Coming Back Read online

  Hy’s in Vietnam this week. Don’t ask me why.

  Me, I’m driving again—in my BMW Z4. Ricky, as usual, bought Rae a new car for her birthday, and she gave me a great price on her old one. My beloved old MG went to a collector who restores vintage cars. Next week I start flying, with Hy along as the requisite instructor. By September I’ll have my FAA check ride and my license will be reinstated. And next weekend, we’ll be going to the city animal shelter to interview cats.

  My family, of course, are all nipping at my heels. Ma is less frantic since Melvin’s new round of treatments is working. I’ve agreed to Hy and me attending a big Labor Day weekend gathering at Charlene and Vic’s new spread above Santa Barbara. At least they’ve promised us the guest house with its own little swimming pool.

  Life is… well, life. It goes on. And so do I.

  As always, thanks to Bill, my inspiration and first editor,

  and to Sharon McCone, who sits on my shoulder

  and tells me what to write.

  Contents

  FRONT COVER IMAGE

  WELCOME

  TRYING DESPERATELY

  JULY–JANUARY

  SHARON McCONE

  FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6

  SHARON McCONE

  HY RIPINSKY

  SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7

  MICK SAVAGE

  SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 8

  SHARON McCONE

  MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9

  TED SMALLEY

  ADAH JOSLYN

  CRAIG MORLAND

  SHARON McCONE

  ADAH JOSLYN

  MICK SAVAGE

  CRAIG MORLAND

  TED SMALLEY

  SHARON McCONE

  MICK SAVAGE

  ADAH JOSLYN

  HY RIPINSKY

  TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10

  CRAIG MORLAND

  SHARON McCONE

  TED SMALLEY

  CRAIG MORLAND

  SHARON McCONE

  CRAIG MORLAND

  SHARON McCONE

  MICK SAVAGE

  TED SMALLEY

  CRAIG MORLAND

  ADAH JOSLYN

  SHARON McCONE

  HY RIPINSKY

  MICK SAVAGE

  ADAH JOSLYN

  MICK SAVAGE

  WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11

  SHARON McCONE

  CRAIG MORLAND

  HY RIPINSKY

  SHARON McCONE

  ADAH JOSLYN

  TED SMALLEY

  CRAIG MORLAND

  ADAH JOSLYN

  HY RIPINSKY

  SHARON McCONE

  CRAIG MORLAND

  TED SMALLEY

  ADAH JOSLYN

  SHARON McCONE

  HY RIPINSKY

  SHARON McCONE

  CRAIG MORLAND

  ADAH JOSLYN

  SHARON McCONE

  HY RIPINSKY

  SHARON McCONE

  CRAIG MORLAND

  ADAH JOSLYN

  CRAIG MORLAND

  SHARON McCONE

  TED SMALLEY

  SHARON McCONE

  ADAH JOSLYN

  MICK SAVAGE

  HY RIPINSKY

  CRAIG MORLAND

  MICK SAVAGE

  SHARON McCONE

  CRAIG MORLAND

  SHARON McCONE

  ADAH JOSLYN

  CRAIG MORLAND

  SHARON McCONE

  ADAH JOSLYN

  CRAIG MORLAND

  ADAH JOSLYN

  THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12

  SHARON McCONE

  ADAH JOSLYN

  SHARON McCONE

  McCONE INVESTIGATIONS

  SHARON McCONE

  FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13

  SHARON McCONE

  WEDNESDAY, JULY 15

  SHARON McCONE

  SHARON McCONE MYSTERIES

  COPYRIGHT

  SHARON McCONE MYSTERIES

  BY MARCIA MULLER

  LOCKED IN

  BURN OUT

  THE EVER-RUNNING MAN

  VANISHING POINT

  THE DANGEROUS HOUR

  DEAD MIDNIGHT

  LISTEN TO THE SILENCE

  A WALK THROUGH THE FIRE

  WHILE OTHER PEOPLE SLEEP

  BOTH ENDS OF THE NIGHT

  THE BROKEN PROMISE LAND

  A WILD AND LONELY PLACE

  TILL THE BUTCHERS CUT HIM DOWN

  WOLF IN THE SHADOWS

  PENNIES ON A DEAD WOMAN’S EYES

  WHERE ECHOES LIVE

  TROPHIES AND DEAD THINGS

  THE SHAPE OF DREAD

  THERE’S SOMETHING IN A SUNDAY

  EYE OF THE STORM

  THERE’S NOTHING TO BE AFRAID OF

  DOUBLE (With Bill Pronzini)

  LEAVE A MESSAGE FOR WILLIE

  GAMES TO KEEP THE DARK AWAY

  THE CHESHIRE CAT’S EYE

  ASK THE CARDS A QUESTION

  EDWIN OF THE IRON SHOES

  NONSERIES

  CAPE PERDIDO

  CYANIDE WELLS

  POINT DECEPTION

  COMING BACK

  MARCIA MULLER

  NEW YORK BOSTON

  Copyright

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  Copyright © 2010 by Pronzini-Muller Family Trust

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  Grand Central Publishing

  Hachette Book Group

  237 Park Avenue

  New York, NY 10017

  Visit our website at www.HachetteBookGroup.com.

  www.twitter.com/grandcentralpub.

  First eBook Edition: October 2010

  Grand Central Publishing is a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

  The Grand Central Publishing name and logo is a trademark of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

  ISBN: 978-0-446-57405-1