Left to Murder (An Adele Sharp Mystery—Book Five) Read online

  L E F T

  T O

  M U R D E R

  (An Adele Sharp Mystery—Book Five)

  B L A K E P I E R C E

  Blake Pierce

  Blake Pierce is the USA Today bestselling author of the RILEY PAGE mystery series, which includes seventeen books. Blake Pierce is also the author of the MACKENZIE WHITE mystery series, comprising fourteen books; of the AVERY BLACK mystery series, comprising six books; of the KERI LOCKE mystery series, comprising five books; of the MAKING OF RILEY PAIGE mystery series, comprising six books; of the KATE WISE mystery series, comprising seven books; of the CHLOE FINE psychological suspense mystery, comprising six books; of the JESSE HUNT psychological suspense thriller series, comprising fourteen books (and counting); of the AU PAIR psychological suspense thriller series, comprising three books; of the ZOE PRIME mystery series, comprising four books (and counting); of the new ADELE SHARP mystery series, comprising six books (and counting); of the new EUROPEAN VOYAGE cozy mystery series, comprising six books (and counting); and of the new LAURA FROST FBI suspense thriller.

  ONCE GONE (a Riley Paige Mystery--Book #1), BEFORE HE KILLS (A Mackenzie White Mystery—Book 1), CAUSE TO KILL (An Avery Black Mystery—Book 1), A TRACE OF DEATH (A Keri Locke Mystery—Book 1), WATCHING (The Making of Riley Paige—Book 1), NEXT DOOR (A Chloe Fine Psychological Suspense Mystery—Book 1), THE PERFECT WIFE (A Jessie Hunt Psychological Suspense Thriller—Book One), and IF SHE KNEW (A Kate Wise Mystery—Book 1) are each available as a free download on Amazon!

  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 © 2020 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 Adam Fichna, used under license from Shutterstock.com.

  BOOKS BY BLAKE PIERCE

  LAURA FROST FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

  ALREADY GONE (Book #1)

  ALREADY SEEN (Book #2)

  ALREADY TRAPPED (Book #3)

  EUROPEAN VOYAGE COZY MYSTERY SERIES

  MURDER (AND BAKLAVA) (Book #1)

  DEATH (AND APPLE STRUDEL) (Book #2)

  CRIME (AND LAGER) (Book #3)

  MISFORTUNE (AND GOUDA) (Book #4)

  CALAMITY (AND A DANISH) (Book #5)

  MAYHEM (AND HERRING) (Book #6)

  ADELE SHARP MYSTERY SERIES

  LEFT TO DIE (Book #1)

  LEFT TO RUN (Book #2)

  LEFT TO HIDE (Book #3)

  LEFT TO KILL (Book #4)

  LEFT TO MURDER (Book #5)

  LEFT TO ENVY (Book #6)

  LEFT TO LAPSE (Book #7)

  THE AU PAIR SERIES

  ALMOST GONE (Book#1)

  ALMOST LOST (Book #2)

  ALMOST DEAD (Book #3)

  ZOE PRIME MYSTERY SERIES

  FACE OF DEATH (Book#1)

  FACE OF MURDER (Book #2)

  FACE OF FEAR (Book #3)

  FACE OF MADNESS (Book #4)

  FACE OF FURY (Book #5)

  FACE OF DARKNESS (Book #6)

  A JESSIE HUNT PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE SERIES

  THE PERFECT WIFE (Book #1)

  THE PERFECT BLOCK (Book #2)

  THE PERFECT HOUSE (Book #3)

  THE PERFECT SMILE (Book #4)

  THE PERFECT LIE (Book #5)

  THE PERFECT LOOK (Book #6)

  THE PERFECT AFFAIR (Book #7)

  THE PERFECT ALIBI (Book #8)

  THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR (Book #9)

  THE PERFECT DISGUISE (Book #10)

  THE PERFECT SECRET (Book #11)

  THE PERFECT FAÇADE (Book #12)

  THE PERFECT IMPRESSION (Book #13)

  THE PERFECT DECEIT (Book #14)

  THE PERFECT MISTRESS (Book #15)

  CHLOE FINE PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE SERIES

  NEXT DOOR (Book #1)

  A NEIGHBOR’S LIE (Book #2)

  CUL DE SAC (Book #3)

  SILENT NEIGHBOR (Book #4)

  HOMECOMING (Book #5)

  TINTED WINDOWS (Book #6)

  KATE WISE MYSTERY SERIES

  IF SHE KNEW (Book #1)

  IF SHE SAW (Book #2)

  IF SHE RAN (Book #3)

  IF SHE HID (Book #4)

  IF SHE FLED (Book #5)

  IF SHE FEARED (Book #6)

  IF SHE HEARD (Book #7)

  THE MAKING OF RILEY PAIGE SERIES

  WATCHING (Book #1)

  WAITING (Book #2)

  LURING (Book #3)

  TAKING (Book #4)

  STALKING (Book #5)

  KILLING (Book #6)

  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)

  ONCE FORSAKEN (Book #7)

  ONCE COLD (Book #8)

