An Eagle's Eye

By Sandi Hoover

While flying, amateur hang-glider pilot, Pamela Lansford Mitchell (Lanny), an environmental attorney from Albuquerque, New Mexico, sees what she thinks is a dead body-and the man who may be the murderer. Endangering her life, he sees her as well. Can Lanny and her friend, Homicide Detective Scott Preston (Prez), find the man before he finds her?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Red Penguin Books
• Release date: Oct 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9781637775080

Book preview

Chapter 1

SUNDAY

Lanny ran three steps and leapt off the cliff atop the nearly eleven-thousand-foot peak of the Sandia Mountains sheltering the eastern side of Albuquerque.

Oof! Once again the sudden forty-foot drop made her gasp, but the hang glider’s wing stabilized, and she grinned as she leveled out and got her feet into the harness behind her.

She spoke quietly into the phone mic clipped at chin level. Gary, I figure you’re already down from the crest, and I’ll see you at the soccer field.

Soaring was Lanny’s escape from the rigors of the day or the week. She thrilled to that quiet realm, the barest swish of air over the wing, like a warm benediction, heightening the sense of motion. Silently she sped at altitude, paralleling the rough-edged face of the mountains, hunting for ridge lift, concentrating on her breath, relaxing into the harness, settling her mind and body for the morning’s flight. The sharp aroma of pines clinging to those jagged slopes teased her nose as a whiff of air brushed her face. Pffst, blowing a strand of hair out of her mouth, dratted hair, gonna get it cut short, she vowed again to change its length.

Gary broke into her musing. Gotcha, Lanny. I was headed down the road before you even got off. Your signal’s good and clear. I’m already hustling south on Highway 14. Keep in touch so I know where to meet you in case the spot changes.

Roger that. Now just playing with the wind, and heading south toward Albuquerque, so the soccer field off Tramway should still be best.

Remaining highly focused, since soaring demanded precision, she glanced down to watch for emergency landing opportunities should she need one and scanned the ground for movement simply because she was interested in what happened there. Having been the object of a Cooper’s Hawk’s ire, she was alert to motion close at hand, moving her head slowly so the Go Pro camera attached to her helmet would capture a good video picture. She learned this technique through hard experience when looking at the video after an earlier flight made her nauseous.

Gary, can you still hear me? Are you enjoying this beautiful Sunday morning? I can hear church bells while I’m watching the sun peeping over the crest—lighting the west side of the valley, but the rest, including me, is still in shadow. As we anticipated, the west breeze is creating lift here, so I’m sure to make the rendezvous.

Her blue and gray hang glider followed the mountain face. She leaned, tilting the wing to more closely approach the foothills in front of the range. Looking at the instrument on her wrist, 1000 feet AGL, good, her shoulders relaxed since she was maintaining that altitude above the ground without effort. Nice updrafts in spite of this early hour.

Tipping her head to the right, Lanny looked toward Tramway, wanting to keep that main road within reach. Slowly, remembering the camera, she turned to focus away from her direction of flight. Her attention was caught by cursing and a dog’s pained bark from somewhere slightly ahead. Amazing how well sound travels upward. Her head turned toward the sound. … the hell is going on? Lanny stared as she caught sight of motion over the fence of a yard in the block on her right.

Dammit, let go! No, Max! A stocky man in a plaid shirt was yanking a corner of a blue tarp whose other end was being pulled by a large black and tan dog. With his free arm the man was ineffectively hitting at the dog with a shovel. That’s an awful thing to do! What a jerk!

The animal yelped again as a lucky swat connected, but braced and pulled harder, the movement exposing something previously covered by the tarp. It was light-colored against the red brick patio. Is that what I think it is? A body?

It was hard to see details since there was now a mound of dirt between Lanny and the object. …needed brakes to watch longer. She turned her head once more, hoping for a better view when she saw the man’s head swivel to follow the dog’s stare. Max had dropped the end of the tarp and was looking directly at her. OMG! Gasping, she whipped her head forward, and raised her legs, tilting down to pick up speed as she also tipped toward the mountains again to angle further away from the house. How can I hide? Not much I can do except hope that guy doesn’t worry about me. Realizing she needed to maintain altitude, she leveled off and the hang glider continued south at its leisurely rate; no amount of wishing would increase its speed.

Gary, can you hear me, where are you? I think I just saw a dead body, and I’m pretty sure the guy with it saw me. I’m scared spitless.

Lan, I’m in Tijeras Canyon moving your way as fast as traffic allows. WTF you saying? A dead body? You must be kidding. Can you make the rendezvous point?

I’m dead serious and that’s not a pun! I’m moving as fast as the wind will let me. Should be enough air to get me there. I’ll explain when I’m not flying!

Lanny stopped talking and concentrated on managing her flight, conserving altitude to make the soccer field.

Shit! Max, you pain in the ass! Your barking means I’m screwed. I’m betting that hang glider saw me.

Gordon Jeffers took a deep breath, threw a rock at Max to make him back away from the tarp, and paced another loop around his patio, stopping to pound the back of a chair while circling the furniture, adding to the throbbing headache he had. Helluva hangover. God, what have I done? He stared at the lumpy blue tarp so hard it seemed to pulsate and glow. Gotta get her out of here. Roz, why did you…? Moving decisively, he opened the door to the garage and lifted the lid on the trunk of the car. Wish the trunk lip was lower, but