Read Chapter One From One For Sorrow

I’d like to introduce you to my Magpie Romanic Suspense Mystery Series. The first three books in this collection will be released in May and June 2021.
Here’s a sneak peek from One For Sorrow

She believes he’s just another cop, working to keep the citizens of Magpie safe.
He believes she’s a clever thief who’s stealing drugs from the police evidence locker.
 
Things aren’t going well for Magpie police officer Georgina Scott. The new police chief hates her, she suffered a concussion while chasing a suspect, and then she has a seizure that forces her to take leave. The only bright spot in her life is Liam, the new cop in town. It’s impossible to ignore his obvious interest and rugged good looks.

Undercover cop, Liam Mason, has a problem. How can he catch Magpie police officer, Georgina Scott, in the act of stealing drugs from the evidence locker when she’s on leave? 
An armored car heist presents him with the perfect opportunity to get close to her. But he’s not prepared to deal with his physical attraction and the fact that she might be one of the good guys.

Chapter One
The naked guy at the wheel of the stolen compact car made a sharp left turn, heading toward the bridge. 
Officer Georgina Scott stomped on the gas. Her new partner, Liam Mackie, had a white-knuckled grip on the seatbelt strapped across his chest. She was pretty sure his right foot was pressed to the floor as he slammed on an imaginary break. 
“Officer Scott—Georgina—could you please—”
“Call me George. You don’t have to worry. I’ve completed several advanced driving courses including pursuit, advanced emergency response, winter skills, and skid control,” she explained as she cranked the steering wheel, following the suspect.
He stared straight ahead, ignoring her.
They’d received a call to apprehend a nude man who had stolen a red Mazda. He’d already crashed into a fence and sideswiped a truck. 
This was not a normal occurrence in the town of Magpie, Alberta, but it wasn’t the strangest thing that had ever happened either. Forty years ago, the town fathers had decided to develop the area into a holiday destination. They’d cleaned up the streets and lined them with Victorian fixtures, like lamp posts, and added floral arrangements, which gave the place an old-world appeal. Then they’d trucked in enough sand to make a beach on the shore of Charm Lake. 
Magpie was just a two-hour drive west of Edmonton, and winter in Northern Alberta could last from October until April. That meant the town was packed with tourists in the warm summer months.
The long, hot days of June, when the sun didn’t set until after eleven, meant more fun, but that fun sometimes led to inappropriate behavior, like stealing a car. 
“Where does he think he’s going? That way only leads to the campground, a few private acreages, and the dump.” Liam seemed to have found his voice.
The car thief slowed on the narrow bridge.
“Thank God.” This was her chance. She gunned the engine, drawing alongside the rear of the vehicle. She waited until they had cleared the bridge deck and rammed her front bumper into the Mazda’s side. The driver lost control, and the stolen car spun across the road and came to a stop in a ditch.
A young male jumped out and ran. 
“Shit.” Liam eyed the short man as though he were a four hundred-pound, machine gun-toting maniac. “Do you think he’ll put up a fight?”
George put the SUV in park and scrambled out. “Yes, he will. We have to make sure he doesn’t go in the river.” She had no idea if the perpetrator could swim or not and didn’t want to find out. At this point, the Charm River flowed out of Charm Lake at a slow, steady rate, but within a few miles, it drained into the North Saskatchewan River. The larger waterway was known for its depth and fast current, especially in the summer.
Naked Guy zigged as she zagged, avoiding her attempt to corral him. Finally, he pivoted on his heel and ran toward the town. 
She raced after him. He skidded to a halt in the middle of the bridge deck and stared at an old-time lamp post, which was integrated into the guardrail. 
She stopped dead six feet behind him, not winded by the short sprint. Liam came to a standstill on her left. He wasn’t gasping or out of breath. Maybe he was as fit as he looked.
In her experience, people who had stripped out of their clothing and were behaving erratically were usually high on angel dust. Which meant they always fought like possessed demons. She could spot a PCP user in lockup because they were bare and wearing two pairs of handcuffs. 
It was hard to gain any information about the suspect from looking at him. He was on the small side with a slight build and short, messy dark hair. He reached out a hand to swat at the lamp but missed because the light was too tall. He tumbled sideways and then straightened.
 George crept closer to the suspect’s right side, being careful not to make any sudden moves. Liam pointed to Naked Guy’s left, signaling his intention to slip behind him.
A young lady with expensive blond highlights ran toward them. “I don’t know what’s wrong with him!” 
Liam held up a hand. “Stay back.”
“Is he a friend of yours?” George took in her pricey high heels and the pink designer purse slung over her shoulder.
The woman obeyed Liam’s command and halted. “Yes. We’re staying in the campground with friends.” 
“And you are?” Liam asked the question but kept his gaze on Naked Guy.
“Veronica.” She swallowed hard as she clamped her arms across her chest. “Veronica Sitwell.”
“What’s his name?” George snapped on a pair of latex gloves and pointed to the perpetrator who reached for the lamp again—and missed again.
“Nicholas Gagnon.” Veronica’s lower lip quivered. “Everyone calls him Nick.”
