Midnight Investigation

Midnight Investigation
Sheryl Lynn

After nearly being strangled by an unidentified attacker, the normally independent Desi Hollyhock had no choice but to turn to her new partner, Colorado cop Buck Walker, for help. As impressed as he was by her selfreliance, Buck was more concerned for her safety. There was no way he would let her deal with this threat on her own, especially when he felt how good it was to hold her in his arms.But getting past Desi's defenses was one thing…taking down the evil that was slowly stalking her was another.

“You can call me anytime. Night or day.”

Desi lifted her head. Her sideways gaze, her blue eyes shadowed by luxurious lashes, turned him to mush. If she suggested chaining him at her front door like a watchdog, he’d do it.

“Are you hitting on me?” Her voice held a smoky note.

“Do you want me to?”

She dropped her gaze. “No.”

No surprise, but it was disappointing. Bench-pressing a hundred and fifty pounds took less effort than it took to pull his hand away. “Too bad. The offer stands anyway. Call me night or day. I live to protect and serve.”

Midnight Investigation

Sheryl Lynn

A very special thank you to Becky Agronow, Marina Bridges, Diane Gratzmiller, Sandi Kraley and Colleen Palmer, who poked and prodded me to write this book. You goils are the best. My eternal gratitude goes to Marylin Warner, the best writing buddy ever, who undangles my modifiers and keeps me laughing.

Thank you, too, to my wonderful Tom and Abby, who only gripe a little bit about me writing instead of cooking. And thank you, Tristan, for bringing the lovely Heidi into the fold.

A special shout-out goes to the gang at steve-o-meter. com for all their support and goofiness. Props to you all. Last, but not least, thank you Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson of the Atlantic Paranormal Society. You guys don’t know me, but you sure inspire me.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sheryl Lynn lives in Colorado with her husband of almost thirty years, two oversized dogs and three crazy cats. When not writing Intrigue novels, she’s writing articles for steve-o-meter. com or making bead art and jewelry. If you want to say hi, contact her at sheryl.lynn_intrigue@yahoo.com.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Desi Hollyhock —A paranormal investigator with a skeptical eye and a knack for debunking ghosts.

Buck Walker —A cop with a secret—he can talk to the dead.

Gwen Hollyhock —Desi’s sister wants nothing more than to see a ghost.

Dallas Stone —Founder of the Rocky Mountain Paranormal Research Team, he’s on a quest to find the truth.

Mary Hollyhock —She loves her granddaughters and wants to help them in times of need.

Charles and Veronica Skillihorn —Their tragedy continues even after death.

The Dark Presence —A murderous ghost whose jealousy makes him deadly.

Contents

ChapterOne

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 One

“I’m not a forgiving person.” Desi Hollyhock focused her sternest look on the newest member of the Rocky Mountain Paranormal Research Team, or Rampart, as they were known. “Rampart is all about scientific method. None of that woo-woo stuff. One strike and you’re out. Got it?”

Buck Walker nodded.

Desi kept her voice barely above a whisper, but she figured the recorders had picked up her words anyway. Big deal. Everyone knew she did not want a psychic on the team. Just because she’d been outvoted did not mean she had to put up with nonsense.

So far Buck had behaved himself. He’d helped the team set up cameras and recorders in this supposedly haunted house near downtown Colorado Springs. Quietly attentive, he listened to explanations about why recorders were placed in certain locations. His job was to learn, and he took it seriously. Neither the house’s creepy atmosphere nor working in darkness fazed him.

He focused now on a handheld digital video recorder. It was a night-vision camera that magnified even the faintest light source. The glow from the viewing screen illuminated his face. He had a penlight hooked beneath his pinkie finger, and its thin beam pointed at her shoes.

“Safety first,” she said. “Watch where you put your feet. Watch your head. Stick with me. We work in pairs so we can corroborate personal experiences. We keep each other calm, too. If you get freaked out, let me know.”

“I won’t get freaked out,” he said.

“Everybody gets spooked. Eventually.” She pointed her flashlight in the direction of the infrared camera taped atop a stepladder. “Stay away from the power cords. Keep your voice down, especially when you’re near a digital recorder. They are very sensitive.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said. The corners of his mouth twitched.

Did he laugh at her? It was bad enough that his height emphasized her lack of it, and bad enough the other female members of the team had indulged in raunchy comments about his dark good looks and buff body, but mostly she resented getting stuck training a guy who claimed psychic ability.