Left to Hunt Read online

  L E F T

  T O

  H U N T

  (An Adele Sharp Mystery—Book Nine)

  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 nineteen books; of the AU PAIR psychological suspense thriller series, comprising three books; of the ZOE PRIME mystery series, comprising six books; of the ADELE SHARP mystery series, comprising thirteen books; of the EUROPEAN VOYAGE cozy mystery series, comprising six books (and counting); of the new LAURA FROST FBI suspense thriller, comprising three books (and counting); of the new ELLA DARK FBI suspense thriller, comprising six books (and counting); of the A YEAR IN EUROPE cozy mystery series, comprising nine books); of the AVA GOLD mystery series, comprising three books (and counting); and of the RACHEL GIFT mystery series, comprising three books (and counting).

  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 © 2021 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 Musjaka, used under license from Shutterstock.com.

  BOOKS BY BLAKE PIERCE

  RACHEL GIFT MYSTERY SERIES

  HER LAST WISH (Book #1)

  HER LAST CHANCE (Book #2)

  HER LAST HOPE (Book #3)

  AVA GOLD MYSTERY SERIES

  CITY OF PREY (Book #1)

  CITY OF FEAR (Book #2)

  CITY OF BONES (Book #3)

  A YEAR IN EUROPE

  A MURDER IN PARIS (Book #1)

  DEATH IN FLORENCE (Book #2)

  VENGEANCE IN VIENNA (Book #3)

  A FATALITY IN SPAIN (Book #4)

  SCANDAL IN LONDON (Book #5)

  AN IMPOSTOR IN DUBLIN (Book #6)

  SEDUCTION IN BORDEAUX (Book #7)

  JEALOUSY IN SWITZERLAND (Book #8)

  A DEBACLE IN PRAGUE (Book #9)

  ELLA DARK FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

  GIRL, ALONE (Book #1)

  GIRL, TAKEN (Book #2)

  GIRL, HUNTED (Book #3)

  GIRL, SILENCED (Book #4)

  GIRL, VANISHED (Book 5)

  GIRL ERASED (Book #6)

  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)

  LEFT TO VANISH (Book #8)

  LEFT TO HUNT (Book #9)

  LEFT TO FEAR (Book #10)

  LEFT TO PREY (Book #11)

  LEFT TO LURE (Book #12)

  LEFT TO CRAVE (Book #13)

  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)

  THE PERFECT IMAGE (Book #16)

  THE PERFECT VEIL (Book #17)

  THE PERFECT INDISCRETION (Book #18)

  THE PERFECT RUMOR (Book #19)

  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

  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 ONE

  Wide-eyed, Lorraine Strasser watched the masked woman float over the water. The Carnevale di Venezia was in full swing, and the thin wire attached to the floating woman's costume was nearly invisible against the dark skyline over the Grand Canal of Venice.

  Lorraine witnessed the flying woman loop from one building across the water towards another. A passing gondola beneath shone multi-colored lights into the air, illuminating her frilled dress and reflecting off the porcelain characteristics of her Venetian mask. Two golden horns twisted out of a lily-white face covering, blossoming with red and blue flowers.

  Lorraine stood at the edge of the small marble bridge looping over one of the channels, her eyes fixated on the spectacle above the city.

  Beyond the floating woman and her flowered mask, other floats and spectacles made their eerie way down the waterway, bobbing on the canal. Jugglers and jesters danced about a small flotilla, and—beyond them—illuminated by a spotlight, a woman in a giant see-through bubble spun around and around with dizzying speed.

  Crowding the walkways facing the waters, pedestrians, Venetians and tourists alike, all gathered to witness the displays of talent and beauty in the falling evening. Fireworks exploded in the distance and stray sparklers in the hands of mimes danced through the crowds of spectators.

  And this was only the second day of the week-long festival.

  Lorraine's eyes shimmered in delight at it all. However, she'd misplaced her friends—and now, as night continued to stretch later and later, she supposed it might not be safe to remain on her own in these crowded streets.

  Beauty and youth were both appreciated in Venice. But beauty and youth such as Lorraine's often attracted the wrong sorts of attention when the sun dipped its head.

  A couple of men, leaning against the opposite bridge rail were watching her and making no qualms about it, their eyes hazy and blinking, their cheeks stained red. The culprit of such facades lay in the discarded brown bottles at their feet, and the ones still gripped in their hands.

  One of the men with an unwashed face and untrimmed beard burped, winked at her and took a long swig. His friend leaned in, whispering something in the unruly man's ear. This seemed to embolden the fellow and he nodded once, pushing off the bridge's railing and beginning to move through the assembled spectators in Lorraine's direction.

  She winced, heading hurriedly the opposite direction.

  “Lady!” the man called in American English after her. “Hey! Stop!”

