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  O N C E P I N E D

  (A RILEY PAIGE MYSTERY—BOOK 6)

  B L A K E P I E R C E

  Blake Pierce

  Blake Pierce is author of the bestselling RILEY PAGE mystery series, which includes six books (and counting). Blake Pierce is also the author of the MACKENZIE WHITE mystery series, comprising three books (and counting); of the AVERY BLACK mystery series, comprising three books (and counting); and of the new KERI LOCKE mystery series.

  An avid reader and lifelong fan of the mystery and thriller genres, Blake loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.blakepierceauthor.com to learn more and stay in touch.

  Copyright © 2016 by Blake Pierce. 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 permission of the author. This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Jacket image Copyright GongTo, used under license from Shutterstock.com.

  BOOKS BY BLAKE PIERCE

  RILEY PAIGE MYSTERY SERIES

  ONCE GONE (Book #1)

  ONCE TAKEN (Book #2)

  ONCE CRAVED (Book #3)

  ONCE LURED (Book #4)

  ONCE HUNTED (Book #5)

  ONCE PINED (Book #6)

  MACKENZIE WHITE MYSTERY SERIES

  BEFORE HE KILLS (Book #1)

  BEFORE HE SEES (Book #2)

  BEFORE HE COVETS (Book #3)

  AVERY BLACK MYSTERY SERIES

  CAUSE TO KILL (Book #1)

  CAUSE TO RUN (Book #2)

  CAUSE TO HIDE (Book #3)

  KERI LOCKE MYSTERY SERIES

  A TRACE OF DEATH (Book #1)

  CONTENTS

  PROLOGUE

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

  CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

  CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

  CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

  CHAPTER THIRTY TWO

  CHAPTER THIRTY THREE

  CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR

  CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE

  CHAPTER THIRTY SIX

  CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN

  CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT

  CHAPTER THIRTY NINE

  CHAPTER FORTY

  CHAPTER FORTY ONE

  EPILOGUE

  PROLOGUE

  The physical therapist smiled kindly at her patient, Cody Woods, as she turned off the machine.

  “I think that’s enough CPM for the day,” she told him as his leg gradually stopped moving.

  The machine had been slowly and passively moving his leg for a couple of hours now, helping him recover from his knee replacement surgery.

  “I’d almost forgotten it was on, Hallie,” Cody said with a slight chuckle.

  She felt a bittersweet pang. She liked that name—Hallie. It was the name she’d used whenever she’d worked here at the Signet Rehabilitation Center as a freelance physical therapist.

  It seemed to her rather a shame that Hallie Stillians was going to disappear tomorrow, as if she’d never existed.

  Still, that was the way things had to be.

  And besides, she had other names that she liked just as well.

  Hallie took the continuous passive motion machine off the bed and set it on the floor. She gently straightened Cody’s leg and arranged the covers around him.

  Finally she stroked Cody’s hair—an intimate gesture that she knew most therapists would avoid. But she often did little things like that, and she’d never had a patient who minded. She knew that she projected a certain warmth and empathy—and most of all, complete sincerity. A little innocent touching was perfectly appropriate, coming from her. No one ever misunderstood.

  “How’s the pain?” she asked.

  Cody had been having some unusual swelling and inflammation after the operation. That was why he’d stayed here an extra three days and hadn’t gone home yet. That was also why Hallie had been brought in to work her special healing magic. The staff here at the center knew Hallie’s work well. The staff liked her, and patients liked her, so she often got called in for situations like this.

  “The pain?” Cody said. “I’d almost forgotten about it. Your voice made it go away.”

  Hallie felt flattered but not surprised. She’d been reading a book to him while he’d been on the CPM machine—an espionage thriller. She knew her voice had a calming effect—almost like an anesthetic. It didn’t matter whether she was reading Dickens or some pulp novel or the newspaper. Patients didn’t need much pain medication when they were under her care; the sound of her voice was often enough.

  “So is it true that I can go home tomorrow?” Cody asked.

  Hallie hesitated just a split second. She couldn’t be entirely truthful. She wasn’t sure how her patient would be feeling by tomorrow.

  “That’s what they tell me,” she said. “How does it feel to know that?”

  A sad expression crossed Cody’s face.

  “I don’t know,” he said. “In just three weeks, they’re doing my other knee. But you won’t be here to help me through it.”

  Hallie took hold of his hand and held it gently. She was sorry that he felt this way. Since he’d been under her care, she’d told him a long story about her supposed life—a rather boring story, she’d thought, but he’d seemed enchanted by it.

