"A Strong Meaty Plot.. a Tough yet Vulnerable Investigator Exposes the Rotted Core of His Town"
Reviewed by Diana Troldahl
Posted October 6, 2010
Thriller Crime | Mystery Police Procedural
Detective Wade Jackson has even more on his plate than usual
in this third installment to the series. His lover Kera
needs him to look into the disappearance of a young woman,
the mother of her grandson. He's being pressured to spend
the majority of his time looking for the fly-by-night
daughter of a prominent Eugene citizen. On top of that, his
doctor has given him grim news. When one of the missing
girls turns up dead, it becomes even more urgent to find the
other, before the same thing happens to her. As Jackson
circles closer to the center of the truth behind the
disappearance and death, he finds a rotten core that seeps
into all layers of Eugene society.
L.J.Sellers offers a strong meaty plot. The relationships
between Jackson and his lover Kera and daughter Katie
add depth and texture to the story. The detailed setting of
Eugene (Oregon) brings the murder into sharp focus, adding
the edge of reality to Jackson's search for the solution.
Jackson's age and health issues add to his vulnerability,
letting us peer into what it means to be a tough man with a
kind heart doing the best he can to protect those he loves,
and the community he serves.
THRILLED TO DEATH is the third in the Detective Wade Jackson
Mystery/Suspense Series.
SUMMARY
Monday morning, a young mother disappears after a doctor’s
appointment. Monday evening, a young socialite leaves a
risqué lounge and never makes it home. Detective Jackson
lands both cases, but at first he can’t find signs of foul
play. When the socialite turns up dead, his investigation
uncovers her dirty secrets, which complicates everything.
The case runs into even bigger trouble with a suspect who
hasn’t left his house in a year. Jackson must push all the
boundaries to find the connection and answer the question:
Where is the other missing woman?
ExcerptChapter 1
Monday, April 6, 9:52 a.m.
"I want to give my baby away." The words nearly tripped
over each other in their rush to leave her mouth.
Dr. Callahan’s eyes widened briefly. "How much thought
have you given this?"
"I don’t know." Danette squirmed in her chair. This was
why she was in the psychiatrist’s office, to verbalize some
of the horrible things she’d been feeling. "I’ve been
thinking about it for weeks, but without really admitting to
myself that’s what I want. I’m overwhelmed and depressed all
the time. I don’t think I love this baby as much as someone
else would."
Dr. Callahan scribbled something on a pad. "Are you
talking about giving him up for adoption?"
"Micah’s grandmother would love to raise him."
Her shrink looked at the clock. "We’re past our time, and
I have another patient waiting." She handed Danette a slip
of paper. "This is a prescription for Lexapro. Start on it
right away. I don’t think the Paxil is working for you.
Please don’t do anything rash until we’ve had a chance to
talk some more. You’ll be back on Thursday, correct?"
Danette nodded. Thursday was her regular day, but she had
called Dr. Callahan last night, crying and begging to come
in because her life felt out of control and she no longer
trusted herself with little Micah. Luckily there had been a
cancellation for this morning.
Danette bolted from the office, feeling ashamed. What was
wrong with her that she didn’t want her own baby? Dr.
Callahan clearly disapproved. Danette pulled up the hood of
her sweatshirt, wishing she could hide her face as well. She
pounded down the stairs and out of the building. Maybe she
should leave Micah with Kera until she worked through this.
The baby would be better off. Maybe she could go somewhere
and clear her head for a while. As Danette crossed the
parking lot, she pulled on sunglasses without really
noticing the morning sun and bright blue sky. She glanced at
the beat-up cargo van parked next to her Toyota. It hadn’t
been there when she arrived.
As Danette turned the key in her car lock, she heard the
van door slide open.
Chapter 2
Kera looked at the clock: 11:32 a.m. Where was Danette?
She called her cell phone again but Danette still didn’t
answer. This time Kera left a message: "I’m a little worried
because you said you’d be back by 10:15. I’m supposed to be
at work in half an hour. Please call me."
