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  Free to Kill

  A Katie Freeman Mystery

  By Julie Mellon

  Text Copyright © 2014 Julie Mellon

  All Rights Reserved

  Cover art and design by Ryan Bukowski

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher or author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. The story contained within is a work of fiction. Names and characters are the product of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual person’s living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  ISBN:978-1503209015(print)

  ISBN: 978-0-9862997-0-4 (ebook)

  Dedication

  To my mom, who always believed in me.

  A Word from the Author

  There are so many people that have helped make this dream come true for me. Once I voiced this dream, the encouragement came from all sides. So, I would like to say a special thank you to those that have had a hand in the completion of this book. First, to my beta readers, Michelle Bukowski, Sarah Ross and Laura Haines, without your feedback, Katie and her crew would be a lot more disorganized. Thank you for the comments, corrections, and what-were-you-thinking (?!?!) responses you gave. I love how you all began to wonder about my sanity when I would get excited talking about medieval torture!

  Second, to Ryan Bukowski. I love your creative genius when it comes to photography and meshing different elements together. You and Michelle dreamed up a fantastic cover for me, and you brought it to life with great skill. I look forward to seeing what you come up with in the future.

  To Mike Spring, thank you for your editing genius. Without your help, my book would be incomplete. Thanks for your patience as I questioned your changes and for not being afraid to tell me your thoughts.

  Finally, to Michelle Bukowski, I don’t know how I would have done this journey without you. You have been invaluable: from your photography skills, to your web designs, to your creativity. My social media and online presence wouldn’t be what it is today without your dedicated effort. You have pushed me out of my comfort zone on more than one occasion during this process, for which I will be forever grateful. Thank you!

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Twenty-six years later

  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

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHPATER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  EPILOGUE

  Prologue

  Charlene moved through the house as quietly as her abused body would allow. She hadn’t been able to stand upright in nearly two weeks thanks to the two broken ribs courtesy of her husband. But those two broken ribs had given her a new lease on life. Charlene would never forget the minute when the nurse looked up and said those magic words: you’re pregnant. Even though the nurse’s disgusted look spoke volumes, Charlene’s heart soared; then the terror set in. Charlene might not have the courage to stand against her husband for herself, but she knew she could do it to protect her unborn daughter. She didn’t know why she knew it was a girl, but she did.

  Tonight was the weekly lottery drawing. Hank never missed watching it and waiting for the time when his numbers would be chosen. It was a must see event in the Stephens household, and also one of the most terrifying. Two weeks before, Hank had been just drunk enough to be mean when the numbers called weren’t his. Hank had levels of mean: just buzzed would mellow him out; still functional but drunk would make him strike out; slurred drunk would make him maudlin; and just plain old drunk would make him pass out. Charlene had learned to time the beers so that he was only buzzed or slurred drunk when the numbers were read. If he was still functional, she knew her evening would end with a trip to the emergency room. And she knew the doctors and nurses were tired of seeing her come in. They no longer even bothered to ask what happened or to call the police when she arrived. They just patched her up and sent her on her way with a new supply of pain medicine. One thing Charlene had learned to handle was pain. Because of this, she also had an impressive stash of heavy-duty painkillers.

  Two weeks ago, Hank had come home early while Charlene had still been at the grocery store. When she got home, Hank had already started on the Budweiser - that was never a good sign. She had hurried to get dinner fixed, hoping that some food would counteract the booze before it got out of hand. Luck had not been with her that night, and Hank was still functional when the numbers were read. Charlene ended up in the hospital and left with another prescription for painkillers and the knowledge that she was pregnant.

  She waited a few days for the bruising on her face to go away. Then she went to get money. Charlene had never been one to go about life by breaking the rules, but she knew now that her only hope was to do something she would never think of doing on a normal day. Growing up, she prayed that her mom would leave her dad and take them away. Then she ended up marrying a man just like her dad and realized how easy it was to become her mother. She was determined that her daughter would know a different life.

  Charlene’s cousin Billy knew how to get money for the pills she had stashed. She only took thirty pills with her, hoping that would be enough. Billy also knew people who could help with other things Charlene would need. He had offered to help her get away from Hank several times, but Charlene always turned him down.

  When Billy saw Charlene on his porch, he opened the screen, “Well, don’t you look worse for the wear.” His eyes were kind, but the last thing Charlene needed was sympathy. She had to remain strong.

  “I need money, Billy, and a new identity.” Charlene didn’t make eye contact; she just stared at the floor. When Billy didn’t answer, she glanced up to see him frowning down at her. “Please don’t judge me. I just want to get away. You know divorcing him won’t help me none. He can still get me if he knows where I am. I just gotta get outta here. I brought these. Thought you might help me sell them and get some money.” Charlene held out the sandwich bag with the thirty pills inside.

