by Lisa Regan
“Shut up, Quinn,” he said. “Shut up and take them back.”
“Sir?”
“You still need them. You’re not ready to give them back yet.”
Josie took them, clutching them in her fist. The beads were warm and smooth. Familiar. Comforting. “But how will I know when to give them back?”
Sirens wailed in the distance.
A slow smile spread across Chitwood’s face. “That’s not something I can decide for you, Quinn.” He glanced at Gloria, his grin fading. Almost to himself, he said, “Everyone’s different.”
Then he walked off to meet the caravan of emergency vehicles bouncing along the drive.
Chapter Forty-Six
Two Weeks Later
Josie stared at Paige Rosetti, whose pen had gone still a long time ago. She was pretty sure the end of their session was near, but the doctor hadn’t checked her watch or her phone once. She simply stared at Josie.
Josie waited for her to interrupt but she didn’t, so Josie kept talking. “Gloria already reached a plea deal with the district attorney’s office. She’ll go away for a long time. Sebastian is being charged for spiking Virgil Lesko’s drink the day of the bus accident. He’ll lose his license as a pharmacist. He’s already got an attorney. Evidently, he plans on fighting the charges. Virgil Lesko’s trial is off. Andrew Bowen is working with the DA to reach an agreement on lesser charges than what he was facing, especially since without Sebastian Palazzo spiking his drink, he would have been fine to drive the bus. I mean, he shouldn’t have had the vodka, but one drink would not have been enough to impair him to the point where he crashed. Dee and Heidi are doing well. Dee has to sell her house to pay off some of the debt that Miles accrued, but Corey Byrne said she could move in with him and Heidi until she gets on her feet. The FBI is still working on the Cerberus connection and the murders of Ted and Miles—”
“Josie,” said Paige. “You’re not paying me to talk about your cases.”
“Oh,” said Josie. “I just thought that I would—”
“You owe me a list,” Paige said. “You missed last week’s appointment, but I haven’t forgotten.”
Josie shifted in her chair, crossing and uncrossing her legs.
“Did you write it down?” Paige prompted.
“No,” Josie answered. “I didn’t need to write it down.” Every single thing that had made her feel out of control in the last few weeks was emblazoned on her mind. All of it spilled out of her mouth, the words rushed and heavy.
By the time she was finished, both of Paige’s eyebrows were arched. “That’s quite a list.”
“I know you only asked me for three things that make me feel out of control,” Josie said. “But the truth is that I feel out of control a lot. Almost all the time.”
“What does feeling out of control mean to you?” Paige asked.
“That is such a psychologist question,” Josie responded.
Paige smiled. “Don’t deflect. Tell me, what does feeling out of control look like from Josie Quinn’s perspective?”
Josie looked away, eyes drawn to the garden outside. The eastern bluebird was back, flitting from branch to branch of the dogwood tree in the corner of the yard. “It looks like me letting my feelings in—or out—or in. I don’t know. It looks like me feeling them. I’m afraid of them.”
“They’re just feelings, Josie,” Paige said. “We’ve talked about this before. If you sit with them—”
“I’ll die,” Josie blurted. “That’s what it feels like. When I think about my grandmother and how I’ll never be with her again; how I have to live an entire lifetime still that is completely devoid of her; how I watched her get shot; how I sat there while she took her last breath and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do; how I am probably responsible for her getting shot—it all comes crashing down and it doesn’t feel… survivable.” Tears sprang to Josie’s eyes. In spite of her best efforts, a few of them slid down her cheeks. “I know I’ve been walking and talking and eating and sleeping and living in the months since my grandmother died, but this? Living without her? Knowing she’s gone? Long-term, this doesn’t feel survivable at all. I don’t even actually know how I’m sitting here in front of you right now.”
“It is survivable, Josie.”
Josie swiped at her tears and put a hand to her chest. “By me. Survivable by me.”
Paige smiled again. “It’s survivable by you if you feel your feelings, Josie. I won’t lie to you. It’s going to be painful. Losing a parent—which is essentially what Lisette was to you—is always very painful. It takes time and work to get to a place where you feel like you’re functioning at some level of normal again, but you can get there, Josie.”
“I don’t know.”
Paige set her notepad aside. She walked over and sat in the chair next to Josie. “I’m going to sit here beside you and for five minutes, you’re going to let those feelings in and then you’re going to let them out. I’ll be right here with you. Will you try?”
