Once Pined

Once Pined
Blake Pierce

A Riley Paige Mystery #6
Men and women are turning up dead in the outskirts of Seattle, poisoned by a mysterious chemical. When a pattern is discovered and it becomes clear that a twisted serial killer is on the hunt, the FBI calls in their best asset: Special Agent Riley Paige. Riley is urged to return to the line of duty—but Riley, still reeling from the attacks on her family, is loath to return. Yet as bodies mount, and the murders become more inexplicable, Riley knows she has no choice.

The case takes Riley deep into the unsettling world of nursing homes, of hospitals, of drifting caretakers and psychotic patients. As Riley delves deeper into the mind of the murderer, she realizes she is hunting the most terrifying killer of all: one whose madness knows no depths—and yet who may just appear shockingly ordinary.

A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, ONCE PINED is book #6 in a riveting new series—with a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night.

Pierce Blake

Once Pined

Blake Pierce

Blake 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 (http://www.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 PIERCE

RILEY PAIGE MYSTERY SERIES

ONCE 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 SERIES

BEFORE HE KILLS (Book #1)

BEFORE HE SEES (Book #2)

BEFORE HE COVETS (Book #3)

BEFORE HE TAKES (Book #4)

AVERY BLACK MYSTERY SERIES

CAUSE TO KILL (Book #1)

CAUSE TO RUN (Book #2)

CAUSE TO HIDE (Book #3)

KERI LOCKE MYSTERY SERIES

A 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?”