Once Pined. Blake Pierce

ake Pierce is author of the bestselling RILEY PAGE mystery series, which includes six books (and counting). Blake Pierce is also the author of the MACKENZIE WHITE mystery series, comprising three books (and counting); of the AVERY BLACK mystery series, comprising three books (and counting); and of the new KERI LOCKE mystery series.

      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.comwww.blakepierceauthor.com to learn more and stay in touch.

      Copyright © 2016 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 GongTo, used under license from Shutterstock.com.

BOOKS BY BLAKE PIERCERILEY PAIGE MYSTERY SERIESONCE 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)MACKENZIE WHITE MYSTERY SERIESBEFORE HE KILLS (Book #1)BEFORE HE SEES (Book #2)BEFORE HE COVETS (Book #3)BEFORE HE TAKES (Book #4)AVERY BLACK MYSTERY SERIESCAUSE TO KILL (Book #1)CAUSE TO RUN (Book #2)CAUSE TO HIDE (Book #3)KERI LOCKE MYSTERY SERIESA TRACE OF DEATH (Book #1)A TRACE OF MURDER (Book #2)

      PROLOGUE

      The physical therapist smiled kindly at her patient, Cody Woods, as she turned off the machine.

      “I think that’s enough CPM for the day,” she told him as his leg gradually stopped moving.

      The machine had been slowly and passively moving his leg for a couple of hours now, helping him recover from his knee replacement surgery.

      “I’d almost forgotten it was on, Hallie,” Cody said with a slight chuckle.

      She felt a bittersweet pang. She liked that name – Hallie. It was the name she’d used whenever she’d worked here at the Signet Rehabilitation Center as a freelance physical therapist.

      It seemed to her rather a shame that Hallie Stillians was going to disappear tomorrow, as if she’d never existed.

      Still, that was the way things had to be.

      And besides, she had other names that she liked just as well.

      Hallie took the continuous passive motion machine off the bed and set it on the floor. She gently straightened Cody’s leg and arranged the covers around him.

      Finally she stroked Cody’s hair – an intimate gesture that she knew most therapists would avoid. But she often did little things like that, and she’d never had a patient who minded. She knew that she projected a certain warmth and empathy – and most of all, complete sincerity. A little innocent touching was perfectly appropriate, coming from her. No one ever misunderstood.

      “How’s the pain?” she asked.

      Cody had been having some unusual swelling and inflammation after the operation. That was why he’d stayed here an extra three days and hadn’t gone home yet. That was also why Hallie had been brought in to work her special healing magic. The staff here at the center knew Hallie’s work well. The staff liked her, and patients liked her, so she often got called in for situations like this.

      “The pain?” Cody said. “I’d almost forgotten about it. Your voice made it go away.”

      Hallie felt flattered but not surprised. She’d been reading a book to him while he’d been on the CPM machine – an espionage thriller. She knew her voice had a calming effect – almost like an anesthetic. It didn’t matter whether she was reading Dickens or some pulp novel or the newspaper. Patients didn’t need much pain medication when they were under her care; the sound of her voice was often enough.

      “So is it true that I can go home tomorrow?” Cody asked.

      Hallie hesitated just a split second. She couldn’t be entirely truthful. She wasn’t sure how her patient would be feeling by tomorrow.

      “That’s what they tell me,” she said. “How does it feel to know that?”

      A sad expression crossed Cody’s face.

      “I don’t know,” he said. “In just three weeks, they’re doing my other knee. But you won’t be here to help me through it.”

      Hallie took hold of his hand and held it gently. She was sorry that he felt this way. Since he’d been under her care, she’d told him a long story about her supposed life – a rather boring story, she’d thought, but he’d seemed enchanted by it.

      Finally, she’d explained to him that her husband, Rupert, was about to retire from his career as a CPA. Her younger son, James, was down in Hollywood trying to make it as a screenwriter. Her older son, Wendell, was right here in Seattle teaching linguistics at the University of Washington. Now that the kids were grown and out of the house, she and Rupert were moving to a lovely colonial village in Mexico, where they planned to spend the rest of their lives. They were leaving tomorrow.

      It was a beautiful story, she thought.

      And yet none of it was true.

      She lived at home, alone.

      Utterly alone.

      “Oh look, your tea has gotten cold,” she said. “I’ll just heat it up for you.”

      Cody smiled and said, “Yes, please. That would be nice. And have some yourself. The teapot is right there on the counter.”

      Hallie smiled and said, “Of course,” just as she did every time they repeated this routine. She got up from her chair, picked up Cody’s mug of lukewarm tea, and took it to the counter.

      But this time, she reached into her purse beside the microwave. She took out a small plastic medicine container and emptied the contents of the container into Cody’s tea. She did it quickly, stealthily, a practiced move she had down, and she felt certain he had not seen her. Even so, her heart beat just a little bit faster.

      She then poured her own tea and put both mugs into the microwave.

      I’ve got to keep these straight, she reminded herself. The yellow mug for Cody, blue for me.

      While the microwave hummed, she sat down beside Cody again and looked at him without saying anything.

      He had a nice face, she thought. But he’d told her about his own life, and she knew that he was sad. He had been sad for a long time. He’d been a prize-winning athlete when he was in high school. But he’d injured his knees playing football, ending his hopes for an athletic career. Those same injuries at long last led to his need for knee replacements.

      His life ever since had been marked by tragedy. His first wife had died of a car wreck, and his second wife left him for another man. He had two grown children, but they didn’t speak to him anymore. He’d also had a heart attack just a few years ago.

      She admired the fact that he didn’t seem the least bit bitter. In fact, he seemed full of hope and optimism about the future.

      She thought he was sweet, but naive.

      She knew that his life wasn’t going to take a turn for the better.

      It was too late for that.

      The bell from the microwave snapped