The Perfect Wife Page 23

  “Thanks, Detective. I appreciate it.”

  “No problem,” he said as he walked out the door. “And call me Ryan.”

  She nodded and then he was gone. She closed her eyes, allowing herself a moment to rest before the other detectives came in. But her lids felt heavy and she didn’t have much desire to open then again anytime soon. The other detectives would have to wait a bit longer.

  CHAPTER THIRTY THREE

  A week later, Jessie stepped out of the elevator of Lacey’s downtown LA condo building and walked slowly through the lobby, using her cane as sparingly as possible.

  She nodded at the security guard, who held the door open for her. A cold blast of November air hit her hard and she dipped her head to avoid getting the full force of the wind in her face. She briefly considered just going back upstairs to Lacey’s warm condo, where she had a spacious guest room all to herself.

  But the doctors had told her that the more she got out and walked, the quicker she’d recover from her stab wound.

  I have a stab wound.

  She shook her head in disbelief at the thought, then thought better of it. After all, she’d dealt with a lot of unbelievable stuff in the last few weeks. She’d learned that her partner of nearly a decade was a sociopathic killer who had framed her for murder. Yet, she’d been clueless as to his true nature, putting into doubt how good a forensic psychologist she might make.

  Was he always like this? Was I that oblivious? Was he that good at hiding it from me? Or did it escalate over time?

  The questions gnawed at her constantly. Of course, in her session with Dr. Lemmon yesterday, the therapist had told her not to be too hard on herself; that we often have trouble seeing the clues in someone so close to us. It reminded her again of what Bolton Crutchfield had said in their last meeting when he’d told her to trust her gut.

  “Maybe you ain’t the one who should be twistin’,” he’d said. Apparently he’d seen it all along.

  She pressed on, shuffling down the street in the direction of the coffee shop on the corner, ignoring the wind whipping the loose strands of hair against her face. She didn’t mind. Despite the wind tunnels created by the downtown skyscrapers, there was something comforting about being back in the old neighborhood.

  Now that she was back in her familiar surroundings, her life in Westport Beach seemed almost like a bad dream. And yet, it had all been real. Wives put up with their husbands’ indiscretions because they didn’t have the financial freedom to say no. Women with dreams shelved them to satisfy the demands of self-involved spouses.

  And she was almost one of them. Only in her case it was worse. She’d been manipulated in that direction by a sociopath who was willing to kill for the life he wanted. But for a few things breaking her way, she might have obliviously lived a life beside him for years.

  But that life was over. She would soon be single again. And though the pain of losing the baby still sometimes overwhelmed her with an aching sense of emptiness, she reminded herself that this was an opportunity to start fresh. Maybe one day she would be able to start a family on her own terms.

  That thought buoyed her as she moved slowly down the street. This was where she wanted to be as she rebooted her life. As she navigated the crowded sidewalk, shielding her eyes from the sunlight shining off the glass from a nearby tower, she even found herself appreciating the stench emanating from a nearby sewer grate and the belch of exhaust from a passing delivery truck. She was home.

  She didn’t know how long she’d stay at Lacey’s, though she had an open invitation. One way or another she was staying in the area. The house in Westport still needed to be sold and her lawyer had told her she wouldn’t be able to do that until after Kyle was convicted, which he anticipated happening in the next six to nine months.

  With all the evidence against him, everyone agreed it was an open-and-shut case. There was Jessie’s audio recording, along with Teddy’s testimony. No one other than Detective Hernandez (or Ryan, apparently) had even mentioned her husband’s claim that she was in on the body-dumping plan. It would probably come up at trial, but maybe not. After all, it wasn’t an alibi, just an excuse. And in light of him drugging her, leading to the miscarriage, even that excuse seemed dubious.

  As a result, things were looking up. The authorities had busted up the prostitution ring being run out of Club Deseo, which was now rumored to be up for sale at a bargain price. Jessie’s practicum was over and she’d passed Hosta’s class, meaning she would get her graduate degree next month.

  She was already getting offers to consult on cases from various local law enforcement agencies and was also toying with the idea of applying to the FBI’s ten-week National Academy training program. She planned to review her options over the holidays.

  When the house eventually sold, she’d be financially independent enough not to worry too much about picking the gig based on pay. And that didn’t even account for what she would get in the pending divorce. She might even have the resources and spare time to dig into The Panel and find out, among other things, why they’d been so willing to let her interact with Bolton Crutchfield.

  Otherwise, as long as she didn’t think too much about Natalia—whose last name she’d learned was Urgova—dropping off the boat and sinking in the cold water of the Pacific Ocean, she was okay. The image came to her on occasion but she was usually able to shake it off. The truth was she’d had far worse images stuck in her head.

  When she got out of the coffee shop, warm cup in hand, she debated whether to go back to the condo or wander a bit. Before she could make a decision, she sensed eyes on her and turned around.

  To her surprise she found Officer Kat Gentry five feet away, staring at her. She was so startled that she stumbled back, losing her balance. Gentry moved quickly forward and grabbed her forearm, steadying her until she regained her equilibrium.

  “Sorry,” Gentry said. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “What are you doing here?” Jessie asked in astonishment. “Isn’t this a little out of your jurisdiction?”

  “A little,” Gentry said. “But I’m not here on official business. We all heard about what happened to you and wanted to make sure you were okay. Cortez was especially concerned.”

