Emerald Secrets by Dawn Cahill |

Hi, I’m Dawn, here to introduce you to Seattle Trilogy, featuring identical twins Livy and DeeDee McCreary, who double up their ingenuity to solve mysterious deaths – past, present, and future. Their father, Howard McCreary, plays a prominent role in Book 3, Emerald Secrets. His daughters must answer the question, who hates their father enough to try to kill him? And why?

In this excerpt, Howard, who is partially deaf after years of rock-band touring, finds normal conversation difficult without his hearing aids. He is about to enter the scariest park in Seattle, Freeway Park, for a rendezvous with… well, you’ll just have to read it for yourself.

Howard pulled his fleece vest tighter around his middle as he hurried along a cobblestoned path. The streetlamp cast eerie shadows onto the geometric concrete pillars—great slabs of granite stacked like enormous Tetris cubes. Like a sci-fi movie set, the blocks formed deep shadows the homeless folks could hide in, where they could see without being seen. Definitely a gnarly place. Freeway Park straddled Interstate 5, thus the name. The landscaped expanse with its waterfalls and grassy plazas hid the ribbon of vehicles speeding along beneath it. Even without his hearing aid, the ever-present hum vibrated under Howard’s feet and into his partially deaf ears. During the day, the towering pillars and steep staircases with their blind corners lured visitors to explore. Tonight, the sign behind him warned that the park closed at ten p.m. and trespassers would be prosecuted.

He checked the time—sixteen minutes to closing. Time to head up the stairs to the meeting spot. Bro wanted to meet after dark before the park closed. But Howard had to wonder, why this park? And why this specific spot?

From the park’s upper sidewalk, he peered over a rail into black nothingness. As he recalled, the city had built a shallow pond at the bottom of this slab. He’d wrinkled his nose against the acidic smell of urine, an even stronger odor than in Waterfront Park when he scoped out the meeting site earlier today. Homeless men and women had lain on the grass, cocooned in sleeping bags, comforted by their meager piles of stuff. The concrete was littered with needles, food cartons, and wine bottles as broken as those who consumed them. Someone had thrown a battered old mattress into the pond, which elicited raised eyebrows from him. Who would throw their bed into the water? Perhaps a misguided attempt to clean it? Or, more likely, a drugged stupor.

Movement registered from the corner of his vision. There, over by the trees, someone furtive came his way. Dressed all in black.

Howard, his heartbeat galloping, didn’t dare breathe. The man stopped and looked around, finally spotting Howard.

As before, his nemesis spoke not a word as the items changed hands. Howard checked the video’s label, then tucked it under his jacket, expecting Bro to turn and disappear into the dark night. Instead, he leaned in, inches from Howard’s face.

“Bayback dime.” Bro’s beery whisper punched Howard with unexpected force. Smelling danger for the first time, he didn’t realize he’d backed away until he felt the hard railing dig into the seat of his jeans.

“What?”

“Pay. Back. Time.” Bro spit the words. “Four bribe roadie.”

“Huh?” Howard grabbed the rail behind him as he tipped precariously backward. Four bribe roadie?

“Don’t blay dumb.”

That voice. Even disguised behind all that rasp, it triggered a vague memory. “What’re you talking about?”

Bro thrust his face closer. “Mife…” A truck roaring by on Seneca drowned out the rest. Despite his desperate grip on the rail, Howard’s shoulders inched closer to the precipice.

“’S for him.” With a mighty shove, Bro sent Howard tumbling over the rail, into the abyss beyond. As if in a dream, he felt himself plummet… down…down.

Drab concrete rushed by. The drop seemed to take an eternity.

As he flailed wildly for anything to grab onto, a dawning awareness pummeled his brain like a blaring alarm clock.

He was going to die.

I hope you enjoyed this quick glimpse into Emerald Secrets. If you’re the least bit intrigued by Freeway Park now, click here for an up close and personal tour!

Dawn V. Cahill

Author of Seattle Trilogy and Golden State Trilogy

HOT TOPIC CHRISTIAN FICTION

2015 Genesis contest semi-finalist

2015 First Impressions finalist

Links:

Amazon Author page

My books – https://dawnvcahill.com/my-books/

Bio:

Dawn V. Cahill, an indie author from the land of hipsters and coffee snobs, writes “Stories of Victorious Faith for the 21st Century,” nearly always with a crossword puzzle, sudoku, or dark chocolate nearby. “The characters in my stories face situations that would have been unthinkable even 20 years ago. We live in a vastly different world than our parents did, and that’s the world I write about.”

Ms. Cahill also blogs about puppies, substance abuse, and single parenting…sometimes all in the same day. She has written several newspaper articles, five Christian contemporary novels, and more limericks than she can count. Email her at dawn@dawnvcahill.com, or find her on Facebook. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW).

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