Alien Rites (27 page)

It was a moment of pure happiness, like oxygen to the heart, and he tried to tell himself that the tears in his eyes were caused by the sun.

Acknowledgments

Many thanks to my editor, the talented Ginjer Buchanan, who could not have been kinder or more understanding during a difficult year.

To Norm Golibersuch, Jeff Darling, Mike Reynolds, and Jim Lyon, of the law firm Lyon, Golibersuch, Darling, and Reynolds, who were not only invaluable in helping me with research, but are great fun to hang out with, even if they do sweat when they eat.

To C. William Swinford, attorney-at-law, for consideration, kindness, and setting me free.

To the Singapore gang, Chuck, Bryan, Rebecca, Jay, and Terry, who made a working vacation more fun than I had any business having.

To the Laurel Lake gang, Sam, Mary Audrey, Dee, Bryan and Jerri Powers, Chuck, and Bryan—thanks for feeding me, taking me to the best spots in one of the most beautiful places on earth, and showing me where the bodies are stashed.

To my wonderful agent, Matt Bialer, a closet Elaki.

And, of course, to the world's best support team, Alan, Laurel, and Rachel.

About the Author

Lynn Hightower grew up in the South and graduated from the University of Kentucky, where she studied creative writing with Wendell Berry and earned a journalism degree. She is the author of ten novels, including two mystery series, one featuring homicide detective Sonora Blair and the other featuring private investigator Lena Padgett.
Flashpoint
, the first Sonora Blair mystery, was a New York Times Notable Book.
Satan's Lambs
, the first Lena Padget mystery, won the Shamus Award for Best First PI Novel. Hightowerhas also written the Elaki series of futuristic police procedurals, which begins with
Alien Blues
.

Hightower's novels, which have been translated into seven foreign languages, have appeared on the
Times
(London) bestseller list and have been nominated for the Kentucky Literary Award, the Kentucky Librarians First Choice Award, and the Mary Higgins Clark Award. She teaches at the UCLA Extension Writers' Program, where she was named Creative Writing Instructor of the Year in 2012. The author lives with her husband in Kentucky.

All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.

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

Excerpt from
Evidence
by Luc Sante copyright © 1992 by Luc Sante. Reprinted by permission of Farrar, Straus & Giroux, Inc.

Copyright © 1995 by Lynn Hightower

Cover design by Michel Vrana

ISBN: 978-1-5040-2128-9

This edition published in 2015 by Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.

345 Hudson Street

New York, NY 10014

www.openroadmedia.com

EARLY BIRD BOOKS

FRESH EBOOK DEALS, DELIVERED DAILY

BE THE FIRST TO KNOW—

NEW DEALS HATCH EVERY DAY!

ELAKI EBOOKS

FROM OPEN ROAD MEDIA

Available wherever ebooks are sold