Her Deadly End - A Murder Mystery - Tanya's Arrested
A West Coast FBI K9 murder mystery thriller
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One chapter of this story dropped every Tuesday morning at 5AM PST
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42 chapters in 42 weeks
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HER DEADLY END: A Crime Thriller with a Twist
A brutal murder shatters the peace of Paradise Cove. As the body count rises, FBI Agent Tanya Stone and her K9 dog, Max, hunt for the twisted secret that lies buried beneath this small town. But the serial killer is lurking in plain sight, ready to strike again.
A deadly game of survival has just begun and FBI Agent Tanya Stone’s next decision could cost her life....
What you’ll find in this serialized story on Substack:
A strong-minded detective & her faithful German Shepherd K9
A cold-blooded serial killer with a haunted past
An affluent neighbourhood in a small seaside town
A closed circle of suspects. The killer could be anyone
Dysfunctional & toxic family dynamics
Betrayals, deceit, & psychological suspense
Unexpected plot twists & an explosive ending
All Rights Reserved. Copyright ©Tikiri Herath
*There is no graphic violence, heavy cursing, or explicit sex in my stories. No dog is ever harmed, but the villains always are…
Previous Chapter Recapped:
Eveline’s Porsche rams into Cora’s Corner Cafe, in hot pursuit by the man in his truck. Before Tanya or her friends could do anything, Eveline stumbles out of her wrecked car, turns around, and shoots the man in the truck. Soon after, she points the gun at her head and shoots herself, creating chaos and confusion inside the cafe….
Her Deadly End - Chapter Six
AGENT TANYA STONE
Tanya is Arrested
“Put your hands up!”
Tanya whirled around.
Asha’s call to the emergency services had gone through. A sheriff’s deputy stood by the broken door frame, his sidearm out. It was pointed at Tanya.
“Put your weapon on the floor!” he shouted, a sliver of panic in his voice.
Tanya’s five-foot-and-eleven-inch frame intimidated most men. She could only imagine what was going through his mind to see her towering over two dead bodies with a sidearm in her hands.
She complied right away.
“Get on the ground!” he yelled.
Tanya lay on her belly, her arms stretched out.
She glanced up as the officer treaded carefully around the wreckage, his eyes wide, and his face green. He looked to be in his early thirties, about her age, but he was reacting like a rookie.
How many murder-suicides would a small, upscale suburb like this have in a decade?
The deputy tugged on his shoulder radio and called for backup. On the floor, Tanya breathed a sigh of relief to hear the sheriff himself was on his way.
She raised her head. “The woman shot the driver of this truck and killed herself.” She kept her voice low and calm. “I came inside to help them. I never fired my weapon, Officer.”
The cop gawked at her like she was an alien. Tanya squinted at the badge on his lapel.
Blake.
“What do you think you’re doing?” came an angry female voice through the busted doorway.
Asha.
“They crashed into the café. Our friend ran in here to save these people, but they pulled their guns on each other.”
Katy followed Asha inside, her face red in fury. “She’s a good Samaritan!”
Asha marched up to the officer who was standing uncertainly next to the male body, staring at their intrusion.
“Let her go now,” said Asha.
Deputy Blake put his arm out. “Get back, ladies. This is a crime scene.”
Reaching into the back of his utility belt, he brought out a pair of cuffs. He walked over to Tanya and kneeled next to her. Their eyes met for a second. Without a word, he moved behind her and pulled her arms back before putting the handcuffs on her.
Tanya knew better than to resist. The last thing she needed was to escalate this incident any further.
Cora stepped out of the kitchen.
“Blake?”
The deputy was standing over Tanya, a satisfied expression on his face.
“Eveline Hart just shot that man, then killed herself,” said Cora, her voice high pitched. “Why are you arresting this girl?”
“Settle down, ma’am,” said Blake in a stern voice.
Cora’s face darkened. “Don’t ma’am me, boy.”
“This is a crime scene and I’m in charge.”
