Harper tore her eyes away from the building. It was only boards and paint anyway. A house is a house.
But even as she told herself that, she knew it wasn’t true.
“I’m going to come back,” she promised him. “Whatever it takes. I’m going to work this out. And then I’ll come back.”
He put a hand on her shoulder.
“You have to,” he said. “You got six months left on your lease.”
Both of them smiled. She hadn’t had a paper lease with him in more than five years. They’d had what he called “a handshake lease” all that time.
He’d been a rock through all of this. When she told him what was going on, he hadn’t hesitated.
He’d put her in touch with a friend who owned beach rental houses on Tybee Island. Her timing was good—it was late August and beach season was wrapping up. That woman had a vacancy, and Harper took it, sight unseen.
She figured she’d live out there for a few months until she sorted this all out.
“Well. You stay safe,” Billy told her. “Anyone tries to hurt you, you’ve got my number. I’ll make ’em think twice.”
Without warning, Harper flung herself at him—hugging him tightly.
“You’ve been the best landlord, and the best friend,” she told him. “Thank you.”
He patted her shoulder, fondly. “You know you’re like a kid to me. Always will be.”
Harper handed him the keys and turned away quickly.
“I’ve got to go,” she said, dashing a hand across her cheek. “I’ll see you.”
“You better.”
She climbed in the Camaro and started the engine.
Zuzu stopped complaining and fell into ominous silence as she pulled away from the curb, and headed to the edge of town.
The sky on the horizon was bruise-colored; the winds were picking up.
The long, hot summer was ending at last. Autumn was coming.
With every mile, Harper sent a silent call to the man who held the answers she’d been searching for.
Come find me. Come find me …
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Huge thanks to my wonderful editor at Minotaur, Leslie Gelbman, for her enthusiasm, laughter, and brilliant edit notes. Also to everyone on the St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur team, especially Sarah Schoof, Allison Ziegler, and Kelley Ragland—I’m very lucky to have such a fabulous group of talented people to work with. Also, huge thanks to Art Director David Rotstein, whose gorgeous, brooding book covers perfectly capture Harper’s Savannah.
More thanks go to my amazing agent, Madeleine Milburn, who makes all things possible. Where would I be without you? And to her extraordinary team—Hayley Steed, Alice Sutherland-Hawes, and Giles Milburn. I’m in awe of all you do!
Big love to my author/editor posse: Holly Bourne, Melinda Salisbury, Ruth Ware, Sam Smith, Alexia Casale. Thank you for keeping me sane.
To Jack, who listens to all my wildest ideas with endless patience and laughs at the funny lines—I’m so lucky to have you.
Finally, I wrote in the book that, for women, being killed by someone who claims to love them is the most ordinary murder of all, and it’s true. My mother was a victim of domestic abuse, so I feel this cause very deeply. She survived her marriage. Too many women aren’t that lucky. If you are in a relationship that frightens you, don’t hesitate to seek help. Police, churches, and nonprofit organizations can help you find refuge and safety. I say this as a former reporter who has covered many murders of women who didn’t get out in time—if you’re scared: run.
ALSO BY CHRISTI DAUGHERTY
THE ECHO KILLING
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
As a crime reporter, Christi Daugherty saw her first dead body at the age of twenty-two. Over the years there would be many more while she covered murders in cities like Savannah, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans. Her writing eventually took her to England, where she wrote the Night School series of thrillers for young adults under the name C.J. Daugherty. That series was an international bestseller, and has been translated into 24 languages. The Echo Killing is her first adult novel. She resides in the south of England. You can sign up for email updates here.
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CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
One Week Later
Acknowledgments
Also by Christi Daugherty
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
A BEAUTIFUL CORPSE. Copyright © 2019 by Christi Daugherty. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.minotaurbooks.com
Cover design by David Baldeosingh Rotstein
Cover photographs: stairs © Ken Schulze/Shutterstock.com; river © Jenny Tonkin / Alamy Stock Photo; branch © Kelley Varisco/Shutterstock.com
The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Names: Daugherty, Christi, author.
Title: A beautiful corpse / Christi Daugherty.
Description: First Edition. | New York: Minotaur Books, 2019.
Identifiers: LCCN 2018046205 | ISBN 9781250148872 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781250148896 (ebook)
Classification: LCC PS3604.A883 B43 2019 | DDC 813/.6—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018046205
eISBN 9781250148896
Our ebooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension 5442, or by email at [email protected].
First Edition: March 2019
A Beautiful Corpse--A Harper McClain Mystery Page 32