Tragic Deception (Deception Series Book 1)
Page 1
TRAGIC
DECEPTION
LINDA S PRATHER
and
M A COMLEY
New York Times and USA Today bestselling
authors Linda S Prather and M A Comley
Published by Jeamel Publishing limited
Copyright © 2016 Linda S Prather and M A Comley
Digital Edition, License Notes
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 to the site and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
OTHER BOOKS BY LINDA S PRATHER
Clever Deception – Novella co-authored by M A Comley
Sacred Secrets (#1 Jacody Ives mystery)
The Gifts (#2 Jacody Ives mystery)
Bet You Can’t...Find Me (#1 Catherine Mans FBI paranormal mystery)
Eternal Beauty (#2 Catherine Mans FBI paranormal mystery)
Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (#1 Jenna James Legal thriller)
Shadows of Doubt (#2 Jenna James Legal thriller)
Helena’s Diary (A romantic suspense novel)
Food to Die Smiling For (Short stories and recipes)
Keep in touch with the author at
http://jacodypress.blogspot.co.za/
On Facebook
Twitter @jacodypress
Subscribe to newsletter
OTHER BOOKS BY M A COMLEY
Clever Deception – co-authored by Linda S Prather
Blind Justice (novella)
Cruel Justice
Mortal Justice (novella)
Impeding Justice
Final Justice
Foul Justice
Guaranteed Justice
Ultimate Justice
Virtual Justice
Hostile Justice
Tortured Justice
Rough Justice
Dubious Justice
Calculated Justice
Twisted Justice
Forever Watching You (DI Miranda Carr thriller)
Wrong Place (DI Sally Parker thriller)
No Hiding Place (DI Sally Parker thriller)
Web of Deceit (DI Sally Parker Novella with Tara Lyons)
The Caller (co-written with Tara Lyons)
Evil In Disguise – a novel based on True events
Deadly Act (Hero series novella)
Torn Apart (Hero Series #1)
End Result (Hero Series #2)
Sole Intention (Intention Series #1)
Grave Intention (Intention Series #2)
Devious Intention (Intention Series #3)
Merry Widow (A Lorne Simpkins short story)
It’s A Dog’s Life (A Lorne Simpkins short story)
A Time To Heal (A Sweet Romance)
A Time For Change (A Sweet Romance)
High Spirits
The Temptation Series (Romantic Suspense/New Adult Novellas)
Past Temptation (available now)
Lost Temptation (available now)
Keep in touch with the author at
http://melcomley.blogspot.com
On Facebook
Twitter @melcom1
Subscribe to newsletter
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This book is dedicated to our combined fans without whom this collaboration would never have been possible.
And to The Book Club on Facebook who entertain us every day and help keep us sane.
Special thanks as always go to our talented editor Stefanie Spangler Buswell and to Karri Klawiter for her superb cover design expertise.
Our heartfelt thanks go to our wonderful proofreader Joseph for spotting all the lingering nits.
TABLE OF CONTENT
Cover
Titles Page
Copyright
Other Books by the Authors
Acknowledgements
Prologue
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 Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Epilogue
PROLOGUE
“From your head down to your toes
You’re not much, goodness knows
But you’re so precious to me,
Sweet as can be,
Baby of mine.”
Her voice broke on the last line as a wail of sorrow erupted from her breast. She hadn’t meant to hug the baby so tightly. She’d only wanted her to stop crying.
“Give her to me, my love.”
Rocking back and forth, she sang the song again as tears fell silently on the pink blanket. “No, she’s just asleep. She’ll wake up soon.”
He reached for the tiny bundle then prized it from her arms. “She isn’t going to wake up.” He stood and held out a hand. “Please, come with me.”
She followed him out the back door. Her steps slowed as they approached the rose garden. The hole looked huge and gaping. Cold and lonely.
“Wait,” she whispered and turned back toward the house. “I’ll only be a minute.”
The huge, fuzzy bear was right where she’d left it next to the rocker. The baby wouldn’t be so alone if she had her favorite toy, and its fur would keep her warm on cold nights.
She rushed back and handed him the bear. “I didn’t want her to be alone.”
He placed the small bundle in the hole, laid the bear beside it, and grabbed the shovel. Tears streamed down his face, and his voice was barely a whisper as he sang.
“From your head down to your toes
You’re not much, goodness knows
But you’re so precious to me,
Sweet as can be,
Baby of mine.”
CHAPTER ONE
“As of eight o’clock this morning, we have three missing babies. Only one is in our borough, but we’ll be working in conjunction with all precincts. Talk to your CIs, keep your ears open, and knock down doors if you have to—but find those babies.”
Commander Patterson was winding down his morning speech, and for once, the squad room was quiet and somber. “Any questions?”
