Next To Die
Chapter One
The chiming of Lieutenant Penelope Price's doorbell elicited a
groan. She had just sunk onto her overstuffed couch to watch the six
o'clock news while indulging in a slice of cheesecake. Penny's hands
and feet ached. She deserved a little downtime, having worked extra
hours at the naval hospital, seeing to her own patients plus those
of the physical therapist on maternity leave.
"It better not be a salesman," she muttered, leaving the cheesecake
on the coffee table. As she crossed her two-story foyer toward the
front door, she tightened the sash on her velour bathrobe. Perhaps
it was her neighbor, the Navy SEAL, back from his assignment and
looking for his cat.
But the face peering through the door's glass oval wasn't that of
the too-hot-to-handle Commander Joe Montgomery. It was Penny's
twenty-four-year-old drama queen of a little sister, Ophelia.
"Hi," said Penny, braced for trouble. "What's up?" Crisp October air
surged inside, bearing the scent of dried leaves.
"Um, I need to stay here a while," Ophelia answered, casting a
nervous glance over her shoulder. "Can I park my car in your
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