Dying for the Past (31 page)

Woof
.

Hercule, too.

Artie Shaw played
Stardust
and I called for Hercule. He planted
a big, sloppy wet-one on Sassy that made her giggle again, and then
he bounded over to me. Doc nodded. Vincent raised a glass. Sassy blew me a kiss—oh, maybe it was for Hercule.

As I followed Angel and Bear out the door, images of Frannie and Ollie came to me and Vincent's words touched my thoughts—the book took so many lives. Did it take my father's? My mother's?

It didn't matter. What did matter was whatever held me here—among the living but not one of them—wasn't through with me. Family needed me—and there might be others, too, who needed my help to find their killers and end their madness.

It's what detectives do.

the end

about the author

Tj O'Connor is an international security consultant specializing in anti-terrorism, investigations, and security programs—life experiences that drive his novels. With his former life as a government agent and years as a consultant, he's lived and worked around the world in places like Greece, Turkey, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, and throughout the Americas—among others. He was raised in New York's Hudson Valley and lives with his wife and three Lab companions in Virginia, where they raised five children.
Dying for the Past
is the second of his novels to be published. Learn more about his world at www.tjoconnor.com

Photo provided by the author.