  Billy let out a long low whistle. “What are you doing with Oxy?”

  “The hospital’s been givin’ it to me for all the times I been visitin’. Can you help me?”

  “These will get you $50 a pill, so about $1,500. I can have the money by Monday. I got a big need for these. If you got anymore, you let me know.” Billy took the bag and walked into the kitchen. Charlene slowly followed him into the next room.

  “How quick could you get me more money, if I were to have more pills?” That was more money than she had ever had and more than she expected to get from the pills. She had at least sixty more pills at home and the new prescription for another thirty. Ninety more pills! That was a whole lot of money. It was enough to get her far, far away from LaVergne, Tennessee. “And what about my other problem? I gotta get outta here, Billy.”

  Billy stared her down for a few minutes, and then he picked up his phone and made a call. “My cousin needs your assistance. Can you come to my place?” A few head nods and grunts later, Billy hung up the phone. “Can you hang around for a few minut
es?” Though it wasn’t a question, exactly, Charlene knew he wouldn’t have stopped her if she walked out the door. Instead, she simply sat back in the chair and accepted the glass of iced tea Billy handed her.

  Neither of them spoke as they waited for Billy’s guest to arrive. Charlene could see the questions in Billy’s eyes when she glanced up at him, but she didn’t have the strength to voice all the horrors Hank had put her through. She also knew that if Billy knew everything, Hank wouldn’t stand a chance of walking again, possibly of breathing again. The last thing Charlene wanted was to be shackled to a cripple, and she knew she could never leave him if he was injured. She also knew she couldn’t live under the suspicion if he just disappeared. No, the best thing for all concerned was if she just quietly walked away.

  Ten minutes passed before there was a knock at the door. Billy got up and went to let in his associate. Victor was a very small man in his mid- to late 50s. He walked in, shook Charlene’s hand and sat down at the table. “I will make what you need for $500. That is a deal, only because you are related to Billy. Now, what do you need?”

  Charlene was taken aback for a second. “Well, I need to disappear. To have no one looking for me and no one to know who I am or my new name.”

  “Have you picked a name?”

  All at once, Charlene knew what she wanted her name to be. She hadn’t even thought that far before asking Billy for help but, for some reason, she knew what her new name had to be. “Yes,” she answered.

  “Don’t say it; just write it down and sign that name below it.” Victor slid a tablet of paper across the table. Charlene picked it up and did as he told her. Billy hadn’t said a word; he just looked on with his arms crossed as he leaned against the cabinet. “Now, just let me get a few headshots of you, and I will be on my way.” Victor pulled out a camera from his bag and took a few close up pictures. He put the equipment away along with the note pad. “I will have your documents ready Monday. You will have the money. We will meet here at 6:00 pm.” He picked up his bag and walked out the door.

  As the screen slammed behind him, Charlene let out a breath she didn’t know she had been holding. Standing up, she walked over and gave Billy a hug. “Thank you for helping me.” Then she too walked out the door and hurried home before Hank got there.

  The three days until Monday were interminably long. Charlene tried to keep herself busy. Her house was spotless, all the laundry was done, the floors had been scrubbed to the point you could eat off of them, and all the errands were finished early. But finally, Monday arrived. Charlene went to Billy’s early so she could get her money and also to take him all the additional pills she had. She had filled the most recent prescription and had eighty-eight pills in her bag this time.

  When she handed them to Billy, his eyes bugged out and he nearly fainted. “What the hell, Char? Why you got so many pills? And why have you just been keepin’ them? You shoulda brought them to me sooner.”

  “I didn’t need money sooner, or I woulda brought ‘em to you then. I need money now. Can you get me money for ‘em same as you got for them others?” The thought of selling them on the street made her sick. She knew the trouble these would cause, but she also understood that her needs had to come first for once.

  Billy waved her to a seat in the dining room and went upstairs. Charlene listened as first the stairs and then the hallway floorboards creaked under Billy’s feet. The house was in terrible shape, and she was so nervous that she was tempted to get up and start cleaning the mound of dishes in his sink. Before she could do just that, Billy reappeared.

  “Didn’t know you would be bringing me so many. I got enough to cover the whole cost, but it will damn near wipe me out.”

  “You will get your money back when you sell them, right?” Charlene’s concern for her cousin was obvious.

  “Don’t you worry none ’bout me. I ain’t gonna cheat you or me. Now you just put that away before Victor gets here. Keep out what you need to pay him, but nothin’ else. He might know me, but he is out for hisself. You gonna tell me what name you done picked?”

