HER LAST MISTAKE Read online

  H E R L A S T

  M I S T A K E

  (A Rachel Gift Mystery—Book Seven)

  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 JESSIE HUNT psychological suspense thriller series, comprising twenty six 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 sixteen books, of the EUROPEAN VOYAGE cozy mystery series, comprising six books; of the LAURA FROST FBI suspense thriller, comprising eleven books; of the ELLA DARK FBI suspense thriller, comprising fourteen books (and counting); of the A YEAR IN EUROPE cozy mystery series, comprising nine books, of the AVA GOLD mystery series, comprising six books; of the RACHEL GIFT mystery series, comprising ten books (and counting); of the VALERIE LAW mystery series, comprising nine books (and counting); of the PAIGE KING mystery series, comprising eight books (and counting); of the MAY MOORE mystery series, comprising eleven books (and counting); the CORA SHIELDS mystery series, comprising five books (and counting); of the NICKY LYONS mystery series, comprising seven books (and counting), of the CAMI LARK mystery series, comprising five books (and counting), of the AMBER YOUNG mystery series, comprising five books (and counting), and of the new DAISY FORTUNE mystery series, comprising five 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), A MURDER IN PARIS (A Year in Europe—Book 1), CITY OF PREY (An Ava Gold Mystery—Book One), and HER LAST WISH (A Rachel Gift FBI Suspense Thriller—Book One) are each available as a free download on Kobo!

  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 Deviney Designs, used under license from Shutterstock.com.

  BOOKS BY BLAKE PIERCE

  DAISY FORTUNE MYSTERY SERIES

  NEED YOU (Book #1)

  CLAIM YOU (Book #2)

  CRAVE YOU (Book #3)

  CHOOSE YOU (Book #4)

  CHASE YOU (Book #5)

  AMBER YOUNG MYSTERY SERIES

  ABSENT PITY (Book #1)

  ABSENT REMORSE (Book #2)

  ABSENT FEELING (Book #3)

  ABSENT MERCY (Book #4)

  ABSENT REASON (Book #5)

  CAMI LARK MYSTERY SERIES

  JUST ME (Book #1)

  JUST OUTSIDE (Book #2)

  JUST RIGHT (Book #3)

  JUST FORGET (Book #4)

  JUST ONCE (Book #5)

  NICKY LYONS MYSTERY SERIES

  ALL MINE (Book #1)

  ALL HIS (Book #2)

  ALL HE SEES (Book #3)

  ALL ALONE (Book #4)

  ALL FOR ONE (Book #5)

  ALL HE TAKES (Book #6)

  ALL FOR ME (Book #7)

  CORA SHIELDS MYSTERY SERIES

  UNDONE (Book #1)

  UNWANTED (Book #2)

  UNHINGED (Book #3)

  UNSAID (Book #4)

  UNGLUED (Book #5)

  MAY MOORE SUSPENSE THRILLER

  NEVER RUN (Book #1)

  NEVER TELL (Book #2)

  NEVER LIVE (Book #3)

  NEVER HIDE (Book #4)

  NEVER FORGIVE (Book #5)

  NEVER AGAIN (Book #6)

  NEVER LOOK BACK (Book #7)

  NEVER FORGET (Book #8)

  NEVER LET GO (Book #9)

  NEVER PRETEND (Book #10)

  NEVER HESITATE (Book #11)

  PAIGE KING MYSTERY SERIES

  THE GIRL HE PINED (Book #1)

  THE GIRL HE CHOSE (Book #2)

  THE GIRL HE TOOK (Book #3)

  THE GIRL HE WISHED (Book #4)

  THE GIRL HE CROWNED (Book #5)

  THE GIRL HE WATCHED (Book #6)

  THE GIRL HE WANTED (Book #7)

  THE GIRL HE CLAIMED (Book #8)

  VALERIE LAW MYSTERY SERIES

  NO MERCY (Book #1)

  NO PITY (Book #2)

  NO FEAR (Book #3)

  NO SLEEP (Book #4)

  NO QUARTER (Book #5)

  NO CHANCE (Book #6)

  NO REFUGE (Book #7)

  NO GRACE (Book #8)

  NO ESCAPE (Book #9)

  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)

