The story is yours, Kylie.” Max shifted his stance and pulled open the file drawer.
    “But Doug Landers is ready to jump in.” Kylie fought off a sigh. “At the moment, I can’t even differentiate between facts and emotions.”
    Max pulled several folders from the cabinet and shut the drawer with a clink. “Use it to your advantage. Make the story real. Passion, pain, every emotion will bleed through the pages and grip the readers.”
    Great. Kylie exhaled, blowing out slowly. “Reporters are supposed to be objective, Max, not part of the story. I’ll be happy to consult, edit Doug’s draft and even give an interview.”
    “It’s yours, Kylie.” Max tossed the files on his desk. “Keep it real. Keep it fresh. Keep it coming. Hopefully, the madman will call again.”
    “Uh, thanks. But once was plenty.”
    “By the way, I contacted the Asheville police this morning. They’ve got some newsworthy facts waiting for you.”
    “Wonderful.” Kylie turned and plodded out the door, praying for patience and a speedy resolution to this murder.
    She headed outside and into the bright afternoon sunshine. Max was even crazier than usual. Hoping the killer would call again. She shivered at the thought.
    Kylie was still wrestling with annoyance when she parked in front of the municipal building. She pulled her notepad from her satchel and got out of the car. Taking a deep breath, she hiked up her chin and squared her shoulders. Okay. She could do this. She segued into reporter mode, forcing her attention from all discomforting thoughts. If she had to do this assignment, she’d give it her best. She hiked her purse higher on her shoulder and walked into the building.
    In the main lobby, she checked in with the clerk and wound her way down the first-floor hall, which teemed with attorneys and their clients, catching snatches of agitated conversation on her way to the elevator. She stepped in and punched the button to the fourth floor. The elevator started to rise, lurched, then ground to a halt. The lights blinked off.
    Blackness filled Kylie’s view. Okay. She ordered herself to stay calm. She dug into her purse and captured her phone. With the touch of her finger the cell fired up. She used it as a light to locate the panel of buttons on the wall. She punched four. Nothing. Then she flipped the emergency switch. Same.
    Drumming her fingers against the side of her thigh, she waited. Auxiliary power should kick on any moment. Several long moments passed.
    She punched the floor button again. Gears screeched, the car rattled, no other movement.
    If maintenance was affected by the recent city budget cuts, she was quickly becoming a proponent for higher taxes.
    Kylie inhaled, the air already stuffy. She fumbled to punch 911 on her phone and held it to her ear. Silence. No service.
    With all the people in the building, maintenance had to have been notified by now. Reasonable thoughts, which rapidly deteriorated with each passing second.
    “Anytime now.” She spoke to the emptiness around her.
    Lights blinked on.
    “Thank you.” She drew in a breath of relief.
    The elevator edged up one floor before slamming to a halt, knocking Kylie off-balance. With arms flailing, she reached for the handrail to steady herself, but the car lurched again, the force so great that her feet went out from under her. She went down hard, her bare knees smashing into the floor. Darkness blinded her again.
    Lord, I’m getting nervous here. Kylie picked herself up. Clenching the handrail with one hand, she used the other to smooth her skirt.
    Pain searing through her, she grabbed for a calming breath.
    Music trickled into the car and broke the silence. Eerie and empty as the air around her.
    Her heartbeat picked up. For a breathless second, the horror of the previous night suffocated all logic. Never more than a heartbeat away...
    The caller’s words ripped through her mind. Panic bottled in her chest,