  Finally, she’d explained to him that her husband, Rupert, was about to retire from his career as a CPA. Her younger son, James, was down in Hollywood trying to make it as a screenwriter. Her older son, Wendell, was right here in Seattle teaching linguistics at the University of Washington. Now that the kids were grown and out of the house, she and Rupert were moving to a lovely colonial village in Mexico, where they planned to spend the rest of their lives. They were leaving tomorrow.

  It was a beautiful story, she thought.

  And yet none of it was true.

  She lived at home, alone.

  Utterly alone.

  “Oh look, your tea has gotten cold,” she said. “I’ll just heat it up for you.”

  Cody smiled and said, “Yes, please. That would be nice. And have some yourself. The teapot is right there on the counter.”

  Hallie smiled and said, “Of course,” just as she did every time they repeated this routine. She got up from her chair, picked up Cody’s mug of lukewarm tea, and took it to the counter.

  But this time,
she reached into her purse beside the microwave. She took out a small plastic medicine container and emptied the contents of the container into Cody’s tea. She did it quickly, stealthily, a practiced move she had down, and she felt certain he had not seen her. Even so, her heart beat just a little bit faster.

  She then poured her own tea and put both mugs into the microwave.

  I’ve got to keep these straight, she reminded herself. The yellow mug for Cody, blue for me.

  While the microwave hummed, she sat down beside Cody again and looked at him without saying anything.

  He had a nice face, she thought. But he’d told her about his own life, and she knew that he was sad. He had been sad for a long time. He’d been a prize-winning athlete when he was in high school. But he’d injured his knees playing football, ending his hopes for an athletic career. Those same injuries at long last led to his need for knee replacements.

  His life ever since had been marked by tragedy. His first wife had died of a car wreck, and his second wife left him for another man. He had two grown children, but they didn’t speak to him anymore. He’d also had a heart attack just a few years ago.

  She admired the fact that he didn’t seem the least bit bitter. In fact, he seemed full of hope and optimism about the future.

  She thought he was sweet, but naive.

  She knew that his life wasn’t going to take a turn for the better.

  It was too late for that.

  The bell from the microwave snapped her out of her little reverie. Cody was looking up at her with kindly, expectant eyes.

  She patted his hand, got up, and walked over to the microwave. She took out the mugs, which were now hot to the touch.

  She reminded herself yet again.

  Yellow for Cody, blue for me.

  It was important not to mix them up.

  They both sipped their tea without saying much. Hallie liked to think of these moments as times of quiet companionship. It made her a little sad to realize that there would be no more of them. After just a few days, this patient would no longer need her.

  Soon Cody was nodding off to sleep. She had mixed the powder with just enough sleeping medicine to make sure he did.

  Hallie got up and gathered her belongings to leave.

  And then she began to sing softly, a song she’d known for as long as she could remember:

  Far from home,

  So far from home—

  This little baby’s far from home.

  You pine away

  From day to day

  Too sad to laugh, too sad to play.

  No need to weep,

  Dream long and deep.

  Give yourself to slumber’s sweep.

  No more sighs,

  Just close your eyes

  And you will go home in your sleep.

  His eyes closed, she stroked his hair from his face lovingly.

  Then, with a gentle kiss on the forehead, she stood and walked away.

  CHAPTER ONE

  FBI Agent Riley Paige worried as she walked through the jetway at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. She’d been anxious all during the flight from Reagan Washington International. She’d come here in a hurry because she’d heard that a teenage girl was missing—Jilly—a girl Riley felt especially protective toward. She was determined to help the girl and was even thinking about trying to adopt her.

  As Riley stepped through the exit gate, walking hurriedly, she looked up and was shocked to see the very girl herself standing there, FBI agent Garrett Holbrook from the Phoenix field office beside her.

  Thirteen-year-old Jilly Scarlatti stood next to Garrett, blinking back, clearly waiting for her.

  Riley was confused. It was Garrett who had called to tell her that Jilly had run away and was nowhere to be found.

  Before Riley could ask any questions, though, Jilly rushed forward and threw herself into her arms, sobbing.

  “Oh, Riley, I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. I’ll never do it again.”

  Riley hugged Jilly comfortingly, looking at Garrett for an explanation. Garrett’s sister, Bonnie Flaxman, had tried to take Jilly in as a foster child. But Jilly had rebelled and run away.

  Garrett smiled a little—an unusual expression from a normally taciturn man.

  “She called Bonnie shortly after you left Fredericksburg,” he said. “She said she just wanted to say goodbye once and for all. But then Bonnie told her that you were on your way here to take her home with you. She got really excited and told us where to pick her up.”

  He looked at Riley.

  “Your flying all the way here saved her,” he concluded.

  Riley just stood there for a moment, Jilly sobbing in her arms, feeling oddly clumsy and helpless.

