Streak of Lightning Read Free Page A

statement. And call over to Larry at the garage if you need anything. Just don’t leave the station until Larry gets here. It means you have to spend the night . . .”
    â€œWhat am I going to do, escape?” Joe asked.
    â€œNo. You’re going to sleep it off.”
    Joe chortled. “I’m not drunk, you two-bit excuse for a police chief. I can hold more liquor than there is in this whole lousy town.” But as he spoke he stumbled forward, and Greg had to catch him.
    It took a few minutes for Greg and Jesse to put Joe in the only jail cell at the Archers Rest police station. We had just enough time to run the few blocks to catch the train to New York.
    â€œNo dead bodies, no crime scenes, no killers to unmask, and no Joe Proctor,” Jesse said once the train was heading south. “Promise me a weekend free of all things criminal.”
    I kissed him. “We’re going to New York City,” I reminded him. “I can’t actually promise you there won’t be crime.”
    â€œAs long as we’re not involved, I don’t care,” he said.
    â€œDon’t worry. We’ve got other plans.”
    I kissed him again just as our train passed the sign that read, THANKS FOR VISITING ARCHERS REST, A PEACEFUL PLACE TO MAKE GOOD FRIENDS.
    It is, I thought. As long as you’re not in the mood for a slice of pizza.

Chapter 4
    Three hours later we hit the Harlem–125th Street station. One more stop and we’d be at Grand Central.
    â€œYou look beautiful,” Jesse told me as our train idled while some of the passengers disembarked. “Have I told you that?”
    â€œOnce or twice.” I leaned into him, resting my head on his shoulder. “But I don’t mind if you keep saying it. It’s going to be a great year. You know how I know that?”
    â€œHow?”
    â€œBecause there’s a superstition. Whatever you do on the first day of the New Year, you’ll do all year.”
    â€œThen we’re set for an amazing year,” he said. “I cannot believe I have you all to myself for the whole weekend.”
    â€œCan we start by getting something to eat?” I asked. “I’m starved, and that blueberry muffin wasn’t enough.”
    Before he had a chance to answer, his phone rang.
    â€œIt’s got to be Allie,” I said. “She probably misses you already.”
    â€œShe never misses me when she’s with her grandma.”
    â€œBut you miss her.”
    Jesse grabbed his cell phone from his pocket. It was clear from the first words of his conversation that it wasn’t his daughter on the other end. He looked confused and agitated as he listened to the caller.
    â€œHow?” he asked. “I just don’t get it.” After a few minutes of listening, he sighed. “No. I’m coming back. . . . Right now. Just wait for me.”
    â€œWhat happened?” I asked when he hung up.
    â€œThere’s been an incident at the jail.”
    â€œWhat kind of incident?”
    â€œJoe Proctor is dead.”
    â€œDead?” It didn’t make sense. “Heart attack?”
    Jesse stood up and grabbed our bags. “I’m sorry, Nell. I have to . . .”
    We jumped off the train just before the doors closed, and the train sped farther into Manhattan without us. Whatever disappointment I felt was muted by my confusion. Jesse rushed across the platform to catch the train heading north, the last one for the night, and I ran to keep up. We had barely made it when the train arrived and the doors opened.
    â€œWas it a heart attack?” I asked again.
    â€œIt looks like he was murdered.”
    â€œThat’s impossible. He was in a jail cell, alone in a police station.”
    â€œHe wasn’t alone,” he reminded me as we settled into our seats. “There was one other person in the police station: Greg.”

Chapter 5
    â€œLet’s start at