Ghost River, Jon Coon [ebooks online reader TXT] 📗

us. Please let me know when your mom is well enough for visitors.”

The night had cooled, and Gabe turned on the fireplace and sat with Smith and Wesson watching the simulated flames, wondering if Alethea had made a deal with the baron. Was Cas telling the truth now, and could he trust her? Or like the fake fire was she all just smoke and mirrors?

Gabe showered, put on sweats, and picked up a Dean Koontz, Odd Thomas novel from the nightstand. The ghosts in Odd’s life never speak. Do ghosts have to be wet in order to talk? Still hungry after his share of the TV chicken dinner, Gabe got up and made a peanut butter and honey sandwich and poured a glass of milk. As he finished the snack, his phone rang. He checked his watch. It was just after eleven.

“What are you doing still up?”

“Mom cried herself to sleep again, and I’m mad at you,” Emily said. He could imagine her hands-on-hips stance and the pretense of a frown.

“Okay?” he waited.

“Why haven’t you called us?” Emily waited while he tried to come up with an answer.

“I thought your mom was looking for space. A chance to think things out, I guess.”

“You’re hopeless, Gabe. Okay, write this down. She wants you to come after her. After us. So do I.”

“And that’s why she told me she wanted time to think?”

“Right. You really do have a lot to learn about women. She needs to know you care enough to fight for us.”

That hurt. He’d risked everything to save Emily. Nearly died in the process. Now Carol doubted him? But that wasn’t Emily’s problem. “Honey, I promise I’ll always be here for you. I’m not sure what will happen between your mom and me, but I’m not going anywhere. Anytime you need me, call. I’ll be there. That’s a promise.”

“Call her, Gabe. Please.”

“I will. Soon.”

He stared at the fake fire, the real dogs, the empty tray, and the milk glass wondering. How do you know if it’s half-empty or half-full? And why is life so complicated?

He looked down at the dogs and asked, “I’ll call her. But what do I say?”

Smith and Wesson only smiled.

Acknowledgments

From the police diving community:

First Sergeant Mike Berry, who leads the Virginia state police dive team and has served there for thirty-five years. Mike is the owner and founder of Underwater Criminal Investigators Inc. and has written several texts. He trains police teams across the US and internationally. In recent years Mike has taken UCI training into China, Dubai, and Japan. Special thanks to Mike who has been a good friend, dive partner, and inspiration for over thirty years. www.ucidiver.com

From the Fire and EMS community:

Butch Hendrick and Andrea Zaferes. Butch founded Lifeguard Systems in the early seventies and has trained hundreds of rescue divers in the US and internationally. In my early days as a PADI regional manager in New England, Butch, who was the competition, was as good a friend for whom anyone could hope. I will always be grateful to him for introducing me to the dive rescue community. www.teamlgs.com

PADI

The largest of the recreational certifying agencies came later to Public Safety Diver training with materials and courses created by Mike Berry. I’ve proudly been a PADI instructor since 1975 and served as a regional manager for 29.5 years. As a former commercial diver and then instructor who loved teaching, I can’t imagine a career more exciting and fulfilling than my years with PADI. Years for which I remain incredibly grateful. www.padi.com

ERDI

The largest of PSD training organizations, ERDI is a well-established network of instructors with a strong following, training both rescue and police teams internationally. My special thanks to Sean Harrison, senior VP, for his editing help and encouragement. www.tdisdi.com

Dive Rescue International

Created in the seventies, DRI also has a strong following and excellent reputation. Based in Fort Collins, Colorado, their training network is worldwide. www.diverescueintl.com

From the writing community:

Beth (Jaden) Terrell is a coach, editor, award-winning author, and friend. Her guidance and patience have been critical. She is past president of SEMWA and past executive director of Killer Nashville, an important writer’s conference. Her friendship is precious and her books a delight.

Readers: Ruth Collins, Mary Helen Van Meter, Karen Murphy, Rachel Coon, Mary Kaye Hester, and Mike Berry.

Also to my new friends at Word Weavers and the Southeastern Mystery Writers Association, thank you for your encouragement and support.

A Note to the Reader

Mike Berry

Jon Coon and I have been friends for more than thirty years. We met at a Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) medic first aid instructor course in Northern Virginia. I was a new PADI instructor and the newly appointed Virginia State Police dive team leader, and Jon was the new PADI regional manager and course director for the course I was attending. Like at any program of its kind, Jon made us each stand up and introduce ourselves. I had no intention of ever telling the audience who I was. I wanted to avoid the “I once got a ticket from a trooper” comments and stories. So when it was my turn, I stood and announced I was a PADI instructor living in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and to my horror, Jon cut in and asked (very loudly I might add), “Are you the Virginia state trooper and new PADI instructor living in Fredericksburg?” I was stunned. Everyone turned to stare and starting murmuring. I heard someone say, “I once got a ticket . . .”

I wanted to kill him. I reluctantly said yes, and he quickly announced, “I live just outside of Fredericksburg, and we are having lunch together today.” Shortly thereafter we became best friends, dive/adventure buddies, and training partners. Not because I wanted to but because Jon Coon “pushed” his way into my life just as he has done to many of your lives through either knowing him personally or through his lectures, courses, adventures, or books. If this book is your first introduction to Jon Coon, he’s about to push his way