Pat stumbled out on her cane. “No need to yell. We’re rattled enough.”
“Geez. I’m not yelling, Aunt Pat. I’m working.”
Tanya swiveled her head around toward the café owner.
“Do you know the suicide victim, Cora?”
Cora sniffed. “Eveline never talked to anybody. Kept to herself, but she came here every day for her morning coffee. She lived on Sunset Drive.”
“Sunset Drive?” said Katy, looking at her in surprise. “That’s where we’re staying. At a friend’s house.”
“Hers is the white one with the gabled roof at the end of the cul-de-sac,” said Cora. “It’s the biggest house in town, after Hudson’s.”
Hearing his name, Hudson Wyatt popped his head out of the kitchen door. A horrified expression came over his face as he saw the bodies.
Tanya turned back to Cora. “Is there any reason for Eveline Hart to shoot this man and kill herself?”
Cora shrugged and hugged herself, as if unable to talk anymore. Pat and Wyatt merely stared at the bodies as if they couldn’t believe their eyes.
“What about the driver of the pickup?” said Tanya. “Do any of you recognize him?”
The three shook their heads.
“He… he must be from out of town,” said Cora.
“Do any of you—”
“That’s enough.” The deputy gave Tanya an irritated look. “I ask the questions here.”
Cora threw her hands up and let out a wail, startling everyone.
“How does something like this even happen? This is a peaceful town!” She let her head fall into her hands. “My bakery’s gone. I’m finished. I’m done.”
Tanya swivelled around on her stomach to face Cora again.
“Do you have a security camera in here?”
Cora looked up, an annoyed expression on her face. “Of course I do. What do you take me for? I have insurance. I have cameras, but that doesn’t help—”
“Cora, please.” Tanya raised her head. “Can you get the security footage and show this officer what really happened?”
Cora stared at her and blinked rapidly, like she didn’t understand what she had been asked to do. Asha pushed past the cop and stepped over to the kitchen door. She took the café owner by her arm.
“Show me your office.”
Tanya watched as Asha led Cora to the back while Katy stood by the window, glowering at the officer, looking like she wanted to whack him.
He was examining the dead woman now, his face scrunched in disgust. He reached toward the revolver next to the SUV.
“Don’t touch that!”
He looked up, startled.
“Don’t you have gloves?” said Tanya. “That’s evidence.”
He shot her another irritated glance before pulling a pair out from his belt.
Katy locked eyes with her. Tanya knew what she was thinking. Katy wanted to tell him she was an FBI recruit, but that was not something Tanya wanted to divulge to this rookie.
Who knew how he would react? What if he thought she was lying?
Besides, her FBI badge was inside the Jeep. She had only carried her weapon on her out of habit.
Tanya shook her head briefly. Katy nodded.
Good. She understands.
“The boy?” mouthed Tanya. “Where’s the boy?”
Katy whirled around as if she’d just realized they had left the homeless kid behind the broken patio. She peered out of the window, her brow furrowed. Then, she turned back to Tanya and mouthed, “he’s gone.”
Tanya laid her head back down.
Every nerve in her body screamed at her. Get on your feet, tell them who you are, and find out why this happened.
But she wasn’t in a position to bargain. Not right now.
Her face was only a few feet away from the blood pooling on the floor. The smell of burned metal and plastic from the mangled vehicles was overpowering. Her head started to throb.
This wasn’t how she had planned to launch her FBI career. Her getting arrested, even without justifiable cause, could create a scandal at headquarters. She could lose her job.
Or worse, get imprisoned.
For double homicide.
To be continued next week….
Thank you for reading. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.
Question for you: How do you think the local authorities will react to Tanya's presence and involvement in the investigation?
*Chapters drop on Substack weekly. If the next chapter isn’t up yet, hang on. It’s coming in a few days!
NOTE: Canadian / British spelling is used here as the author is Canadian. The final completed book in bookstores will have American spelling.
Click here to read more stories from the award-winning Canadian mystery thriller author, Tikiri Herath.