  Jilly whispered something that Riley couldn’t hear.

  “What?” Riley asked.

  Jilly drew her face back and looked into Riley’s eyes, her own earnest brown eyes filled with tears.

  “Mom?” she said in a choked, shy voice. “Can I call you Mom?”

  Riley hugged her close again, overwhelmed by a confusing onslaught of emotions.

  “Of course,” Riley said.

  Then she turned to Garrett. “Thank you so much for everything you’ve done.”

  “I’m glad I could help, at least a little,” he replied. “Do you need a place to stay while you’re here?”

  “No. Now that she’s been found, there’s no point. We’ll catch the next flight back.”

  Garrett shook her hand. “I hope this works out for both of you.”

  Then he left.

  Riley looked down at the teenager who was still clinging to her. She was struck with an odd mix of elation to have found her and concern for what the future might hold for them both.

  “Let’s go grab a burger,” she said to Jilly.

  *

  It was snowing lightly during the drive home from Reagan Washington International Airport. Jilly sat staring silently out the window as Riley drove. Her silence was a big change after the more than four-hour flight from Phoenix. Then, Jilly hadn’t been able to stop talking. She’d never been on a plane before and was curious about absolutely everything.

  Why is she so quiet now? Riley wondered.

  It occurred to her that snow must be an unusual sight for a girl who had lived all her life in Arizona.

  “Have you ever seen snow before?” Riley asked.

  “Only on TV.”

  “Do you like it?” Riley said.

  Jilly didn’t reply, which made Riley feel uneasy. She remembered the first time she had seen Jilly. The girl had run away from an abusive father. In sheer desperation, she had decided to become a prostitute. She’d gone to a truck stop that was notorious as a pickup place for prostitutes—“lot lizards,” they were called, because they were especially down-and-out.

  Riley had gone there investigating a series of murders of prostitutes. She’d happened to find Jilly hidden away in the cab of a truck, waiting to sell herself to the driver whenever he came back.

  Riley had gotten Jilly into Child Protective Services and had stayed in touch with her. Garrett’s sister had taken Jilly in as a foster child, but eventually Jilly had run away again.

  It was then that Riley had decided to take Jilly home herself.

  But now she was starting to wonder if she’d made a mistake. She already had her own fifteen-year-old daughter, April, to take care of. April alone could be a handful. They had been through some traumatic experiences together since Riley’s marriage had broken up.

  And what did she really know about Jilly? Did Riley have any idea how deeply scarred the girl might be? Was she the least bit prepared to deal with the challenges Jilly might present? And although April had approved of her bringing Jilly home, how would the two teenagers get along?

  Suddenly, Jilly spoke.

  “Where am I going to sleep?”

  Riley felt relieved to hear Jilly’s voice.

  “You’ll have your own room,” she said. “It�
��s small, but I think it’s just right for you.”

  Jilly fell silent for another moment.

  Then she said, “Was it somebody else’s room?”

  Jilly sounded worried now.

  “Not since I’ve lived there,” Riley said. “I tried using it as an office, but it was too big. So I moved my office into my bedroom. April and I bought you a bed and a dresser, but when we have time, you can pick out some posters and a bedspread that you like.”

  “My own room,” Jilly said.

  Riley thought she sounded more apprehensive than happy.

  “Where does April sleep?” Jilly asked.

  Riley more than half wanted to tell Jilly to just wait until they got home, and then she’d see everything for herself. But the girl sounded like she needed reassurance right this minute.

  “April has her own room,” Riley said. “You and April will share a bathroom, though. I’ve got my own bathroom.”

  “Who cleans? Who cooks?” Jilly asked. Then she added anxiously, “I’m not a good enough cook.”

  “Our housekeeper, Gabriela, takes care of all that. She’s from Guatemala. She lives with us, in her own apartment downstairs. You’ll meet her soon. She’ll take care of you when I have to be away.”

  Another silence fell.

  Then Jilly asked, “Will Gabriela beat me?”

  Riley was stunned by the question.

  “No. Of course not. Why would you think that?”

  Jilly didn’t reply. Riley tried to comprehend what she meant.

  She tried to tell herself that she shouldn’t be surprised. She remembered what Jilly had said when she’d found her in the truck cab and told her that she needed to go home.

  “I’m not going home. My dad will beat me up if I go back.”

  Social services in Phoenix had already removed Jilly from her father’s custody. Riley knew that Jilly’s mother had gone missing long ago. Jilly had a brother somewhere, but nobody had heard from him in a while.

  It broke Riley’s heart to realize that Jilly might be expecting similar treatment in her new home. It seemed that the poor girl could barely imagine anything better in life.