  “I can’t Billy, but I promise, I will let you know that I’m okay.” Though Charlene hadn’t thought twice about leaving the rest of her family, she would really miss Billy. He had always been there for her. He always made sure she was bandaged up as a kid and that no one in school picked on her. Charlene had been smart in school, but she was also beautiful. It was that beauty that always brought the wrong attention. She blamed her beauty for making her marry Hank. If she had just been a nerdy girl, she would have gone to college. But she had been desperate to escape her father, so when Hank became interested in her, she turned to marriage instead.

  The screen door opening jarred her out of her thoughts. Charlene looked up as Victor walked into the room. Tonight, he carried only a small folder. As he sat down, he slid the folder across the table to her. Charlene opened it and looked at a new birth certificate, social security card and driver’s license. Her face looked up at her from the new license, startling her with the gaunt appearance. Her new signature was at the bottom. After looking through them, she slid the money across the table. Victor picked it up, and without counting it, turned and walked out of the house. The entire transaction had taken under five minutes and not a word had been spoken. Charlene felt the weight lift from her shoulders for the first time in a long while. Just having the documents and the money were enough to allow her to taste the freedom coming her way.

  Two nights later, Charlene stood in the kitchen, barely moving and aching to stand up straight. Tonight was drawing night. Hank would be home in a few minutes and would be ready for food and a beer. Moving carefully, Charlene took two pills from her pocket. She had kept these from Billy just so she could help ease Hank into passing out. That was the only way she was going to get out of the house and away from town. She carefully mashed the pills into a powder and mixed them into his mashed potatoes. As Hank walked through the door, she cut him a piece of meatloaf and added it to the plate, then covered everything with gravy. Hank sat down at the table, took a long drink of his first beer and dug into the food on his plate. He never said a word. When he was done he got up, leaving his plate and empty can on the table and made his way to the recliner in the living room. “Woman, bring me another beer.” The bellow was the first he spoke since walking into the house. He lifted the footrest of the recliner and turned on the TV. Charlene handed him the beer and went to clean the kitchen. Her hands were shaking as she wiped the stove and counters. Every fifteen minutes, she took Hank another beer.

  By the time the 10:00pm news came on, Hank was well past functional drunk. His head kept falling to the side, waking him with a jerk. At 10:55 his head fell to the side and he let out a loud snore, but never woke back up. Charlene tiptoed down the hall and grabbed the suitcase she had hidden under the bed. She had packed away all the clothes that he wouldn’t notice missing had he gone into the closet. Now she hurried and threw all the rest of her clothes into the suitcase. She grabbed the folder with her new identity from under the spare room mattress, grabbed her purse and headed back down the hall as quietly as she could. Just as she got to the living room, the announcer on T.V. began announcing the lottery numbers. At the first number, she paused to listen. Hank always played the same numbers: 6-19-28-35-48 and a Powerball of 15. In stunned silence, she listened as one after another of the numbers matched.

  Two minutes after the numbers were read, the ringing of the phone shocked her out of her stupor. Holy cow! They had won the lottery! Quickly turning the ringer off so the phone wouldn’t wake Hank, Charlene reached over and picked up the ticket from the end table. Without so much as one final look over her shoulder, she turned and walked out the door.

  Twenty-six years later

  Chapter One

  Katie nervously smoothed her hand over her dark hair, making sure each strand was in place. She tugged her navy blazer down over her matching skirt. Today was her first day at her new job. Though she had been with
the FBI for three years, she had only recently accepted a transfer to the Tennessee office. Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the door and walked into the three-story building that looked like a giant bar code you would find on a product label. The windows were straight columns with the shades in various offices adjusted to different heights. This would be her new workplace for the foreseeable future.

  Approaching the front desk, Katie pulled out her credentials to display to the security guard at the front counter. The guard took her identification without looking up from the monitor he was watching, his bald head reflecting the glare of the florescent lights. His head jerked up, eyebrows raised to what was once his hairline, as he glanced from her photo to her face. Katie was getting used to this reaction from men, though it still puzzled her. She knew her waist length hair was something to gawk at, but her hair was in a tightly woven bun, both in the photo and in person. Standing at 5’9”, she was not exceptionally tall, and with brown hair and bright green eyes, she considered herself average looking. But since leaving her sheltered home seven years ago for college, she had experienced this reaction from several men. She had been told more than once that she looked exotic. To her that was just a polite way of saying “different” and she didn’t want to be different. She wanted to blend in.

  Choosing to ignore the reaction, she said in a clipped tone, “I’m new to the office. Can you tell me where I can find Special Agent in Charge Nelson?”

  “Um, he’s on the third floor, room 311. Just take the elevator and turn right. It’s at the end of the hall,” the guard replied

  Katie had a fear of elevators, but not wanting to admit that to a complete stranger, she asked if there were stairs available. The guard handed back her credentials and pointed to a door to the right of the elevator. Nodding her thanks, Katie turned and headed in the direction he indicated.