Title: Murder for Justice
Series: The Scarlett Fry, Book 1
Author: Dominique Watson
Genre: Crime Fiction; Mystery & Suspense
Publication Date: October 20, 2015
Print Length: 197 pages
Publisher: Diamond M'Press Publications
Synopsis
Kendall Harris never thought this would be his last 4th of July he’d celebrate with his daughter.
San Diego Homicide Detective Scarlett Fry is called to a home in the middle of the night on 4th of July. What awaits her is a brutal killing that causes everyone to be a suspect, but something doesn’t seem right. With a lot of motive and little evidence, Scarlett is up against one of the most twisted killers in her career.
She and her partner, Trey Carr, spend weeks tracking down evidence to convict a killer that they are convinced is right in front of their face. Just when it seems like Scarlett has found her “man” the case takes a turn for the worst and becomes a cold case.
When her main suspect ends up dead, Scarlett and Carr are confused more than ever. They must hunt down a serial killer that’s attacking families with a motive even Scarlett can’t understand.
Murder for Justice is the first book in a page turning series that introduces readers to a fire, red head detective that will stop at nothing to protect and serve her city.
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Excerpt
The Prologue
Fourth of July
“Dad, there’s more steak left in the fridge. Do you want me to get that, too?”
“Sure. Why not? We can have leftovers tomorrow.”
Mira and her dad were the only two people at their Fourth of July celebration. Her younger brother Reid was spending the night at his best friend’s house, and her mother was out for a “girl’s night out” with her four friends. Mira was studying to be a pediatrician in Maryland and was home in California for the summer.
Bending down low, making sure he wasn’t seen, he watched.
Mira walked barefoot into the gourmet kitchen through the back sliding doors. She placed the empty bowl on the island and walked over to the refrigerator. The cool air felt nice on her bare legs. She wore shorts and a swimsuit top for the occasion. She had been home for three weeks but had not used the infinity pool their family shared in the huge backyard. She would in due time. San Diego, California, wasn’t a hot city, but anybody who lived in the sunny state loved the water.
Smoking a cigarette…. Watching closely….
“Back,” she said.
Her dad, topless with swimming trunks, took the bowl of seasoned meat from his daughter and began to place it on the grill. Kendall Harris was a forty-eight year old System Software Engineer at IDP Communications, Internal Development Productions. He’d worked at the company for over twenty-five years and was a well-established employee. His six-figure salary proved his success. He was well on his way to retirement, but personal issues within the home kept him from settling down. His future wasn’t as clear as he would have liked it to be. It was important that his children saw their way through college.
Looking at his watch…. “The Fireworks should be starting in a minute.”
Mira and her dad sat quietly waiting for the downtown fireworks to start. There would be at least three different shows. With their home sitting high up on a hill in Point Loma, they could see all of downtown and the bay area. Their family always gathered to watch the fireworks, but this year it was just father and daughter.
And someone else was watching them.
After a few beers and a little catching up, the two called it a night. Mira went up first. Twenty minutes later after a long stare into the sky and another beer, Kendall headed into the house.
Clicked the lights off in the kitchen.
Turned the light on then off on the hallway stairs.
Cut the light on in the bedroom.
Watching. Waiting.
Mira heard her father on the phone as she finished getting dressed from her shower and got into bed. She slowly dozed off into a peaceful sleep. Kendall, restless from the busy day he spent with his lawyer, didn’t fall right to sleep. He lay in bed wide awake, unaware of the stranger outside his house.
Downstairs at the side of the house, the stranger let himself in through the back door. Sweat beads formed on his forehead as he was headed to commit his first kill. He crept silently, not making a sound as he made his way up the stairs and into Mira’s room. She lay fast asleep, not stirring from the person standing at the bottom of the bed. He left, heading for his final destination. The master bedroom.
The door to the Harris’ bedroom was positioned to the far right. If anyone walked into the room, he wasn’t noticed until he hit the corner. But by that time, if it was an intruder as it was that night, the occupant of the room wouldn’t know what hit him when that person finally made himself seen.
The intruder stood quietly around the corner watching Kendall Harris lay with his hands tucked behind his head in shorts and a tank top. Again, Kendall was thinking.
The intruder knew it was now or never. The job had to be done. It had to be done right. Time was of the essence. No longer hesitating, he revealed himself. Kendall immediately jumped up. Fear set in. Was it a robbery? Was he going to kill him? He didn’t know, but Kendall Harris’ instincts told him that this might be the last night of his life.
“What the hell! How did you get in here?”
The killer said nothing. He walked to the side of the bed that Kendall was on and attacked. With a brick in his hand, he swung, missing the first try, swinging to kill. The second time, Kendall’s forearm caught most of the blow. Kendall stumbled from the pain but kept his balance. He wouldn’t go down without a fight. He threw a punch here and there, but they were all full of air. Not one punch landed on the killer. The third time the same thing.
The killer hit Kendall right on the side of his temple forcing him to spin around and fall, hitting his head against the side of the nightstand causing a loud thump. Finally Kendall rested beside the bed on the floor on his back. He was knocked unconscious.
The killer stood over Kendall Harris in a rage, hitting him over and over again with the brick. Blood splattered everywhere but that was the least of his problems. He wanted to make sure Kendall Harris was a dead man… and, indeed, he was.
About the Author
Dominique Watson is a published author/entrepreneur. Dominique has published twelve books in the genres of poetry, inspiration and urban Christian fiction, including her most popular series, Concealed Betrayal and Secrets and Deception Series.
Dominique is also the Founder and Owner of Diamond M’press Publications. She spends a lot of time mentoring authors and writers through Literary Career Moves, which can be found
here.
Dominique was voted as AAMBC Author of the Year in 2014.
For more about the dynamic Dominique Watson, visit her
website.
Follow the tour. The next stop will be at Heidi Angel tomorrow, October 21.