  ONCE STALKED (Book #9)

  ONCE LOST (Book #10)

  ONCE BURIED (Book #11)

  ONCE BOUND (Book #12)

  ONCE TRAPPED (Book #13)

  ONCE DORMANT (Book #14)

  ONCE SHUNNED (Book #15)

  ONCE MISSED (Book #16)

  ONCE CHOSEN (Book #17)

  MACKENZIE WHITE MYSTERY SERIES

  BEFORE HE KILLS (Book #1)

  BEFORE HE SEES (Book #2)

  BEFORE HE COVETS (Book #3)

  BEFORE HE TAKES (Book #4)

  BEFORE HE NEEDS (Book #5)

  BEFORE HE FEELS (Book #6)

  BEFORE HE SINS (Book #7)

  BEFORE HE HUNTS (Book #8)

  BEFORE HE PREYS (Book #9)

  BEFORE HE LONGS (Book #10)

  BEFORE HE LAPSES (Book #11)

  BEFORE HE ENVIES (Book #12)

  BEFORE HE STALKS (Book #13)

  BEFORE HE HARMS (Book #14)

  AVERY BLACK MYSTERY SERIES

  CAUSE TO KILL (Book #1)

  CAUSE TO RUN (Book #2)

  CAUSE TO HIDE (Book #3)

  CAUSE TO FEAR (Book #4)

  CAUSE TO SAVE (Book #5)

  CAUSE TO DREAD (Book #6)

  KERI LOCKE MYSTERY SERIES

  A TRACE OF DEATH (Book #1)

  A TRACE OF MUDER (Book #2)

  A TRACE OF VICE (Book #3)

  A TRACE OF CRIME (Book #4)

  A TRACE OF HOPE (Book #5)

  CONTENTS

  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

  CHAP
TER 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 ONE

  A lonely ray of light refracted through the violet liquid in the bulbous glass, casting a purplish sheen across the naked table. Streaks of azure formed in the blue stone swirls of the circular surface, and Amelia Gueyen wiped down the table, retrieving the remaining glass and placing it on the brown tray resting askew across the backrests of two cushioned chairs.

  She arched her back, wincing against a small twinge, before balancing the tray of half-sipped wine glasses and returning to the crisscrossing wooden display case behind the carved oak counter. She sighed, tipping the contents of the glasses into the metal sink hidden behind the counter’s oak frame, before placing the delicate crystal in the plastic wash-holder. One of the openers tomorrow would slot the things into the economy-sized dishwasher before the first customers arrived. She hoped they would remember to leave the settings on low this time. She didn’t want it to be like last time, where she had to clean up a fiasco of shattered glass pieces scattered throughout the most expensive appliance in the place.

  She felt another twinge and half-turned, shifting uncomfortably in her white and black uniform. Swirling gold and blue letters spelled the name Chateau Bordeaux across her lapel, next to the small golden badge that bore the letters GUEYEN.

  She glanced toward the dipping sun through the glass windows set in the far wall of the wine-tasting studio. She blinked a couple of times against the sparkles of light tiptoeing through the veiled glass. Evening was quickly approaching. She glanced at her watch. 4:23.

  Nearly half an hour after they’d closed.

  So why was there still a gray sedan in the far parking space behind the dumpsters? She frowned and tilted her head, staring behind the counter that led into the kitchens. “Andre?” she called, raising her voice. “Andre, are you here?”

  No answer.

  She wrinkled her nose. She gently pushed the wooden tray, making sure it was stable on the counter, before dusting off her hands and moving with swift steps through the room toward the glass window. She didn’t recognize the gray car—nor did she know any of the employees silly enough to park so close to the dumpsters.

  “Andre?” she called again, raising her voice.

  Sometimes the older sommelier would stop by during Amelia Gueyen’s hours. She never appreciated these surprise visits—and it often felt like the older man looked over her shoulder during every movement, as if judging her words or behavior.

  While it was true she’d only been working as a sommelier for the last year, she’d spent enough time in study, along with growing up on her grandfather’s own vineyard, that she was happy to test her knowledge and palate against the best wine-tasters in the game.

  The last group of tourists who’d passed through certainly hadn’t seemed to have any complaints. Especially not the last bearded fellow with the belly—he’d tried to slide her his number in his glass. She’d tossed the contents in the sink while he’d watched from across the room. His look of dejection hadn’t pleased her, but one could only stomach so much unsolicited attention before exhaustion set in. Sparing feelings was not why Amelia had signed up for this job—grapes didn’t have feelings, and fermentation was a slow, careful art, but also a science. A sommelier’s job, combined with the vineyard, was the perfect marriage of science and art in Amelia Gueyen’s estimation.

  She reached the window now, peering out into the parking lot beyond the wine-tasting studio. For a moment, she felt a flicker of fear. What if the car belonged to the bearded fellow? Maybe he’d been embarrassed in front of his friends when she’d tossed the note.

  Maybe he wanted to have a word. Maybe more…

  She shivered and quickly hurried to the door, ignoring the twinge in her back from over-lifting a carton earlier that day. She moved toward the lock, but just then, the small tinkling chimes above the door rattled quietly, emitting a soft, musical series of notes.