After a few more minutes of vacillating, Kera called the
Planned Parenthood clinic where she worked and told them her
situation. She felt guilty about missing her shift because
she only worked part time. She and her ex-husband had used
the life insurance money from their son’s death in Iraq to
pay off the house, so her finances were more flexible now.
Benefitting from Nathan’s death made her so uncomfortable,
Kera atoned for it by volunteering to care for disabled Iraq
veterans. It never felt like enough.
She lifted three-month-old Micah out of his playpen. He
grabbed her copper-colored braid and stuck it in his mouth.
Kera gently extracted her hair and carried him out to the
back deck, where the view of the city helped her relax. She
was far more worried about her daughter-in-law than her job.
Legally, Danette was not her relative. Danette and her
son, Nathan, had never married. In fact, they had barely
known each other before he shipped out. Still, Nathan had
left Danette pregnant and now they had Micah. Referring to
Danette as her daughter-in-law was easier than saying
‘mother of her grandchild’ or ‘dead son’s girlfriend.’
Kera pushed Nathan from her mind. There was no point in
compounding her worry with grief. She walked around the
deck, showing Micah the petunias and geraniums blooming in
big stone pots, but that only used five minutes. Kera
debated whether to call Jackson. He would probably drop
everything and start to investigate, but what if Danette was
just out shopping, stealing a few minutes of free time away
from the baby?
Kera tried to think of the name of the doctor Danette had
gone to see. Carlson? Davison? Danette had called last night
and asked if she could bring Micah by in the morning. Kera
had been curious about the last-minute doctor’s appointment
and wondered why Danette didn’t want to take the baby with
her, but she hadn’t asked. When she had been a new mother
all those years ago, she hadn’t let Nathan out of her sight
until he was a year old.
Danette was a different kind of mother. She left Micah
with anyone and everyone who would watch him. Kera worried
Danette was not particularly bonded to her baby. She had
only met the young woman last fall, but she sensed Danette
was unhappy. Her recent move to Eugene, in hopes of
attending nursing school, would make it easier on all of
them.
Where was Danette now?
Kera remembered the doctor’s last name: Callahan. She put
Micah in his playpen and danced his little elephant up and
down until he stopped fussing. She brought her laptop into
the living room and got on the Internet.
The online yellow pages revealed two Dr. Callahans in the
Eugene/Springfield area. One was a cardiac surgeon named
Charles, and the other was a psychiatrist named Stella. The
worry in her stomach tightened a notch. Was Danette seeing a
mental health professional? Yesterday, Kera would have
considered that good news. Now that Danette was AWOL, it
confirmed her worst fears.
Had Danette run off and abandoned her baby? Kera pictured
a tear-stained postcard arriving in the mail next week,
explaining how it was all for the best. Despite her worry, a
little part of Kera’s heart leapt with joy at the idea she
would get to keep Micah right here with her. She looked over
at the boy as he kicked his feet and giggled at the bird
mobile above his head. He looked so much like Nathan.
Kera tried calling Danette again. No answer.
She dialed Dr. Callahan and left a message: "This is Kera
Kollmorgan, mother-in-law of Danette Blake. I believe
Danette had an appointment with you this morning. She was
supposed to return hours ago to pick up her child but hasn’t
shown up. I can’t reach her by phone and I’m very worried.
Please call me."
That was waste of time, Kera thought, clicking the phone
closed. Psychiatrists and counselors were notoriously hard
to reach, rarely returned phone calls, and wouldn’t talk
about their patients under any circumstances. At least she
had done something. It wasn’t in her nature to sit and wait.
Kera pressed speed-dial #2 and hoped Jackson would pick
up.
* * *
Jackson sat on the paper-covered table in the exam room,
thinking he was wasting his time.
Dr. Murtz announced, "I believe you’re still constipated.
I’ll write you a prescription for a laxative. That should
take care of your bowel pain."
"What about the tightness in my chest?"
"That’s just stress. Your heart sounds fine. Maybe you
need a vacation."