  But she pretended she couldn't hear, her heart hammering now, leading quickly down the marble bridge and along the wharf on the other side. She could feel her heartbeat rising, echoing in her ears. At the same time, the flying lady passed on the invisible wire above, accompanied by multi-hued spotlights chasing after her.

  The crowd oohed and ahhed, but now Lorraine was beginning to wish she'd had the good sense to stay with her friends. She glanced through the crowds, still moving and trying to keep her head low to avoid further harassment.

  She hastened quickly along the waterways and glanced back.

  The bleary-eyed man was still following her. And his drunk friend was now with him, waving after her and calling loudly while making kissing noises.

  Other spectators on the streets and paths lining the waters shushed the men or avoided them completely. Jugglers wearing Venetian masks were tossing flaming batons back and forth, women with darts were spinning on rotating wheels while tossing the darts back and forth to each other, hitting only wood.

  All of it had seemed so lovely, so wonderful and marvelous, but now Lorraine felt like Alice, lost in Wonderland. She felt the urge to break into a jog, but decided this would only communicate fear to her pursuers.

  She ducked past a stand where masks and art pieces were being sold, using the blockade of culture to disguise her trajectory. Then, quickly, she stepped into a slim alley between two rigid buildings, the scent of concrete mingling with the ever-present odor of moisture in the Venetian air.

  Her breathing came soft and quick in shallow gasps as she continued along the slim alley, hastening away from the walkways and paths. Had the drunks seen her? She glanced back, but the alley mouth remained empty.

  She smiled to herself, nodding quickly and moving even faster. She didn't quite remember this location but supposed if she made her way back towards the floating parade, she'd be able to find her friends soon enough. They were all supposed to meet at one of the small theaters. A masked production by Compagnia dei Cielo was taking place... Where was that theater again?

  She reached into her pocket, fiddling for her phone as she arrived at the opposite side of the slim alley, stepping out onto a wider street witnessed by windows and buildings and tall structures. She felt another flutter of relief in her chest.

  At the same time, she glanced up and down the sparse paths. No spectacles here, no masked balls, or sale of art or jugglers or actors or mimes or anything. This was a simple, quiet, residential path. No drunks to chase her either.

  Lorraine Strasser paused a moment, grateful for the respite as she scrolled through her phone to the text chain her friends had sent. The theater... ah, there. Only five minutes away. Not bad. She hadn't gotten too lost.

  She stowed the phone and looked up.

  A man in a Venetian mask was strolling towards her along the street. She smiled in the man's direction, wondering if perhaps he was a tourist joining in the fun or another local. She didn't smile too long, though. Another curse of youth and beauty. Any affirmation could often warrant entirely wrong sorts of attention. Perhaps she ought to have bought a mask herself.

  She shook her head, though, considering the directions from her phone in her mind and then moving up the street.

  The man with the mask continued along towards her... But was it her imagination or had he altered his trajectory a bit?

  She cleared her throat delicately, making a show of looking at the street signs before moving quickly between a barrier of two bronze benches and heading to the opposite side of the street.

  The man crossed the street as well.

  “Excuse me,” she muttered quickly, her heart skipping again. Where were her friends? She t
urned and began to hurry in the opposite direction of the approaching man.

  But all pretense faded in that horrible moment.

  A sudden flurry of rapid footfalls.

  She spun around, panicked, and glimpsed the pale porcelain mask flash by as the man fell on her. Another flash, this one harsher, colder in the moonlight above. Something metal. A blade.

  And then sudden pain.

  CHAPTER TWO

  In the chill of the earliest part of morning, Adele shivered at the thought of someone spying on her. She glanced at her phone again, watching the feed of her apartment building from where she stood in the alley across the street from her old childhood home. It had taken her two weeks of bereavement leave, and more than one favor with the more technically savvy agents at the DGSI, but now she had managed to trace the origin of the video feed.

  A stroke of luck she had found the hidden camera at all.

  Two days into her break from work, Adele had wanted to think like the killer. Think like someone always one step ahead. Strategy required information. Information required surveillance. At first, she had combed her own apartment from every tile to every electrical outlet, to every light fixture. No stone left unturned. Then, she had tried the rest of the building. And finally had she started looking at the structures across the street.

  There, hidden in plain sight, a rogue camera, under the awning of the small sundry shop.

  She shivered again. It would be just like the Spade killer to taunt her by living this close.

  She stared up the fire escape, her eyes tracing the grooves in the brickwork as she acknowledged the fourth floor. An external air conditioning unit whirred and rattled, two fluttering blue ribbons whistling from the small window unit's fan.

  "Someone's home," she murmured to herself.

  She was off duty and, technically during a leave of bereavement, carrying her service weapon in France wasn't strictly by the book. But now her fingers traced beneath her jacket, falling on the rigid grip of the gun. Both cold and reassuring against her fingertips.