Read Outfoxed: An Andy Carpenter Mystery Online
Authors: David Rosenfelt
Tags: #Literature & Fiction, #United States, #Mystery; Thriller & Suspense, #Mystery, #Cozy, #Animals, #Thrillers & Suspense, #Suspense
Outfoxed: An Andy Carpenter Mystery (29 page)
He raises his left arm to block it; the knife is in his right hand. I think I hurt him; he yells in pain. But he keeps coming, and I’m out of vases.
A voice yells, “Freeze!” but I don’t really think Mathers has the time to decide whether that is a good idea before the bullets slam into him. He’s thrown back into the glass wall, but bounces off it. The bullets smash into the glass in two places, but it’s unbreakable, and simply spreads into that cracked mosaic that often happens to car windshields.
Pete is one of the cops who did the shooting. “Glad you could make it,” I say.
He nods. “Happy to do it. You owe me two tickets to the Giants game this Sunday.”
We’ve waited four months to have this victory party. It would have been longer, but I managed to convince the parole board that the one-year additional sentence for Brian’s escape could be disregarded in light of subsequent events. Especially since we were able to provide evidence linking Mathers to the evidence that convicted Brian of embezzlement.
It’s at Charlie’s, of course, and everyone from our team is here except Willie, who promised to stop by later. Even Edna is here; we couldn’t have won the case without her, except for the fact that we won the case without her.
Ted Yates, the recently named permanent CEO of Starlight, has dropped in to pay his respects to Brian. The board determined that Brian was worthy of reinstatement to his previous position, but he declined. He’s going to take some time off, relax, and adjust to life on the outside.
Vince is in attendance because there is free food and beer; he would go to a party honoring the Ayatollah if they were serving free food and beer. Pete is here as well, and displays uncharacteristic classiness by shaking Brian’s hand and wishing him well.
Laurie is here, while Ricky is at home with a sitter. It has been great having them back, and I hope we never have to go through that again. With Petrone certain to live out the rest of his unnatural life in prison, we shouldn’t have to.
We’re going to Disney World next week, and I’m actually looking forward to it.
Willie finally shows up, a half hour into the party. With him is Sondra and another guest, who stands at the end of a leash that she holds.
Boomer.
I walk over to them. “The family that adopted him was you?”
Willie smiles. “Just like I said. Nice couple, no kids, and another dog that Boomer got along with great. A perfect match.”
“And why is he here?”
“Because there’s an even better match over there,” Sondra says, and she takes the leash from the woman and walks Boomer over to Brian.
I try out my stern voice on Willie. “You violated a direct order.”
“Ask me if I give a shit,” he says.
I decide not to ask him, and instead watch the look on Brian’s face when he sees Boomer. He gets down on one knee and hugs Boomer, whose tail is wagging a mile a minute. I can’t tell if Brian is crying, because Boomer is licking his face, so it’s wet anyway.
I look over at Laurie, who is laughing and crying at the same time.
I have absolutely no idea how women do that.
ALSO BY
DAVID ROSENFELT
ANDY CARPENTER NOVELS
Dog Tags
New Tricks
Play Dead
Dead Center
Sudden Death
Bury the Lead
First Degree
Open and Shut
THRILLERS
NONFICTION
Lessons from Tara: Life Advice from the World’s Most Brilliant Dog
Dogtripping: 25 Rescues, 11 Volunteers, and 3 RVs on Our Canine Cross-Country Adventure
David Rosenfelt
is the Edgar and Shamus Award–nominated author of seven stand-alone books and thirteen previous Andy Carpenter novels, most recently
Who Let the Dog Out?
After years living in California, he and his wife moved to Maine with twenty-five golden retrievers that they rescued. Rosenfelt’s hilarious account of this cross-country move,
Dogtripping
, is available from St. Martin’s Press. You can sign up for email updates
here
.
Thank you for buying this
St. Martin’s Press ebook.
To receive special offers, bonus content,
and info on new releases and other great reads,
sign up for our newsletters.
Or visit us online at
us.macmillan.com/newslettersignup
For email updates on the author, click
here
.
Contents
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
OUTFOXED.
Copyright © 2016 by Tara Productions, Inc. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
Cover design by David Baldeosingh Rotstein
Cover photographs: dog and road © V. J. Matthew/Shutterstock; man walking © Warren Bouton/Shutterstock
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Rosenfelt, David, author.
Title: Outfoxed / David Rosenfelt.
Description: First edition. | New York: Minotaur Books, 2016. | Series: An Andy Carpenter novel; 14
Identifiers: LCCN 2016008508 | ISBN 9781250055347 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781466859920 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Carpenter, Andy (Fictitious character)—Fiction. | Agency (Law)—New Jersey—Fiction. | Murder—Investigation—Fiction. | Escaped prisoners—Fiction. | Animal shelters—Fiction. | Dog rescue—Fiction. | BISAC: FICTION / Mystery & Detective / General. | FICTION / Suspense. | GSAFD: Suspense fiction. | Mystery fiction.
Classification: LCC PS3618.O838 O88 2016 | DDC 813/.6—dc23
LC record available at
http://lccn.loc.gov/2016008508
e-ISBN 9781466859920
Our e-books may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension 5442, or by e-mail at
[email protected]
.
First Edition: July 2016
