Debra Webb - No Darker Place

They want revenge. They need each other.

Detective Bobbie Gentry has one objective: to stop the serial killer who robbed her of her husband, her child and her life. Nick Shade understands Bobbie’s pain—and her desire for vengeance. He’s on a mission of his own, and the murderer known as the Storyteller is next on his list. Nick knows that the best way to find his target is to stick close to Bobbie. But as she becomes more and more reckless in her attempts to lure the Storyteller out of hiding, he has to make a choice. Will he protect her from herself even if it means passing up the chance to take out one more monster? As for Bobbie, she’s forced to decide just how much she can trust this stranger who knows so much about her. And both of them are about to learn whether or not two broken people can save each other.

Praise for the novels of Debra Webb

“A hot hand with action, suspense and last, but not least, a steamy relationship.”

—New York Times bestselling author Linda Howard

“Debra Webb’s name says it all.”

—New York Times bestselling author Karen Rose

“Compelling main characters and chilling villains elevate Debra Webb’s Faces of Evil series to the realm of high-intensity thrillers that readers won’t be able to resist.”

—New York Times bestselling author CJ Lyons

“A well-crafted, and engrossing thriller. Debra Webb has crafted a fine, twisting thriller to be savored and enjoyed.”

—New York Times bestselling author Heather Graham on Traceless

“A steamy, provocative novel with deep, deadly secrets guaranteed to be worthy of your time.”

—Fresh Fiction on Traceless

“Debra Webb’s best work yet. The gritty, edge-of-your-seat, white-knuckled thriller is peopled with tough, credible characters and a brilliant plot that will keep you guessing until the very end.”

—New York Times bestselling author Cindy Gerard on Obsession

“Interspersed with fine-tuned suspense...the cliffhanger conclusion will leave readers eagerly anticipating future installments.”

—Publishers Weekly on Obsession

“Webb reaches into our deepest nightmares and pulls out a horrifying scenario. She delivers the ultimate villain.”

—RT Book Reviews on Dying to Play

No Darker Place

Debra Webb

www.mirabooks.co.uk

Every day is a gift. Every moment of life should be appreciated and never taken for granted. But life can be hard sometimes. Sometimes it can take us to very dark places. During those times having someone to hold your hand, to simply stand beside you is an incredible blessing. This book is dedicated to my amazing husband. During more than four decades of marriage we have enjoyed many wonderful times and a few not so wonderful. Not once has he wavered. He has gone to every dark place with me and held my hand, giving me strength in the most difficult of times. Nonie, I will always love you.

Acknowledgments

When I was a little girl my grandmother would tell me the most intriguing ghost stories. I’m convinced she is the reason I love creating stories filled with mystery and suspense today. Mary Talkington Proctor, my grandmother, was small in stature and big in heart. She washed clothes by hand, cooked on a woodstove and always spoke her mind. Though she never lived or visited more than a few miles beyond her birthplace, her imagination wandered far and wide. I will always miss her and cherish the memories we made together.

Born and raised in small town Alabama, I love writing stories set here. When I chose Montgomery for the Shades of Death series the first of many research trips was scheduled. My dear friend Lisa Day played the part of chauffeur and assistant. Despite the occasional foray into dubious territory, we had an amazing time. Lisa is the kind of friend every woman should have—reliable, honest and simply awesome.

There are many people I want to thank. Officer Frederick J. Brewer for rescuing us that very first night in Montgomery when we had a flat tire. Thanks to Terry at Firestone for getting us squared away the next morning. A big thanks to Chief Bryan and Captain Atchison of the Montgomery Sheriff’s Office; and a special thanks to Lieutenant Barnes and Lieutenant Dean of the Montgomery Police Department.

As always I can’t imagine taking this journey without the amazing Marijane Diodati, who is relentless and incredible and I adore her. A big shout-out to my fantastic Street Team—truly good friends and the absolute best cheerleaders. A very special thanks to Denise Zaza for always believing in me.

Finally, please know that any errors or additions to the facts are mine and mine alone. Authors sometimes take creative license when writing a story. For instance, a coroner’s office and an FBI field office might be added to the setting. Certainly any inspiration for characters is always taken from the very best of those I encounter and the very worst my twisted mind can conjure! Happy reading!

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Praise

Title Page

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Quote

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Fifteen

Sixteen

Seventeen

Eighteen

Nineteen

Twenty

Twenty-One

Twenty-Two

Twenty-Three

Twenty-Four

Twenty-Five

Twenty-Six

Twenty-Seven

Twenty-Eight

Twenty-Nine

Thirty

Thirty-One

Thirty-Two

Thirty-Three

Thirty-Four

Thirty-Five

Thirty-Six

Thirty-Seven

Thirty-Eight

Thirty-Nine

Forty

Forty-One

Forty-Two

Extract

Copyright

Over and over she cursed herself for the path she chose to take.

The pain a reminder of those devastated for her sake.

One

“What other dungeon is so dark as one’s own heart!”

—Nathaniel Hawthorne

Vaughn Road, Montgomery, Alabama

Friday, August 26, 10:30 a.m.

Detective Bobbie Gentry wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand. Despite the early hour she was melting right here on the sidewalk like a forgotten ice-cream cone. The weather forecast called for a high of 101 today—the same kind of record-breaking temps the capital city had been experiencing for fifteen grueling days in a row.

The line of thunderstorms that had swept through about the same time her phone rang that morning hadn’t helped one bit. Steam rose from the simmering asphalt, disappearing into the underbellies of the blue-and-white Montgomery PD cruisers lining the sidewalk. The meteorologist who’d insisted milder temps were on the way had seriously overestimated the cool front accompanying this morning’s storm. The rain had done nothing but ramp up the suffocating humidity.

She’d been a cop for ten years, a detective for seven of those, and she’d learned the hard way that relentless heat made people crazy. Like the father of four currently holed up in the modest ranch-style home across the street.

Carl Evans had no criminal record whatsoever—not even a parking ticket. According to his wife, the checkup he’d had three months ago showed him to be in good health. Their middle daughter had been diagnosed with a form of childhood leukemia a year ago, and they’d gone through a serious financial crisis a couple of months back, but both issues were under control now. The husband had no problems at work as far as his wife knew.