George kept Nick in her peripheral vision as she questioned Veronica. “Has Nick taken any drugs, is he on any medication, or does he have any conditions we should know about?” 
“No, he had a few beers.”
“Nothing else?” George made sure her demeanor was forceful and tough.
Veronica looked at her feet and then at Nick. “He also had a joint.”
“Don’t go anywhere. We’ll need you to give a statement.” George inched closer to Nick, who was now screaming disjointed words at the lamp.
“This is not a normal reaction to marijuana.” Liam followed her lead, stuffing his hands into a pair of black latex gloves. 
“No, but the nearest cannabis store is over an hour’s drive away.” Although marijuana was legal in Alberta, it could only be legally purchased from a licensed supplier.
“You think he brought his product from a drug dealer?”
“Yes, there’s a dealer in town who laces his weed with fentanyl, or PCP, to get users hooked on his products.” Damn it. It had to be her father, Hank. To the general population, Hank Scott seemed like a charming man who owned a janitorial business, when in reality he was a man who traded in the misery and suffering of others, including his family. 
When she’d joined the Magpie Police Service five years ago, she’d dreamed of seeing Hank behind bars, but it hadn’t happened. No matter how close Chief Hunt got to an arrest, Hank was always one step ahead. 
Two months ago, Chief Hunt had suffered a heart attack and had been forced to retire for health reasons. George knew her mentor’s one regret was leaving the job without seeing Hank brought to justice. 
Liam winced when Nick kicked the bridge wall. “Shit.” 
Nick didn’t seem to notice the cuts on his feet. He must’ve trodden on something sharp because with every step he left a trail of blood.
Liam was new to the Magpie Police Service. This was their first shift together, and she hadn’t had a chance to question him about his experience. He was tall, broad, and powerful. It would be easy for him to overpower a man as slight as Nick, but George saw the uncertainty in his gaze. It took practice to wrestle an individual who was unclothed. There was nothing to grasp except skin, and no one wanted to touch Nick’s junk. 
Liam nodded toward Nick, who grabbed the bridge wall. He looked like he might be preparing to hoist himself over. “We need to act soon before he goes into the water.” 
“Are you ready?” George checked that her security holster was fastened so Nick wouldn’t be able to grab her Sig Sauer. She edged nearer, being sure not to use any sudden moves. 
“Go,” Liam shouted.
George lunged. 
Nick screamed and scrambled onto the bridge wall. 
She grabbed him by the waist and threw him onto the sidewalk. He landed face down. She pounced, pressing down on his back, and tried to grab his wriggling hands so she could cuff him. Nick shrieked again and tried to crawl away. George wrapped her legs around his knees, hoping to immobilize him. Nick tried to turn, but she used her weight to her advantage and held him in place.
With a roar, Nick pushed to all fours and then to a standing position. It was an amazing feat of strength. She clung to Nick’s shoulders as he swung around. He roared again and then charged, heading for the bridge wall. 
“Do something,” George yelled. All she could do was hold on.
Liam charged and tackled them, slamming into Nick from the front. Momentum drove them sideways, away from the guardrail. George’s arms were wrapped around Nick’s neck as he toppled to the left. Everything slowed. She had no control. Her muscles went limp. Her elbow crashed into the pavement. Liam landed on top of them with Nick squashed in the middle. The impact drove the air from her lungs. Her head hit the sidewalk. Pain flashed through her skull, and then nothing.
****
“Officer down, officer down.” Liam Mason sat on the yelping Nick as he shouted into the radio attached to his shoulder. He snagged one of Nick’s arms as the druggie cried and tried to hoist himself up again, but Liam was too heavy to budge. He snapped on the handcuffs. Nick tugged at the restraints, trying to break free.
Two officers, whose names he couldn’t remember, attached a second pair of cuffs to Nick’s wrists and led the howling man away. 
He rushed to Georgina’s side just as the ambulance arrived. Blood oozed onto the pavement from a wound at the back of her head. He checked her breathing and was grateful to see the slight rise and fall of her chest.
Medics elbowed him out of the way. They were professional and efficient, checking her vitals and placing an oxygen mask over her face. 
She was prettier than her photo with long dark hair, luminous green eyes, and the smoothest complexion he’d ever seen. Her lean, fit body looked good, even in her ugly-ass uniform. Not that her attractiveness mattered to his investigation. 
According to her file, she was the daughter of a drug dealer, Hank Scott. Five years ago, she had managed to convince the former Magpie police chief, Aiden Hunt, to hire her. Now the new chief, Grayson Evans, had to deal with the fallout. A large number of drugs, mainly heroin, fentanyl, angel dust, and oxycodone had disappeared from the evidence locker of the Magpie Police Service, in what was believed to be a series of thefts. Most of it had ended up in the hands of her father. It didn’t take a genius to figure out who had stolen them. Chief Evans had asked the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, known as the RCMP, to investigate because it was protocol. The RCMP were a national police force and members had jurisdiction as a peace officer in all parts of Canada.
The medics placed Georgina on a stretcher and wheeled her into the ambulance.
Shit. He had knocked out his prime suspect on the first day working the case.