The Bones Will Speak
PRAISE FOR
A CRY FROM THE DUST
“Parks, in her debut novel, has clearly done her research and never disappoints when it comes to crisp dialogue, characterization, or surprising twists and turns.”
â
P
UBLISHERS
W
EEKLY
Â
“Besides having a resourceful and likable heroine, the book also features that rarest of characters: a villain you don't see coming, but whom you hate with relish . . .
A Cry from the Dust
will keep you hoping, praying and guessing till the end.”
â
B
OOK
P
AGE
“Renowned forensic and fine artist Parks's action-packed and compelling tale of suspense is haunting in its intensity. Well researched and written in an almost journalistic style, this emotionally charged story is recommended for fans of Ted Dekker, Mary Higgins Clark, and historical suspense.”
â
L
IBRARY
J
OURNAL
Â
“Parks's fast-paced and suspenseful debut novel is an entertaining addition to the inspirational genre. Her writing is polished, and the research behind the novel brings credibility to the story . . . an excellent book that is sure to put Carrie Stuart Parks on readers' radars.”
â
RT B
OOK
R
EVIEWS
, 4
STARS
Â
“A unique novel of forensics and fanaticism. A good story on timely subjects well told. For me, these are the ingredients of a successful novel today and Carrie Stuart Parks has done just that.”
âC
ARTER
C
ORNICK
, F
BI
C
OUNTERTERRORISM
AND
F
ORENSIC
S
CIENCE
R
ESEARCH
(R
ET
.)
“Parks's real-life career as a forensic artist lends remarkable authenticity to her enthralling novel,
A Cry from the Dust
. Her work is a fresh new voice in suspense, and I became an instant fan. Highly recommended!”
âC
OLLEEN
C
OBLE
,
USA T
ODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE
H
OPE
B
EACH
S
ERIES AND
T
HE
I
NN
AT
O
CEAN'S
E
DGE
“In
A Cry from the Dust
, the novel's courageous protagonistâa forensic artist recovering from cancerâfinds herself facing âblood atonement' when she investigates the death of a young woman. This superbly researched mystery, based on actual events, shows what can happen when lack of education is combined with religious fanaticism.”
âB
ETTY
W
EBB
,
AUTHOR OF
D
ESERT
W
IVES
AND
D
ESERT
W
IND
Â
“Things I loved about
A Cry from the Dust
: the fascinating and pains-takingly researched historical tapestry into which the story is woven, the frantic but intensely believable arc of events that makes you hold on extra tight, the compelling and flawed heroine who has absolutely no idea she's the heroine. Part
CSI
, part
Lie to Me
, and all relentlessly original,
A Cry from the Dust
blends rich characters, little-known history, and a dose of conspiracy into a very modern storytelling style. Can't wait to tear into Gwen Marcey's next adventure.”
âZ
ACHARY
B
ARTELS
,
AUTHOR OF
P
LAYING
S
AINT
AND
42 M
ONTHS
D
RY
Â
“With a strong heroine and suspense that keeps the pages flipping,
A Cry from the Dust
is full of twists from the past, secret societies, and a sinister race against the clock. Highly recommend!”
âR
OBIN
C
AROLL, AUTHOR OF THE
J
USTICE
S
EEKERS SERIESÂ
OTHER BOOKS BY
CARRIE STUART PARKS
A Cry from the Dust
Copyright © 2015 by Carrie Stuart Parks
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meansâelectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherâexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc.
Thomas Nelson titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail [email protected].
Scripture quotations are from the following: the New King James Version
®
. © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The
Holy Bible
, New Living Translation. © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. The Holy Bible, New International Version
®
, NIV
®
. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.
â¢
Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.
â¢
The ESV
®
Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version
®
), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Publisher's Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.
ISBN 978-1-4016-9046-5 (eBook)
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Parks, Carrie Stuart.
The bones will speak : a Gwen Marcey novel / Carrie Stuart Parks.
pages ; cm
ISBN 978-1-4016-9045-8 (softcover)
I. Title.
PS3616.A75535B66 2015
813'.6--dc23
2015007861
15 16 17 18 19 20 RRD 6 5 4 3 2 1
To Frank,
For holding on to the handlebars
âgrasshopper
CONTENTS
“THE BOMB KILLED FOUR PEOPLE.” MIKE HIGGINS
, rookie cop from Kellogg, Idaho, snapped his fingers. “Just like that.”
Margie Sheehan, his ride-along that day, looked around the quiet street. “Oh.”
“Yep, they had to scrapeâ”
Margie's face grew pale.
“Don't worry.” He nodded toward the neat, mint-green bungalow they'd parked in front of. “Mrs. Jackson, the lady that called in the report, is a 10â96.”
“What's a 10â96?”
“A mental. A nutcake. Cats. I don't just mean five or six. The woman collects them like baseball cards. She must have fifty at least.”
“I like cats.” Margie smiled slightly, revealing perfect teeth.
Mike tried to keep from staring at his attractive passenger. “Right. Um. So . . . she also calls dispatch at least once a week to
report something. Last week she said space aliens snatched one of her cats and turned it into a sack of baby diapers. Dirty diapers.” His nose wrinkled at the memory. “This week she claims the two men wanted in Spokane for the Planned Parenthood bombings are living nearby. Said the composite sketches are like portraits of them.”
“But what if she's right this time? I mean, Kellogg is only about an hour from Spokane.” Her cheeks flushed.
Mike's stomach gave a slight lurch
. Should I call for backup?
He could just hear his sergeant's voice on that request. “So, Higgins, you needed backup for the cat lady? What's the problem? One of her space aliens pulled a ray gun?”
He sat up straighter in his seat. “You'll need to stay here, just in case.” He stepped from the patrol car, straightened his vest, and strolled toward Mrs. Jackson's front porch. Modest, blue-collar homes stretched on either side of the street in the small mining town, and newly budded maple trees shaded the trim lawns from the spring sunshine.
The front steps groaned under his weight, and a radio somewhere inside the house played a twangy country-and-western song from the local KWAL station. The covered porch stretched the width of the house, with wide, square columns at equal intervals. A black-and-white cat eyed him suspiciously from under a shrub.
The screen door let out a screech as Mike opened it. He knocked, then peeked back at his car. Margie had rolled down the window and was staring at him.
The music stopped, and Mrs. Jackson opened the front door. The odor of unattended cat-litter trays made him blink rapidly. A ginger-striped cat draped across the older woman's
arm. “There you are. I called the police two days ago. I could be dead now. They're killers, you know.”