“Really?” She nudged Sean as she walked through the living room. “Nobody else can hear the door?”
Her brothers and father didn’t acknowledge her. In fact, their attention never wavered from the television. She stalked to the front of the house and yanked the door open.
Matthew MacManus stared at her wide-eyed, gripping a bouquet of fall flowers. “Um … am I still invited?”
“Sure, of course. Come in,” she stammered as she ushered him into the house. “Can I take your coat?”
He wriggled out of his navy peacoat while she held his bouquet. Then she handed the flowers back to him and took his coat. After she hung it in the hall coat closet, she led Matthew into the living room.
“Dad, mute that for a second, okay?”
Her father turned to frown at her and caught sight of the teenager standing next to her. His mouth fell open for a moment. Then he cleared his throat and popped to his feet, still staring at Matthew.
He called out to the kitchen, “Val, could you come in here, please?”
Sasha’s mom walked into the room, wiping her hands on her apron. “Pat, what is it? I’m busy.”
She stopped in the doorway and gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. Ryan and Sean finally turned around. Ryan grabbed the remote and clicked the television off.
“Mom, Dad, Sean, Ryan, this is Matthew. Matthew, these are your uncles and your grandparents.”
Sasha’s mom crossed herself.
“You look exactly like him,” Sean said thickly, getting to his feet.
There was a long, awkward pause that stretched on until Daniella and the twins came running in from the sunroom to show off their crafts. They screeched to a halt and gawked at Matthew.
“Who are you?” Finn demanded.
“This is your cousin, Matthew,” Sasha’s mom explained.
Finn gave her a skeptical look. Fiona tugged on his arm and whispered in his ear. Sasha thought she caught the phrase ‘fancy manners.’ He nodded, then stuck out his hand.
“I’m Finn Connelly. This is my sister Fiona. I’m pleased to meet you.”
Matthew laughed and crouched down to shake hands with Finn. “The pleasure is all mine.”
“And I’m Daniella. I’m a vegan. Aunt Sasha made a pumpkin cheesecake for me.”
“No kidding? I’m a vegan, too.”
Daniella beamed at him. “Are you staying for dinner? There’s enough to share.”
He looked over at Sasha’s mom.
Valentina nodded, tears glistening in her eyes. “Please, stay.”
Connelly came in from the den and draped his arm over Sasha's shoulder. “Feeling thankful?”
She nodded. But her heart was too full to speak. She wondered if Matthew liked rock climbing.
Thank You!
Thanks for reading Inevitable Discovery! Sasha and Leo will be back in their next adventure soon. While you wait, you can always find an up-to-date list of the titles in this series, as well as my other books, on my website: My Books
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Critical Vulnerability (Aroostine Higgins Thriller No. 1):
Aroostine relies on her Native American traditions and her legal training to right wrongs and dispense justice. She’s charmingly relentless, always dots her i’s and crosses her t’s, and is an expert tracker.
Dark Path (Bodhi King Forensic Thriller No. 1):
Bodhi is a forensic pathologist and a practicing Buddhist who’s called upon to solve medical mysteries and unexplained deaths while adhering to his belief system. He’s thoughtful, unflinching, and always calm in an emergency.
Rosemary’s Gravy (We Sisters Three Humorous Romantic Mystery No. 1):
Rosemary, Sage, and Thyme are three twenty-something sisters searching for career success and love. Somehow, though, they keep finding murder and mayhem … and love.
Author’s Note
October 28, 2020
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This book is set in 2019 rather than the present day for several reasons. In case you’re a reader who cares about that level of detail, here are the primary reasons: One, COVID-19. I couldn’t very well have Sasha running around unmasked in close contact with so many characters during a pandemic; nor could I envision a book where she did all her investigating via Zoom call and spent the rest of her time washing her hands. Two, 2019 is the twentieth anniversary of Patrick McCandless’ death, and that feels like the sort of significant milestone that would have a heavy impact on the family’s day-to-day life. And three, I conceived of this plot before the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and the subsequent Black Lives Matter protests this spring and summer garnered national attention. I couldn’t see my way clear to have an officer-involved shooting in my fictional world that took place in the Fall of 2020 without addressing the real-world situation. So November 2019 it is. (At least in Sasha’s world.)
For my research lovers, predictive policing is real. If you’re interesting in learning more, here are some resources to get you started:
Here’s a great video explainer on pre-crime policing in Las Angeles: https://www.wired.com/video/watch/pre-crime-policing-how-cops-are-using-algorithms-to-predict-crimes
A similar program is in place in Pasco, Florida: https://projects.tampabay.com/projects/2020/investigations/police-pasco-sheriff-targeted/intelligence-led-policing/
This article describes a predictive artificial intelligence program that was (but is no longer) being developed right in my backyard: https://www.wired.com/story/algorithm-predicts-criminality-based-face-sparks-furor/
And Cesare Lombroso, the “father of criminology,” was a real person: https://www.history.com/news/born-criminal-theory-criminology and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cesare_Lombroso
Finally, I wholeheartedly apologize for naming a character Jordan and a character Jordana. Jordan (Sasha’s sister-in-law) first appears in Irretrievably Broken, and Jordana (Sasha’s intern) makes her debut in the novella A Mingled Yarn. Both characters appear in multiple books, but not until now, when they appear in the same book, did I realize how confusingly close their names are.
On a similar note, we first learned that Sasha’s brother was shot by his friend Cole in Irreparable Harm and that Cole is mentioned throughout this book. Astute readers will note that, in Irrevocable Trust, a boy who enters the Witness Protect Program also takes the name Cole. The second Cole (who is adopted by Hank) appears in multiple books in this series (but, thankfully, not this one!).
I promise I don’t do these things to confuse you. But, speaking of confusion, Sasha and I both have cats named Java—only her Java is a male cat, and mine is a female. You can only imagine how many times per book my editors have to change “she” to “he” when I am referencing that fictional feline!
P.S. Sasha isn’t much of a baker, as you may know, but she did have success with these vegan pumpkin mini-cheesecakes. https://minimalistbaker.com/vegan-pumpkin-cheesecake/
Also by Melissa F. Miller
I’ve written loads of books! Click any of the series titles below to see a complete list of books in that series.
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The Sasha McCandless Legal Thriller Series
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The Aroostine Higgins Novels
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The Bodhi King Novels
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The We Sisters Three Romantic Comedic Mysteries
About the Author
USA Today bestselling author Melissa F. Miller was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Although life and love led her to Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and, ultimately, South Central Pennsylvania, she secretly still considers Pittsburgh home.
In college, she majored in English literature with concentrations in creative writing poetry and medieval literature and was stunned, upon graduation, to learn that there’s not exactly a job market for such a degree. After working as an editor for several years, she returned to school to earn a law degree. She was that annoying girl who loved class and always raised her hand. She practiced law for fifteen years, including a stint as a clerk for a federal judge, nearly a decade as an attorney at major international law firms, and several years running a two-person law firm with her lawyer husband.
Now, powered by coffee, she writes legal thrillers and homeschools her three children. When she’s not writing, and sometimes when she is, Melissa travels around the country in an RV with her husband, her kids, and her dog and cat.
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Connect with me:
www.melissafmiller.com
Inevitable Discovery Page 19