A Dream Within A Dream: Twenty-Nine and a Half Reasons Tour: Excerpt & Giveaway!

Twenty-Nine and a Half Reasons

Author: Denise Grover Swank

Genre: Mystery/Romance

Release Date: June 29, 2012

Description:

When Rose reports for Fenton County jury duty she figures she’s lucky to get out of a morning working at the DMV. Instead, despite a disastrous encounter with the new assistant district attorney, Mason Deveraux, she’s picked as a juror on a murder case. As the trial progresses, she realizes an ominous vision she had in the men’s restroom proves the defendant is innocent. And there’s not a cotton picking thing she can do about it.

Or is there?

As if things weren’t bad enough, Rose’s older sister Violet is going through a mid-life crisis. Violet insists that Rose stop seeing her sexy new boyfriend, Arkansas state detective Joe Simmons and date other men. Rose is done letting people boss her around, but she can’t commit to Joe either. Still, Rose isn’t about to let the best thing in her life slip away.

Half running and half jogging, by the time I reached the majestic steps to the old stone courthouse, I was a sweaty mess. The reflection in the window told me my hair had fallen from the stifling humid air, and the sweat on my forehead plastered the strands onto my face.

After passing through the massive wooden front doors, I stopped at security. An elderly security guard lifted a hand in warning. “You can’t come in without shoes, ma’am.”

I waved my heels. “I have shoes.”

“You have to be wearin’ shoes.” He raised his bushy eyebrows.

“Don’t I have to send them through an x-ray machine?”

The man leaned forward and narrowed his eyes. “This ain’t the airport, ma’am.”

“But my shoe’s broken.” I demonstrated the floppiness of the heel.

“No shoes, no entrance.”

“But I’m due for jury duty at nine!”

“Then you’re in a heap o’trouble. You don’t show and they’ll issue a warrant for your arrest. As it is, you’re already late.”

I bet Officer Barney Fife would volunteer to carry that warrant out. Once a lawbreaker, always a lawbreaker echoed in my head. “Fine,” I muttered, bending down and slipping my feet into my shoes. I limped past the guard.

“Hold up there! You can’t just go in. We need to examine your purse.”

I handed it over with an exaggerated sigh.

The guard looked me up and down before putting it on the conveyor belt. “Come around this way.” He waved to the end of the machine.

I walked over and waited as he ran the belt back and forth, back and forth, until he finally rolled my purse out and examined the contents.

“If you could just hurry a bit.” I said. “As you already know, I’m late for jury duty.”

His face lifted from studying my purse and he watched me for a second. “Security can’t be rushed, ma’am. Are you wanting me to hurry ’cause you’re tryin’ to hide something?”

“No! No! I swear, I’m just so late—”

He closed my purse and pushed a button on his radio strapped to his shoulder. “Ernie, I’m gonna need some assistance. Gotta 10-66. Over.”

“Copy that. I’ll be there in five. Over.” The radio crackled.

“Ma’am, if you could have a seat.” He waved to a plastic chair against the wall.

“What? I can’t go?”

“No, I need to do a patdown and I need another officer present to ensure that you’re not sexually harassed.”

“What?”

“Ma’am, take a seat or I’ll be forced to inform the judge that you’re obstructin’ justice.”

I flopped in the chair, indignation rising. He was discriminating against me because of my shoes. After sitting for several minutes, I realized I hadn’t been to the bathroom since I’d gotten up, and I’d had two cups of coffee. “Do you think I could go to the bathroom really quick?”

He shook his head. “Nope. The restrooms are located in a secure area.”

The entryway was hot and I waved my hand to try to cool off with little success while I crossed my legs back and forth. Thinking about having to go only made it worse. I watched the minute hand on the industrial wall clock move slowly around the face. Over ten minutes had passed and no Ernie. I stood. “Look, I really need to go report for jury duty. If you could just let me go—”

“Sit.”

“You can even pat me down, I swear I won’t sue you.”

“Sit.”

I was about to protest when I heard a familiar voice. “Well, well, well. It didn’t take you long to get into more trouble.” The police officer who’d given me the ticket hooked his thumbs into his belt and rocked back on his heels with a smug smile. “I can’t say I’m surprised.”

The security guard pointed toward me. “You know this one, Ernie?” His voice rose.

“Oh yeah, I just gave her a ticket for illegally parking.”

“I was gettin’ change,” I huffed.

“Then last month, there was the whole business with her mother’s murder.” He half-whispered the last word.

The security guard raised his eyebrows and appraised me with the new information. His hand rested on the butt of his gun.

“I was innocent! Daniel Crocker killed Momma.”

“Ma’am, I’m gonna need you to stand and spread your feet and hold your arms out, away from your body.”

I considered protesting. This was unfair, but I figured if I put up a fuss Officer Ernie would be only too happy to haul me down to the police station, a place I had no intention of going back to. “Hey,” I said as the guard started patting my sides. “This is the county courthouse and you’re a city police officer. What are you doin’ here?”

Ernie shifted his weight. “Robbie is off with gout so I’m dropping in to help Ol’ Matt when he needs assistance. Not that it’s any of your business.”

The guard moved down my legs and finally dropped his hands. “She’s clear.”

“You sure?” Officer Ernie asked. “She’s a sneaky one.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure.”

Ernie stuck out two fingers in the shape of a V and moved them from his eyes to me and back again. “I’m watchin’ you.”