Left to Crave (An Adele Sharp Mystery—Book Thirteen) Read online

  L E F T

  T O

  C R A V E

  (An Adele Sharp Mystery—Book Thirteen)

  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 twenty one 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 fifteen books, of the EUROPEAN VOYAGE cozy mystery series, comprising four books; of the new LAURA FROST FBI suspense thriller, comprising six books (and counting); of the new ELLA DARK FBI suspense thriller, comprising eleven books (and counting); of the A YEAR IN EUROPE cozy mystery series, comprising nine books, of the AVA GOLD mystery series, comprising six books (and counting); and of the RACHEL GIFT mystery series, comprising six books (and counting).

  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), IF SHE KNEW (A Kate Wise Mystery—Book 1), MURDER (AND BAKLAVA) (A European Voyage Cozy Mystery—Book 1), LEFT TO DIE (An Adele Sharp Mystery—Book One), and A MURDER IN PARIS (A Year in Europe—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 © 2022 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 elegeyda, 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)

  HER LAST FEAR (Book #4)

  HER LAST CHOICE (Book #5)

  HER LAST BREATH (Book #6)

  AVA GOLD MYSTERY SERIES

  CITY OF PREY (Book #1)

  CITY OF FEAR (Book #2)

  CITY OF BONES (Book #3)

  CITY OF GHOSTS (Book #4)

  CITY OF DEATH (Book #5)

  CITY OF VICE (Book #6)

  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)

  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)

  GIRL, FORSAKEN (Book #7)

  GIRL, TRAPPED (Book #8)

  GIRL, EXPENDABLE (Book #9)

  GIRL, ESCAPED (Book #10)

  GIRL, HIS (Book #11)

  LAURA FROST FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

  ALREADY GONE (Book #1)

  ALREADY SEEN (Book #2)

  ALREADY TRAPPED (Book #3)

  ALREADY MISSING (Book #4)

  ALREADY DEAD (Book #5)

  ALREADY TAKEN (Book #6)

  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)

  LEFT TO LOATHE (Book #14)

  LEFT TO HARM (Book #15)

  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)

  THE PERFECT COUPLE (Book #20)

  THE PERFECT MURDER (Book #21)

  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 MURDER (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

  EPILOGUE

  CHAPTER ONE

  In the quiet, in the mist, beneath the rustling branches of old, regimented trees, Adele Sharp stood over the body. Her breath plumed on the chill air, mingling with the swirl of opaque moisture. The trickling stream whispered at her feet. An accusatory sound, a burbling, murmuring hum of gossip as the water fled, carrying rumors through the rest of the park.

  Adele's hands trembled at her side... With soft motions, she wiped the mud from her sidearm, placing it back in her holster, then buttoning it. Part of her wanted to fling the weapon as far away as she could, hiding it in the woods on the edge of the park.

  But even now, she could hear the sound of sirens. Could hear the sound of rapidly approaching feet.

  “Adele!” Agent Renee's voice was easy to pick out among the others shouts and calls. “Claudia! Hello!”

  She didn't have the strength to respond. Behind her, Agent Renee's young daughter still clutched her backpack like a shield, sheltered under the bridge above. Her small shoes were stained in mud, and she kept shooting Adele looks of fear, as if wondering if she dared respond to the shouts in the woods.

  Adele felt a lance of shame. “It's going to be fine,” she murmured over her shoulder, not quite looking at the terrified ten-year-old.

  She looked back towards the water. At least he was face-down. This way, in death, he could no longer watch her.

  The Painter... a man with many names, none of them his original. She only knew him as the monster who'd tortured her mother to death.

  And now Adele, and the rest of Paris, would only know him as a corpse.

  Thin trails of red from the gunshots to his legs were still staining the stream, carried away by the churning liquid. His hand still clutched the knife he'd been reaching for, desperately.

  He simply hadn't been able to let go of that stupid knife.

  And so he'd drowned. His legs too weak from the wounds to rise.

  And she'd watched him...

  She could've helped—Adele knew that much. She could have pulled him from the stream. But she'd shot him, watched him bleed in dark satisfaction, then watched him drown. She could still envision those little bubbles escaping from his horrible little mouth. The way they'd burst on the stream, a few feet further from where he'd submerged, thanks to the current.

  It wasn't so much that she'd watched...

  Wasn't even so much that she'd shot him.