Josie’s heart beat so hard it felt like it might burst from her chest. Her hands fisted in her lap. She could feel those awful feelings at the periphery of her mind and heart, pulsating like an angry blob just waiting to consume her. She’d faced down more killers in her life than she could count. Why was this so hard? Lisette had done this multiple times in her life—grieved the loss of someone she loved; someone essential to her. Josie still marveled at it. She had a sudden flash of Lisette’s face, smiling, her silver curls bouncing. It was a memory. They were on the beach. Josie was a teenager, but she’d never been to the beach before, never even seen the ocean. Now Lisette wanted her to get into it. The pounding, rushing waves terrified her.
Lisette held out her hand. “Come on, Josie.”
“I can’t,” Josie said.
“You can,” Lisette told her, laughing. “You have to try.”
“Josie,” Paige said, pulling her from the reverie.
“Okay,” said Josie. “Let’s try.”
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Books by Lisa Regan
Detective Josie Quinn Series
Vanishing Girls
The Girl With No Name
Her Mother’s Grave
Her Final Confession
The Bones She Buried
Her Silent Cry
Cold Heart Creek
Find Her Alive
Save Her Soul
Breathe Your Last
Hush Little Girl
Her Deadly Touch
Available in Audio
Detective Josie Quinn Series
Vanishing Girls (Available in the UK and the US)
The Girl With No Name (Available in the UK and the US)
Her Mother’s Grave (Available in the UK and the US)
Her Final Confession (Available in the UK and the US)
The Bones She Buried (Available in the UK and the US)
Her Silent Cry (Available in the UK and the US)
Cold Heart Creek (Available in the UK and the US)
Find Her Alive (Available in the UK and the US)
Save Her Soul (Available in the UK and the US)
Breathe Your Last (Available in the UK and the US)
Hush Little Girl (Available in the UK and the US)
A Letter from Lisa
Thank you so much for choosing to read Her Deadly Touch. If you enjoyed the book and want to keep up to date with all my latest releases, just sign up at the following link. Your email address will never be shared, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
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As always, it is my privilege to bring you another Josie Quinn book. If you’re reading this, I
am glad that you returned after what happened to Lisette in Hush Little Girl. This was an incredibly difficult book to write, not just because of the subject matter, but also because my father passed suddenly and unexpectedly while I was writing it. Josie’s grief is my own. Still, as always, I tried to bring you a page-turner that would give you a few hours of nail-biting entertainment as you try to put the puzzle together alongside Josie. That is always my main goal! Hopefully, I have succeeded.
I absolutely love hearing from readers. I will never tire of it! You can get in touch with me through any of the social media outlets below, including my website and Goodreads page. Also, if you are so inclined, I’d really appreciate it if you’d leave a review and perhaps recommend Her Deadly Touch to other readers. Reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations go a long way in helping readers discover my books for the first time. Again, thank you so much for your support and your enthusiasm for this series. I am astounded and deeply moved by your passion for Josie! I hope to see you next time!
Thanks,
Lisa Regan
www.lisaregan.com
Vanishing Girls
Detective Josie Quinn Book 1
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‘Wow this book blew my mind!… Utterly fantastic, I loved it. It kept me hanging on the edge of my seat unable to put it down. A huge 5 stars.’ Bonnie’s Book Talk, 5 stars
When Isabelle Coleman, a blonde, beautiful young girl goes missing, everyone from the small town of Denton joins the search. They can find no trace of the town’s darling, but Detective Josie Quinn finds another girl they didn’t even know was missing.
Mute and unresponsive, it’s clear this mysterious girl has been damaged beyond repair. All Josie can get from her is the name of a third girl and a flash of a neon tongue piercing that matches Isabelle’s.
The race is on to find Isabelle alive, and Josie fears there may be other girls in terrible danger. When the trail leads her to a cold case labelled a hoax by authorities, Josie begins to wonder is there anyone left she can trust?
Someone in this close-knit town is committing unspeakable crimes. Can Josie catch the killer before another victim loses their life?
Utterly gripping crime for readers who adored Angela Marsons, Rachel Abbott and Robert Dugoni. You will be sleeping with the lights on once you discover the first in this unputdownable new crime thriller series.
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The Girl With No Name
Detective Josie Quinn Book 2
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Detective Josie Quinn is horrified when she’s called to the house of a mother who had her newborn baby snatched from her arms.
A woman caught fleeing the scene is Josie’s only lead, but when questioned it seems this mysterious girl doesn’t know who she is, where she’s from or why she is so terrified…
Is she a witness, a suspect, or the next victim?
As Josie digs deeper, a letter about a mix-up at a fertility clinic links the nameless girl and the missing child to a spate of killings across the county. Josie is faced with an impossible decision: should she risk the life of one innocent child to save many others… or can she find another way?