He waited only a second before issuing his final command. “Then hit the streets and find those babies.”
His dark eyes bored through the crowd, homing in on her. “Fox, my office.”
Alexandra waited for the snickers and “Alex the Fox” comments that usually followed his summons, which happened frequently—at least once a month, and more likely than not, once a week. She shot a glance at her current partner, Corey Graves, who averted his eyes and turned his back on her. “Bloody tosser,” she mumbled as she pushed her way through the throng of officers to follow the commander.
She knocked on the door and waited for the command that would allow her to enter. Even after a year, Alex didn’t quite understand American protocol. He’d ordered her to meet him in his office; why couldn’t he just leave the damn door open?
“Come in.”
Opening the door, she stuck her head inside. “You wanted to see me, sir?”
Patterson sighed heavily. “Come in and close the door behind you.”
Alex stepped inside the room, closed the door, and took her position in front of his desk. She’d made the mistake once of sitting down without an invitation. Her face flushed at the memory. Patterson didn’t like her, and she knew if it weren’t for Chief Brown, he would have fired her on the spot. She’d learned to play Patterson’s game, but she didn’t like it.
Patterson eyed her over his glasses, a smirk playing around his lips. “No surprise, but Officer Graves no longer wishes to partner with you. He called you a ticking time bomb.”
“Right. Like I’m the bloody one off with the fairies.”
His face blanched. “What the hell does that mean, Fox?”
Alex met his gaze head on. “It means Graves needs to pull his head out of his arse, stop ogling the skirts, and do his job. Most of us eat three times a day. Graves has to be laid three times a day, or he can’t function.”
His gaze slowly drifted away from hers when she refused to admit defeat. He opened the window behind the desk, then leaned back in the chair, bit off the end of a cigar, and lit it. His eyes held a challenge when they met hers again. Smoking had been banned in New York for several years. An officer could actually be dismissed if caught smoking on the grounds. She could report him, but Patterson would probably get a slap on the wrist and a warning. “You’ve lost six partners in the last year, Fox. I suppose all of them were ‘off with the fairies’?”
The anger bubbling just below the surface rose, and Alex clenched her hands at her side. He’s probably going to fire me anyway, so sod it. “I have never lost a partner, sir. Not one of them has been shot, knifed, beaten, or killed. I do my job, which is to have their back, not inflate their egos or their willies.”
Patterson puffed on the cigar and blew smoke in her direction. “Sit down, Fox.”
Pulling out a chair next to his desk, she sat, steeling herself for a long lecture on the importance of loyalty and fitting in. A chill shivered down her spine. She hoped he didn’t ask her about the bloody book he’d given her last time: How to Win Friends and Influence People. She’d thrown it in the trash after reading the first chapter.
“You passed all the protocol for detective.” Patterson ruffled the papers on his desk as he continued to huff and puff on the cigar. The smirk around his lips widened. “Except one—a recommendation from me.”
“I’m a good copper, sir. I deserve that promotion.”
He shrugged. “The problem is your attitude and your refusal to fit in.”
Anger surged to the surface again, and she gripped the arms of the chair. “You mean conform, sir. Not fit in.”
He eyed the white knuckles, and Alex took a deep breath, forcing herself to relax as Patterson continued. “You’re not in England, Fox. Half the time, we can’t understand what the hell you’re saying, and the other half, we feel like you’re insulting us.” His jaw tightened, and his eyes darkened. “Fit in or get out.”
“Recommend the promotion, and I’ll be out of your hair, maybe even out of your district.”
He chuckled. “I’ll do you one better.” He rummaged through the papers on his desk then pulled out a file and passed it to her. “You want to be a detective? Find those babies before the FBI does, and I’ll recommend your promotion.”
Alex flipped through the file, which contained some of the same information that had been passed out earlier, along with a more in-depth case summary listing the names and addresses of the parents, doctors, nurses, and hospitals, as well as pictures of the newborns.
“You’ve got a week. That’s how long I’m suspending you.”
Her head jerked up, and she once again met the dark gaze. “Suspending me? For what, sir?”
“Insubordination.”
He continued to puff on the cigar and blow smoke in her direction. He wanted her to challenge him. She hadn’t been insubordinate, but he knew if he pushed hard enough, she could be.
“And how exactly am I supposed to investigate while under suspension? I won’t have access to anything.”
He sneered. “You like working alone. Isn’t that what you’ve told me for the last year?”
Alex closed the file and stood. “And if I can’t find them in a week?”
“Send out some résumés. You’ll be looking for a new job.”