  More so... it was because she was glad that she'd done it.

  Glad she hadn't helped. Glad she'd let him die.

  Of course, according to DGSI training, refusal to render aid to a subdued suspect was akin to homicide. She'd killed the man who'd murdered her mother. Who'd tortured Robert Henry. Who'd hunted her ex-boyfriend.

  “Adele!” a sudden, yelping shout from on top of the embankment. She heard footsteps, cursing. The sound of sirens still in the distance.

  More murmured voices as figures followed Agent Renee's lead down the muddy embankment towards the bridge.

  “Adele, where is—are you—”

  The large Frenchman was shouting, but she could barely even hear him. She began to point under the bridge, her fingers still trembling horribly. So this was what shock felt like—she'd experienced it before, but never so potent. Her mind was misfiring. She couldn't quite make sense...

  Ten years of her life... Ten years of motivation had all led to this.

  Who was she now? What was she?

  “Adele—Adele are you—Claudia! Holy Christ—Claudia! Come here... It's fine darling, come, come to me. No—no, don't be scared. Come here, dear please. Officer get away from her! Get back. Claudia, are you okay?”

  Adele was still staring at the water, still staring at the corpse beneath the stream. One of the pale hands was fluttering now, loose, jounced about by the turbid churn. She didn't want to look back. Didn't want to meet John Renee's eyes. How many officers were with him?

  Vaguely she heard more voices, the sound of more footsteps on the muddy hill. She heard the slap of booted feet against the bridge over the water. Then a shout from an unfamiliar tone. “A body—captain, there! See it?”

  “Shit—go get an EMT. Agent Sharp!” another voice she didn't recognize barked. “Sharp, is he dead?”

  More cursing, hurried footsteps. She was still standing over the corpse, still shivering. But she managed a single nod.

  Dead? Was he?

  Practically impossible to believe. How could he be dead? After all these years... was the bogeyman in the closet finally gone? Was she finally free?

  Christ... It seemed unbelievable.

  She thought of Robert Henry. Thought, even, of offering up a little prayer of gratitude like he so often had. But the words didn't fit her lips the same way they had his. She thought of closing her eyes, picturing her mother's smile. The truest love she'd ever experienced.

  But this, too, seemed only a figment, a flyaway thought.

  “What happened?” a voice demanded at her side. She felt a rough hand tugging at her arm. “Agent Sharp—what happened?”

  “I'll make my re
port,” Adele said softly.

  Instead of one of Robert's prayers, instead of her mother's kiss, now all she could think of was the sound of her gun. The faint recoil on her hand. The grunt of pain. The mocking, malicious voice of the agonized serial killer. The way he'd dragged himself to grab his knife...

  The churning, the thrashing...

  Then the eventual silence.

  “Self-defense,” she said simply. “It will all be in my report.”

  And only then did she risk a glance back, under the bridge. Five officers in blue uniforms and thick jackets were moving about the scene. One of them, a woman, was trying to pry Claudia from John's grip, but Agent Renee kept snarling at her like some Doberman, flashing his teeth, eyes furious. Claudia was crying, her head pressed into her father's shoulder where she hugged him fiercely, holding onto the only familiar face.

  Renee wasn't a fixture in the young girl's life, but he'd been making an effort in recent days. He'd been trying.

  And now, he had a haunted look. The scar under his chin stretched down the side of his throat, towards his chest. It stood out pale in the mist.

  “It's going to be alright,” Renee murmured in his daughter's ears. And Adele was stunned to see him crying. “I won't leave you. I swear it. I won't.” He stroked his daughter's hair. The backpack was now discarded on the ground at Renee's feet.

  How often had John Renee said the same things to her. It's going to be alright.

  And he'd been right. It was alright.

  But to make it so, she'd killed a man. She'd watched him die when she could have helped. She'd been forced to pull the trigger before, but only when confronted with danger herself. This... this was different.

  Self-defense?

  He'd been disarmed... Desperate. Drowning. She'd stood only a pace away, refusing to lift even a finger. She'd seen enough cases prosecuted against cops who overstepped the bounds to know that if there'd been a camera on her, this one would be a slam dunk for the prosecution.

  She was a murderer.

  Just like the painter had wanted...

  It's not the same thing... A small voice in her mind protested. Not the same thing at all. She wanted to believe this. Wanted more than anything to believe she'd won. He hadn't.