  And the door creaked open, slowly, with the eerie motion of a coffin lid sliding ajar.

  Amelia stiffened, staring at the door, one hand half-extended, the other massaging her lower back. Her eyes darted to the wooden tray she’d left on the counter. She could feel the thin veil of sweat from a day on her feet, still pressing into her uniform. She stood, legs frozen as she watched the door widen, pushing a strand of hair past her cheek and brushing a glaze of sweat along the edge of her temple.

  “Sorry,” she called, reflexively, “we’re closed!” Her last word came out in a bit of a squawk as she watched the figure sidle into the studio.

  A second later, she felt a flash of relief. It wasn’t the bearded bear-gut after all. In fact, as she looked, she felt a sudden, impulsive sense of self-consciousness. The man now standing in front of her looked as if he’d stepped off a movie set. Impossibly handsome, with a thin, neatly trimmed beard and eyes like sapphires speckled with starlight. He didn’t have a single hair out of place, and though she was used to the many fragrant odors of her workplace, she detected one she hadn’t smelled before—a faint hint of a citrus aftershave. He smiled at her and nodded politely as he stepped into the studio and gave a small wave with a gentle hand.

  Amelia often could determine the career of someone based purely on their hands. Something a sommelier often paid attention to in their clients—the bruises, the thickness of calluses, the softness of fingertips. She had spotted musicians, laborers, and once even a banker based purely on the hands.

  This man had the hands of a painter, or, perhaps, a surgeon. Careful, lean fingers. He also held a small black bag—like that of a physician, or like the veterinarian who had once visited her mother when their cat had been sick.

  She smiled politely at the man, but inwardly was in turmoil. She smoothed the front of her uniform and hastily tried to adjust her hair, but then felt a pulse of embarrassment as she realized she’d likely sweated through her uniform and was showing him the unsightly splotches by lifting her arms. Just as quickly she dropped her elbows and stood straight-backed, returning his smile.

  “I’m—I’m sorry,” she stammered. “We’re closed.”

  The man’s countenance dropped. It was like watching the sun set, a radiance disappearing behind a horizon of disappointment.

  “But we only just closed,” she said, quickly, as if trying to catch his disappointment before it hit the ground. “I suppose I could pour you a glass of our special. In fact,” she added, with no small amount of pride, “I had a say in the recipe.”

  The man’s face brightened again. He nodded at her, dipping his head in a sort of little bow. He spoke then, in an American accent, his French clipped and clean, but also hesitant as he fished for the proper words. “That would be a pleasure,” he said. He smiled at her, and then he moved over to one of the tables she had recently cleared.

  Amelia watched as he moved, tracking his form through the neat suit and dress pants. It almost looked like he’d recently come from a wedding or funeral. She made a mental note to ask if the opportunity arose.

  Amelia glanced back at the door. She knew it was against the studio’s policy to have people in after hours. Unlocking the cash register off-timer would be a headache as well. Then again, though she hated to admit it, over the last year, she’d had a number of customers like Mr. Bearded Beer-Gut. She was starting to get tired of unwanted attention. Was it really so bad to use her job, for the first time, to entertain some attention she actually l
ooked forward to?

  She looked at him, smiling slightly. He really was quite handsome. Perhaps not as tall as she would’ve liked, but those eyes, that jawline, the posture, the confident swagger, all of it cumulatively made up for any small defect she might have spotted.

  Another drawback of being someone whose job it was to critique: some thought she was overly critical in the partners she chose, but Amelia could pick out a ten-euro bottle of wine in comparison to a hundred-euro bottle. She could detect the taste in an instant, and in the same way, she wanted quality in the men in her life.

  The handsome man sat at the table and leaned back, placing his small, black physician’s bag on the table. It was then she noticed he was wearing gloves. Riding gloves? Or perhaps driving gloves?

  The gloves were black, with stitched seams, and he tapped his fingers against the table for a moment. Slowly, she watched as he peeled off the gloves and placed them into the physician’s bag. He zipped the bag back up, though not fully. This time, she glimpsed something glinting within. A matchbook?

  He wasn’t a smoker, was he? She hated it when that happened. Not the vice itself—the prettiest ones always had some hidden crutch. She simply preferred finding out about it after she got what she wanted.

  Amelia allowed her eyes to stretch up and down the American once more, taking him in, wondering what he looked like without that suit on. Then, smirking to herself, she moved over behind the counter, withdrawing one of the special stock from the wooden slot at the back of the display case. Then, retrieving two clean glasses, she moved back toward where he waited.

  He noticed the second glass. “Will you be joining me?” he called across the room, still cranking his smile to a ten.

  She shrugged back at him over the counter. “If you don’t mind. My shift is almost over as it is.”

  The man chuckled. “It will be our little secret.”

  She brushed a strand of hair back into submission behind her ear and then returned to the table, her heels clicking against the floor as she strode back toward the man. She placed the tray and the two glasses on the table next to him. She hesitated, then realized she’d left her wine opener back with the other dirtied glasses.