"Maybe." Jackson hopped off the table and pulled on his
clothes as Murtz left the room. Maybe he needed a new
doctor. If the police department didn’t make him get a
physical once a year, he wouldn’t even have a doctor. At
six-foot tall and just under two-hundred pounds, he was
healthy enough. He ate right, at least half the time, and
now that he was involved with Kera, a fitness fanatic, he
was running three days a week too.
Jackson tossed the prescription in the trash on his way
out. He’d already been through one prescription, and he
wasn’t subjecting himself to it again. Maybe the pain in his
gut was stress-related too. Summer was coming; maybe he
would take a real vacation this year. Take his daughter,
Katie, to Magic Mountain, or better yet, surfing in Hawaii.
He almost laughed at the thought of himself on a surfboard.
He was the opposite of blond and tan, and not quite
good-looking either, he mused.
On the way to his city-issued cruiser, Jackson remembered
to take his phone off vibrate mode and saw Kera had called.
As he started the car, he listened to her message: "It’s
Kera. I’m worried about Danette. Can you come over? It’s
official police business."
Her tone made him squeal the tires a little as he pulled
into the street. He’d only known Kera for eight months, but
he was crazy about her in a way he’d never experienced
before. Or maybe he’d once felt this way about his ex-wife,
before she started drinking, but he didn’t remember it. His
reality now was that he never had enough time with Kera and
he had to find a way to change that.
The trip to Kera’s took ten minutes. Eugene, Oregon was a
small college city and you could get from point A to point B
in twenty-five minutes or less, even on a bicycle. Being a
police officer who had lived here his whole life, it often
took him less.
Kera answered the door with a bundle of baby on her
shoulder. She was tall, striking, and moved like an athlete.
Jackson felt a little giddy every time he saw her. Kera gave
him a forced smile. "I’m sorry to bother you with this, but
I don’t know what else to do."
"What’s going on?" Jackson felt a stab of worry. Kera was
more upset than he’d realized. He kissed her forehead.
"Let’s go sit down."
Jackson followed Kera into the kitchen where she poured
herself a glass of water and eased down to the table without
jostling the baby. "Danette was supposed to pick up Micah
two hours ago," Kera reported. "She had an appointment with
a doctor, but she hasn’t come back and she doesn’t answer
her phone."
Jackson gave her a gentle smile. "It’s too soon to
worry." He didn’t want to dismiss her fears, just ease them.
"Anything could have happened. A flat tire, a change of
plans. Or maybe Danette ran into a friend and started
talking."
"Why wouldn’t she call or answer her phone?"
"Maybe she left her cell phone at the doctor’s or in her
car." Jackson poured himself some coffee. "You want some?"
Kera shook her head.
"We can try calling places where she might be."
"I already did." Kera pressed her lips together and
looked as if she might cry. "Something is wrong. I just know
it. Either something dreadful happened to Danette or she has
abandoned her baby."
"What makes you think she might abandon Micah?"
"The doctor she saw this morning, Stella Callahan, is a
psychiatrist. I know Danette has been depressed." Kera
patted the baby’s back as she talked. "Sometimes new mothers
experience emotional and hormonal upheaval after the birth
of a child, and they feel and act irrational. For some it’s
just post-partum depression; for others it goes way beyond."
Jackson reached for the little blue-eyed bundle. The boy
smiled and Jackson felt a warm hand touch his heart. Who
could ditch this little guy? "Have you called the
hospitals?"
"Yes. I’m sorry to burden you with this."
"Don’t be. I’m glad for something to focus on. Sergeant
Lammers keeps giving me little bullshit cases."
"Oh, that’s right. You had another doctor’s appointment.
What did he say?"
"He said I’m constipated."
Kera rolled her eyes. "Murtz is a moron. You need to go
to the hospital and get a CAT scan or an MRI. The doctors in
the ER will be able to diagnose this thing, which could be
some kind of abnormal growth."
Jackson knew what she meant. "Next time the pain gets
bad, I will."
"Promise me?"
"I will." Jackson stood. "I need two addresses: Danette’s
and the doctor she went to see. After I check out Danette’s
apartment, I’ll drive over to the psychiatrist’s and see if
Danette kept her appointment or left her cell phone there.
It makes sense for you to wait here in case she shows up."
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