  HER LAST MISTAKE (Book #7)

  HER LAST DESIRE (Book #8)

  HER LAST REGRET (Book #9)

  HER LAST HOUR (Book #10)

  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)

  GIRL, LURED (Book #12)

  GIRL, MISSING (Book #13)

  GIRL, UNKNOWN (Book #14)

  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)

  ALREADY CHOSEN (Book #7)

  ALREADY LOST (Book #8)

  ALREADY HIS (Book #9)

  ALREADY LURED (Book #10)

  ALREADY COLD (Book #11)

  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)

  LEFT TO RUIN (Book #16)

  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)

  THE PERFECT HUSBAND (Book #22)

  THE PERFECT SCANDAL (Book #23)

  THE PERFECT MASK (Book #24)

  THE PERFECT RUSE (Book #25)

  THE PERFECT VENEER (Book #26)

  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 ONE

  When Talina finally pulled her car into her client’s driveway, it was 10:14. She was fourteen minutes late, and Talina was never late. What was worse than this ding against her own expectations for herself was the lecture she was sure to get from her client. She’d been working for Gloria Masterson for just under a year, cleaning her house once every two weeks, and the only time she’d ever spoken more than three words to the woman was when Gloria took the time to point out something she’d done wrong.

  That wasn’t to say Gloria was an insufferable client. She was actually rather funny and usually in a good mood. It was one of the reasons Talina hated the idea of disappointing her. The happy-go-lucky version of Gloria Masterson was far more preferable than the irritated one.

  She hurried to the door and didn’t bother knocking. Gloria had given her permission to enter as if it were her own house. She’d even given Talina a key just one month into their working relationship.

  Yet, as she tried the front door, she found it locked. This wasn’t too unusual, as Talina had come to clean many times when Gloria was not home. But Gloria’s car—a newer model Escalade—was parked in the paved driveway. It wasn’t a big deal, really. Maybe she just hadn’t unlocked the front door yet…even though she never locked it once she was back after her morning walk around the block to start her day.

  Talina thought nothing of it as she slid her key into the lock and opened the door. She found Gloria’s house quiet as always. It also smelled faintly of apple cider, one of her favorite blends to run in the diffuser that sat on one of the end tables in the den.

  She ent
ered through the spacious foyer, sunlight spilling in from the large church-like window along the wall over the front door. She then made her way directly to the mudroom, where all of her cleaning supplies were kept in one of the cabinets over the washing machine and dryer. She took everything out and then realized that something was slightly off.

  There was no music. She knew that every morning, between the hours of eight and eleven or so, Gloria had her Bluetooth speaker softly playing singer-songwriter music from the kitchen. Every single time Talina had arrived to clean, the beginning of her shift had background tunes of James Taylor, Simon and Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, and Joni Mitchell. Gloria would listen to this music while she journaled, did a morning crossword, and prepared for work. As a consultant for several virtual counseling centers, she was able to keep flexible hours and did her best to never work before eleven in the morning.

  In other words, something didn’t add up. The door being locked meant that Gloria had not gone out for her morning walk. No music meant that the entire morning routine was off. Talina assumed Gloria might be sick, but her boss had always texted her beforehand if there was some reason she did not want Talina in the house.

  The Escalade out in the driveway was the weirdest bit of all. It meant she was home. Unless a terrible emergency had come up in the night—something so bad and sudden that Gloria had not had time or the forethought to reach out to her—everything Talina was seeing told her that Gloria was home.

  She nearly started cleaning anyway. That’s why she was here and that’s what she was paid for. If there was some personal matter going on, it was really none of her business. She headed for the living room, where she always started cleaning, and then had another thought: What if Gloria got sick in the night and couldn’t come down to greet her? What if something had happened to her upstairs somewhere—in the bathroom, the bedroom, or during one of her ill-advised trips into the attic to get a book from her endless supply of them?

  Figuring that they were close enough, Talina decided she should go check. If she didn’t check and found out later that Gloria was indeed in some sort of distress, she’d feel pretty awful.

  She left the cleaning supplies in the living room and made her way through the house. The stairs to the second floor were near the foyer, where a small but wide hallway gave way to the remainder of the first floor. Talina made her way up the carpeted steps, already not liking the idea of what she might find.