The Girl with No Name is nail-biting, twisty and impossible to put down. If you love griping thrillers from Angela Marsons, Robert Dugoni and Rachel Caine, you’ll be hooked.
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Her Mother’s Grave
Detective Josie Quinn Book 3
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When two young boys discover human bones buried beneath a tree in a trailer park, Detective Josie Quinn races to join her team at the scene. She used to play in those woods as a child, happier outside and away from her abusive mother, Belinda Rose.
Josie’s past crashes into her present when a rare dental condition confirms the bones belong to a teenage foster-child who was murdered thirty years ago. A girl named Belinda Rose…
Josie hasn’t seen her mother in years but, with an undeniable connection between her mother and the dead girl, does she dare try to track her down?
Just as Josie gets closer to uncovering a secret that will shatter her world forever, another body is uncovered. It’s suddenly clear that someone very close to Josie will stop at nothing to keep the truth buried forever.
As she battles the demons from her past, can Josie stop this killer before another precious life is taken?
Do you love unputdownable crime thrillers that keep you up all night? Then this gripping rollercoaster ride, perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Robert Dugoni and Rachel Caine, will have you totally hooked!
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Her Final Confession
Detective Josie Quinn Book 4
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Watching her friend dragged away in handcuffs, Josie couldn't believe for one second that Gretchen had killed that poor boy. Confession or not, someone else was involved. She would find out who…
When the body of a young student is found on the driveway of a local Denton home, a photograph pinned to his collar, Detective Josie Quinn is first on the scene. The house belongs to Gretchen Palmer, a dedicated member of Josie’s team, missing for the last twenty-four hours.
Working around the clock, Josie is stopped in her tracks when Gretchen hands herself in to the police. She knows that there’s no way Gretchen could ever be a killer, so why would she confess to a murder she didn’t commit?
Digging deep into Gretchen’s secretive life, Josie uncovers a link between the boy, the photograph and a devastating case in Gretchen’s past. But just when Josie thinks she has it all figured out, the bodies of a young couple surface on the other side of town. Can Josie get to the truth in time to save her friend from a life in prison or certain death?
Absolutely gripping, this unputdownable crime thriller from a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author will leave you gasping for breath. A perfect read for fans of Angela Marsons, Robert Dugoni and Rachel Caine.
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The Bones She Buried
Detective Josie Quinn Book 5
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Josie works until her arms ache, until the paramedics arrive and pull her gently away from the woman’s cold, fragile body. Noah’s voice cracks beside her as he calls the time of death for his own, beloved mother.
Arriving with her partner Noah for dinner at his family’s immaculate countryside home, Detective Josie Quinn is devastated to find Noah’s mother, Colette, lying lifeless in the back garden, her mouth clogged with soil.
Searching the house for answers, Josie’s team don’t know what to make of the rosary beads buried in the dirt near the body, or the hidden file labelled “Drew Pratt”, the small town of Denton’s most famous missing person.
As she delves deeper into Pratt’s case, Josie quickly discovers he had a brother who’s body mysteriously washed up on the banks of a river. There’s also a diary entry suggesting that Colette may have met him on the last day he was seen alive. Can Josie believe the unthinkable, that a kind old soul like Colette might have been involved in their murders? And, will Josie’s new relationship with Noah survive the accusation?
Josie’s only hope lies in tracking down Pratt’s daughter. But when she arrives at her home to find she’s been murdered just minutes before, Josie knows the real killer is one step ahead and won’t stop until Colette’s secret is buried forever. With many more innocent lives on the line, how deep is Josie prepared dig to reach the truth?
An absolutely unputdownable crime thriller that will have you up all night! If you love Angela Marsons, Robert Dugoni or Rachel Caine you’re guaranteed to be hooked from page one.
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Her Silent Cry
Detective Josie Quinn Book 6
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Round and round she goes, blonde pigtails flying, her high-pitched giggle catching on the wind. But as the ride slows to a stop, her seat is suddenly empty. Little Lucy is gone…
When seven-year-old Lucy Ross is snatched from the carousel in Denton city park, Detective
Josie Quinn joins the frantic search. She’s the one who finds Lucy’s sparkly butterfly backpack abandoned by the ticket booth, a note with a devastating message stuffed inside: answer your phone, or your sweet little darling will die…
The next day, Lucy’s parents are filled with hope when they pick up a call which they think is from their babysitter – but instead it’s a chilling male voice on the line. Josie races to the babysitter’s small apartment only to find her lifeless body in a tangle of sheets on her bed.