  Gentry cracked a bit of a grin at that last line, which set Jessie somewhat at ease.

  “That’s very nice. But I get the distinct feeling that that’s an excuse and you have another reason for looking me up.”

  Gentry gave her a long, hard look as if she was debating whether to come clean or just say goodbye.

  “You know, you might end up being decent at your job. That is, as long as none of your other cases involve your ex. You seem to have a blind spot on that front.”

  “Officer Gentry,” Jessie said, “I’m not sure we know each other well enough for you to be making such edgy quips at my expense.”

  “Probably not. Just stalling, I guess,” Gentry said as she pulled an envelope out of her jacket pocket and handed it over. It was the cheap white kind and there was nothing written on it.

  “What’s this?” Jessie asked.

  “I debated giving it to you for a long time. But ultimately I decided it was better to be safe than sorry.”

  “You’re being a little cryptic,” Jessie said, taking the envelope.

  “It’s from Bolton Crutchfield. He said you needed to be aware of something. He said you were in danger. And that this would convince you he was telling the truth.”

  “You believe him?” Jessie asked as she ripped open the envelope.

  “I’ve worked around the guy for a while now. He hates me, has never said anything to or about me without a sneer or contempt in his voice. But when he asked me to give you this, for the only time since I’ve known him, he sounded sincere. I think he’s fond of you, in a non-killing kind of way.”

  “He wrote this?” Jessie asked, pulling out the single sheet of paper inside and unfolding it.

  “No. He said it was from the man who vi
sited him that one day, his mentor, the Ozarks Executioner. He said this was the message the man left you.”

  Jessie unfolded the page and stared at it. She felt her blood turn cold. Gentry glanced at the words on the page:

  BE SEEING YOU, JUNEBUG.

  Gentry looked back at Jessie, who gulped hard and reminded herself to breathe.

  “This is from the man who abducted you?” she asked. “The one who killed your mother and those other people?”

  Jessie nodded.

  “But how can you be sure it’s not just Crutchfield messing with you?” Gentry asked. “How do you know it’s really from the same guy?”

  “Because he was the only one who ever said that phrase to me. He used to say it every night when he put me to bed, before everything fell apart.”

  “Wait, what?” Gentry said, confused. “He put you to bed? How is that possible?”

  Jessie handed back the sheet of paper, her body pulsating with a fear she hadn’t felt in years, and forced herself to say the words out loud.

  “Because he’s my father.”

  NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER!

  THE PERFECT BLOCK

  (A Jessie Hunt Psychological Suspense Thriller—Book Two)

  In THE PERFECT BLOCK (Book #2), rookie criminal profiler Jessie Hunt, 29, picks up the pieces of her broken life and leaves suburbia to start a new life in downtown Los Angeles. But when a wealthy socialite is murdered, Jessie, assigned the case, finds herself back in the world of picture-perfect suburbia, hunting a deranged killer amidst the false facades of normalcy and sociopathic women.

  Jessie, thriving again in downtown LA, is sure she’s moved on from her suburban nightmare. Ready to put her failed marriage behind her, she lands a job with the local police department, deferring her acceptance to the FBI’s Academy.

  She is assigned a straightforward murder in a wealthy neighborhood, a simple case to start her career. But little do her bosses know, there's more to the case than anyone suspected. Nothing can prepare her for her first case, one that will force her to probe the minds of the wealthy, suburban couples she’d thought she’d left behind. Behind their polished family pictures and manicured hedges, Jessie realizes, perfection is not what it seems.

  A fast-paced psychological suspense thriller with unforgettable characters and heart-pounding suspense, THE PERFECT BLOCK is book #2 in a riveting new series that will leave you turning pages late into the night.

  Book #3 in the Jessie Hunt series—THE PERFECT HOUSE—is now also available for pre-order.

  THE PERFECT BLOCK

  (A Jessie Hunt Psychological Suspense Thriller—Book Two)

  Did you know that I've written multiple novels in the mystery genre? If you haven't read all my series, click the image below to download a series starter!

  Blake Pierce

  Blake Pierce is author of the bestselling RILEY PAGE mystery series, which includes thirteen books (and counting). Blake Pierce is also the author of the MACKENZIE WHITE mystery series, comprising nine books (and counting); 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 two books (and counting); of the KATE WISE mystery series, comprising two books (and counting); of the CHLOE FINE psychological suspense mystery, comprising two books (and counting); and of the JESSE HUNT psychological suspense thriller series, comprising two 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), and WATCHING (The Making of Riley Paige—Book 1) are each available as a free download on Google Play!

  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.

  BOOKS BY BLAKE PIERCE

  A JESSIE HUNT PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE SERIES

  THE PERFECT WIFE (Book #1)

  THE PERFECT BLOCK (Book #2)

  THE PERFECT HOUSE (Book #3)

  CHLOE FINE PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE SERIES

  NEXT DOOR (Book #1)

  A NEIGHBOR’S LIE (Book #2)

  KATE WISE MYSTERY SERIES

  IF SHE KNEW (Book #1)

  IF SHE SAW (Book #2)

  THE MAKING OF RILEY PAIGE SERIES

  WATCHING (Book #1)

  WAITING (Book #2)

  LURING (Book #3)

  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)

  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)

  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)