Monkey Business
by
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The last remnants of tension eased as the cooling liquid trickled down my throat. I closed the refrigerator door and reached for my gun to put it away. "Stop right there! Raise both your hands so I can see them." Startled, I hesitated, my left hand only inches from the gun, my right hand already reaching for the ceiling. "I’m not fooling. Move your left hand away from the counter and raise it." Doing as I was told, my heart beat so loudly, I was certain the intruder could hear it. "That’s better. Now listen up and don’t talk." I turned my head just slightly to keep an eye on my gun, judging the time it would take to grab it and hit the floor. Could I reach it in time? I reached my hand out to the counter ever so slowly, "Don’t even think about it." Click, click. I flinched at the sound. The intruder’s menacing laugh, caused me to shiver, "That’s right I’ve got a gun trained on your pretty little head and you can bet I’ll use it." "If it’s money you want, my wallet’s in the bedroom. There’s fifty dollars in it. I don’t keep cash in the house." "Thanks for the tip. But it’s not money I want. I came here to warn you. You gotta leave this alone. You’ll only end up dead. Like the others." "What are you talking about?" In spite of myself, my voice quivered, betraying my fear. "Cut the act, Detective. This is bigger than you can imagine. I’m just trying to offer you some--friendly advice." The phone rang, and he said, "Let it go." "Hello, Cate. It’s Sloane, again. How about Italian? I made reservations at a nice little Bistro by the beach in Santa Monica. It’s not dressy, and the food’s great. See you in a few minutes." My mind, trying to keep pace with my adrenaline, raced for a solution. Turning my head slightly, I could just make out a shadow on the dining room wall. The outline of his body, like a phantom from a dream, appeared to be standing slightly to my right, rather than directly behind me. From that angle, I wasn’t certain if he could see my Glock sitting on the counter. Only one way to find out. "Look out!" I yelled. As the shadow flinched, I leaped for my gun, rolled on the floor and took aim.
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About the Book
Blood. Thick, red, still. I shivered in spite of the comfortable temperature in the room. Staring fixedly at the ooze, I watched the edges curl inward as if it were trying to remove itself from the white linoleum, embarrassed by its own unseemly appearance. Except for the blood, all was normal in the primate biology lab of Loma University. Situated in upscale San Larimor, the campus’s property nestles in the rolling hills just northwest of Los Angeles renowned for stately Mediterranean style mansions and frequent celebrity sightings. San Larimor Police Detective, Cate Blaine becomes embroiled in a puzzle of blood, a missing security guard and a deadly chase against time. While searching for the answers to the case, Cate is searching for clues to solving her own inner battle – dealing with the senseless loss of her son and husband. As she moves between the real world of crime and the inner chaos of her emotions, she is in jeopardy of loosing her job and her sanity. Thrown into an unwelcome partnership with LU’s Private Security chief, Sloane Stevens, Cate fights the impulse to keep case details from the blue-eyed, ex-cop, when . . . ‘The flashlight reflecting off the industrial plastic, made Stan’s face and body just visible. Blank eyes stared back at us, a silent scream contorting his features. Sloane’s involvement proves almost too much, as Cate races against time . . . murders and the possibility of her safety.
About the Author
Learning to read at the age of three, Catherine has always had a passion for the written word. Her favorite authors include the classics like Dickens and Shakespeare as well as modern masters of mystery such as Patricia Cornwell and Johnathan Hellerman. While her day job includes writing business proposals, advertising copy and editorials, she also writes for museum and club newsletters as a volunteer. Having worked in the probation department as an investigator, in a previous career, Catherine relies on that experience in her mystery writing to give it a feel of "the real deal." When not writing, Catherine loves to be on the ocean racing sailboats or just cruising to the Channel Islands off the Central Coast of California where she lives. As a docent for the National Marine Sanctuary, she spends time-sharing her love of the Channel and wonderful sea life with visitors to the area. When the snow falls, she packs up her ski gear and heads for the slopes. Look for a follow up to Monkey Business, when Detective Cate Blaine gets embroiled in an FBI investigation involving her partner that turns deadly.