Rita Herron - Cold Case at Carlton's Canyon

He hadn’t asked her to.

She shot him a fiery look. “I may be a woman, but I can do my job.”

“I never said you couldn’t,” Justin said.

“Good, I’m glad we got that out of the way.”

He had to admit he was intrigued by her spunk. Obviously she’d battled her way up against men in her field who probably thought she was incompetent based on her sex.

Either that or they were sidetracked by her good looks.

He wouldn’t make that mistake.

And he certainly couldn’t or wouldn’t allow her pretty little face to distract him. He was here to solve the case of the missing girls.

Nothing else mattered.

Especially the little zing of lightning that had sizzled between them when he’d brushed her hand earlier.

Cold Case at

Carlton’s

Canyon

Rita Herron

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Award-winning author RITA HERRONwrote her first book when she was twelve, but didn’t think real people grew up to be writers. Now she writes so she doesn’t have to get a real job. A former kindergarten teacher and workshop leader, she traded storytelling to kids for writing romance, and now she writes romantic comedies and romantic suspense. She lives in Georgia with her own romance hero and three kids. She loves to hear from readers, so please write her at PO Box 921225, Norcross, GA 30092-1225, USA, or visit her website, www.ritaherron.com.

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To my own hero, Lee—love you always,

Rita

Contents

Prologue Prologue Kelly Lambert did not want to die. But the kind person who’d offered to give her a ride when her car broke down outside Sunset Mesa, the person she’d thought had saved her from walking late at night on a deserted road, had turned into a maniac. A rancid breath bathed Kelly’s cheek, and her stomach roiled. “Please...” she begged. Her words died as fingers tightened the belt around her throat. Rocks skittered beneath her feet as her attacker dragged her nearer the edge of the canyon and forced her to look at the rocky terrain below. Hundreds of feet loomed between her and the ground. Even if she managed to land on the level part between the jagged rocks, the impact of the fall would kill her. “That’s where you belong,” the crazed voice murmured. “Mean girls like you deserve to die.” “No, please stop,” she gasped. “Why are you doing this to me?” A pair of rage-filled eyes glittered back at her. “You know why.” Kelly’s lungs strained for air as the leather dug into her throat. But she didn’t know. Didn’t know why this person wanted her dead. Why anyone would want her dead. Her attacker shoved her closer to the edge. Kelly’s legs dangled over the canyon like a rag doll’s. She struggled again, desperate to escape, but whatever drug she’d been given had made her too weak. Fighting back was impossible. She couldn’t move her hands, couldn’t lift her arms, couldn’t kick at all. Tears streamed down her cheeks as the fingers dug deeper into her throat. “No...” Her attacker’s bitter laugh echoed through the canyon, and Kelly gagged. Her life flashed in front of her like a series of movie clips. Her mother braiding her hair before she’d died. Easter egg hunts, Christmases, proms and dance lessons. High school boyfriends and college parties and...her upcoming wedding... She had her dress picked out. The flowers...roses...the bridal shower she was supposed to have today. And the honeymoon...a honeymoon she would never get to have. Panic seized her, and pain knifed through her chest as the belt crushed her windpipe. Nausea mingled with terror and her head spun. Then the lush green of spring faded into black as death came for her.

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

Excerpt

Prologue

Kelly Lambert did not want to die.

But the kind person who’d offered to give her a ride when her car broke down outside Sunset Mesa, the person she’d thought had saved her from walking late at night on a deserted road, had turned into a maniac.

A rancid breath bathed Kelly’s cheek, and her stomach roiled.

“Please...” she begged.

Her words died as fingers tightened the belt around her throat. Rocks skittered beneath her feet as her attacker dragged her nearer the edge of the canyon and forced her to look at the rocky terrain below.

Hundreds of feet loomed between her and the ground. Even if she managed to land on the level part between the jagged rocks, the impact of the fall would kill her.

“That’s where you belong,” the crazed voice murmured. “Mean girls like you deserve to die.”

“No, please stop,” she gasped. “Why are you doing this to me?”

A pair of rage-filled eyes glittered back at her. “You know why.”

Kelly’s lungs strained for air as the leather dug into her throat.

But she didn’t know. Didn’t know why this person wanted her dead. Why anyone would want her dead.

Her attacker shoved her closer to the edge. Kelly’s legs dangled over the canyon like a rag doll’s.

She struggled again, desperate to escape, but whatever drug she’d been given had made her too weak. Fighting back was impossible. She couldn’t move her hands, couldn’t lift her arms, couldn’t kick at all.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as the fingers dug deeper into her throat.

“No...”

Her attacker’s bitter laugh echoed through the canyon, and Kelly gagged.

Her life flashed in front of her like a series of movie clips. Her mother braiding her hair before she’d died. Easter egg hunts, Christmases, proms and dance lessons.

High school boyfriends and college parties and...her upcoming wedding...

She had her dress picked out. The flowers...roses...the bridal shower she was supposed to have today.

And the honeymoon...a honeymoon she would never get to have.

Panic seized her, and pain knifed through her chest as the belt crushed her windpipe. Nausea mingled with terror and her head spun.

Then the lush green of spring faded into black as death came for her.

Chapter One

Sergeant Justin Thorpe was a loner. Always had been. Always would be.

It was the very reason he was good at his job. No entanglements to tie him down or distract him.

He stared at the decomposed body of the girl floating in Camden Creek, trepidation knotting his gut.

He had a hunch this was one of the girls who’d disappeared from Sunset Mesa, although the medical examiner would have his work cut out to identify what was left of her. Other girls who’d gone missing from various counties across Texas were possibly connected, as well.