Damage Control: A Novel of Suspense (Joanna Brady Mysteries, 13)

Damage Control: A Novel of Suspense (Joanna Brady Mysteries, 13)

Arizona sheriff Joanna Brady confronts two complex cases in this dazzling novel of suspense from New York Times bestselling author J. A. Jance Back at home, Sheriff Joanna Brady has a newborn, a teenage daughter, a writer husband, and a difficult mother to deal with. But in the field, it turns out that she has much more. A rainstorm sweeping across the desert has revealed gruesome evidence: two trash bags stuffed with human remains. In a separate case, an elderly couple whose car has gone off the side of a mountain leaves behind a note stating that they intended to take their lives. Yet when a contradictory autopsy report surfaces, Joanna knows that this is more than just a suicide pact. And she will go all out to find the truth—no matter where it leads. “Top-notch. . . . Jance excels in her portrayal of how people cope with life.” - Library Journal, starred review, on Dead Wrong “Jance deftly brings the desert, people and towns of southeastern Arizona to life.” - Publishers Weekly “Jance beautifully evokes the desert and towns of her beloved southwest as well as the strong individuals who live there.” - Publishers Weekly Arizona sheriff Joanna Brady confronts two complex cases in this dazzling novel of suspense from New York Times bestselling author J. A. Jance Back at home, Sheriff Joanna Brady has a newborn, a teenage daughter, a writer husband, and a difficult mother to deal with. But in the field, it turns out that she has much more. A rainstorm sweeping across the desert has revealed gruesome evidence: two trash bags stuffed with human remains. In a separate case, an elderly couple whose car has gone off the side of a mountain leaves behind a note stating that they intended to take their lives. Yet when a contradictory autopsy report surfaces, Joanna knows that this is more than just a suicide pact. And she will go all out to find the truth—no matter where it leads. J. A. Jance  is the  New York Times  bestselling author of the J. P. Beaumont series, the Joanna Brady series, the Ali Reynolds series, six thrillers about the Walker Family, and one volume of poetry. Born in South Dakota and brought up in Bisbee, Arizona, she lives with her husband in Seattle, Washington. Damage Control LP A Novel of Suspense By J. Jance HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. Copyright © 2008 J. Jance All right reserved. ISBN: 9780060746773 Chapter One "Thank You So Much, Mr. Campbell," Claire Newmark said as the disgruntled speaker returned to his seat. As head of the Cochise County Board of Supervisors, Claire was chairing that Friday morning's meeting. "Do you have anything to say in response, Sheriff Brady?" Joanna snapped awake. One of the things about being a sleep-deprived working mother meant that she could fall asleep anywhere—in front of her computer, at her desk, in church, and definitely in front of the TV set on those rare occasions when she actually tried to watch a show. In this case, she had dozed off during a Board of Supervisors Friday morning meeting. Randy Campbell was one of Joanna's constituents. A prominent local rancher, Campbell was also one of Joanna's most vociferous critics. He had come to the Board of Supervisors meeting that morning armed with his usual litany of complaints. Joanna had considerable sympathy for the man. His ranch, located on Border Road just east of Bisbee Junction, was also border-crossing central for illegal immigrants. Campbell's house had been broken into on numerous occasions. His wife and children had been held at gunpoint and threatened by armed robbers who had taken the time to load several television sets and power tools into Randy's pickup truck before driving off in it. His fences had been cut, letting his livestock loose. Once outside the fence, his daughter's prize-winning bull had been hit and killed by a passing Border Patrol vehicle. So even though Joanna may have allowed herself to doze during the course of Randy Campbell's tirade, she knew what he had said—almost by heart—because she had heard it all before. "Thank you, Madame Chairman," Joanna said, rising to her feet. "And thank you, too, Mr. Campbell. I appreciate the fact that you're willing to bring your concerns to the attention of this board and also into the public arena. I live in a rural setting myself. Although we haven't had the same number of incidents Mr. Campbell has had, our property, too, has been damaged by illegal crossers. "The problem is this. We're dealing with something that is well beyond the scope of my department to handle. We've done our best to increase patrols in Mr. Campbell's area. Because of that, we've also managed to decrease our response time. But the truth is, the border-enforcement problem is a national issue. It requires a national solution as opposed to a local one. Our mission is to handle criminal complaints, and we do that to the best of our ability, but that ability is limited by both budgetary and personnel considerations. "There are eighty