CHAPTER TWO
Alex opened her locker and pulled out her gun. Anger made her hands shake as she hooked the weapon on her belt. She knew what Patterson was doing. He couldn’t fire her without Chief Brown’s permission, which he wouldn’t get without a good reason. If the FBI found her nosing around in a case while on suspension, Patterson would deny everything and make sure even the chief couldn’t save her. That was the real reason he’d suspended her. He wanted to be able to say she had no legitimate reason to be investigating any case. On top of that, she would have no access to the other officers’ information or the detectives working the case, making it virtually impossible for her to know what leads might be available. The son of a bitch wasn’t making her a deal; he was simply putting another nail in the coffin he’d been constructing for a year. Even if she found the babies, he wouldn’t recommend the promotion.
A small box in the bottom of her locker caught her attention, and she reached for it. She silently cursed herself as she opened the lid and gagged. The bloody head of a red fox stared out at her. A blue ribbon had been tied around the severed neck, with a printed card bearing Alex the Fox. She closed the lid and tossed the box in the trash, her eyes misting as she leaned her head against the cool metal door. She should be used to the hurt, but it still stung. And it still brought up memories she’d tried hard to forget. She bit her lip as that monster’s voice echoed through her mind. “Have you ever watched the light fade from someone’s eyes, Foxy? The pigment slowly, ever so slowly, disappear?”
Her teeth sank harder into her lip, and the sweet, salty taste of her own blood, along with the pain, helped her shake off the memory. Sensing she was no longer alone, she turned to find Derek Frost leaning nonchalantly against the door to the locker room, arms crossed over his chest.
He glanced at her lip for a second before nodding at the box. “You should report that, Fox.”
Alex shrugged. If Patterson were a real commander, she could take the fox head to him and perhaps stop the harassment. He hated her, though, and not because she wasn’t a good officer or because she talked funny, but simply because she’d refused to screw him. She’d tried to be honest, telling him he wasn’t her type, which to him meant she was a lesbian. For the last year, he’d refused to partner her with any female officers, and only partnered her with the macho, let’s-hit-the-sack bastards. And he’d spread the rumor she was gay. So none of the females wanted to be around her, and all the males took it as a challenge to show her what a real man could do for her.
“It hurt the animal more than it did me.” Alex pulled out her purse, slammed the locker door, and slid the lock into place.
Frost eyed her bloody lip again, uncrossed his arms, and headed for his own locker. “Suit yourself. You always do.”
“Right.” Alex clenched and unclenched her hands, h
er body trembling with rage. “For all I know, Patterson is the one that put it there.”
Frost lowered his voice. “Not everyone here is a Patterson fan, Alex.” He looked her straight in the eyes. “Or believes what he said about you.”
“Great. So you don’t believe I’m gay.”
“I don’t give a rat’s ass what your sexual preference is.” Frost pulled his gun from the locker, closed the door, and locked it. “You’re a good cop. Stop trying so damn hard to prove it.” He headed for the exit. “Open your eyes, Alex.” He stopped at the doorway and turned. “You might be surprised.” He grinned. “By the way, your lip’s bleeding.”
Alex continued to stare at the empty doorway as she listened to Frost’s heavy footsteps as he walked away. Her eyes were open. She was on her own, just as she’d been for the last year. “Fit in,” she mumbled, digging through her purse for a Kleenex. Patterson had made sure that would never happen. Her gaze fell on the box as she wiped the blood from her lip. An image of Scarlet’s bloody severed fingers flashed before her eyes. She pressed down hard on her lip to staunch the flow of blood, welcoming the pain.
A monster lurked in their midst, and they didn’t even know it. Once he started killing in New York, missing babies would be the least of their worries. The city was the perfect feeding ground for him. There were over thirty-six thousand officers he could torture slowly. She tossed the bloody Kleenex into the trash before wiping the mist from her eyes. She would find him eventually, and she would watch the light fade from his eyes. But not before she’d made him suffer the way he’d made Scarlet suffer.
Alex squared her shoulders and raised her head as she walked out of the locker room. She had a week. She would find those babies, and if the FBI came in, she would stay out of their way. She would show them all just how crafty a fox really was.
CHAPTER THREE
Alex pulled in beside the garage that housed her one-bedroom apartment, cut the engine, and leaned her forehead against the steering wheel. It was almost lunchtime, and so far, she’d accomplished nothing. She needed to get started with interviewing the parents, but first she would have to change out of her uniform, don a pants suit, and hope no one asked to see a badge. She’d almost made her escape from the station when Patterson’s lackey had flagged her down, demanding her badge and gun, which he assured her would be returned to her in one week if Patterson allowed her back on the team. What she really needed was a plan. Maybe she should just take Dixie for a run and finish off the day with a bottle of wine while feeling sorry for herself, then she could get a fresh start in the morning. Damn Patterson for putting me in this position.