Afterburn: A Kenzie Gilmore Thriller

by BIBA PEARCE

  She laughed. “Oh, yeah. I’d forgotten about that.”

  “I showed you mine,” he teased.

  “Okay,” she relented. “If you come over tomorrow, I’ll show you mine.”

  His gaze was warm. “It’s a date.”

  The End

  Keep the story going with a short excerpt from Dead Heat, the second novel in The Kenzie Gilmore Series. You can also pre-purchase by using the link below:

  www.amazon.com/dp/B09FV27C93

  Sign up for Biba Pearce’s newsletter here to stay up to date on new Kenzie Gilmore and other exciting series releases!

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  Also by Biba Pearce

  The Kenzie Gilmore Series

  After Burn

  Dead Heat

  Detective Rob Miller Mysteries

  The Thames Path Killer

  The West London Murders

  The Bisley Wood Murders

  The Box Hill Killer

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  Dead Heat: Chapter 1

  She was at the Christmas market with her friend Bethany. It was a perfect Miami evening—warm, balmy, not a breath of wind. The holiday village sparkled with Christmas cheer. Fairy lights hung from the store fronts; the sound of music filled the air; along with chatter and laughter; and Kenzie could smell roasting chestnuts and the sweet aroma of cotton candy.

  An enormous Christmas tree stood in the middle of the square. Green elves with pink cheeks surrounded it and sang carols while Santa sat in his grotto overlooking the square.

  Bethany nudged Kenzie. “Look, there’s Tom and Christian.”

  Kenzie glanced over to where Bethany pointed and spotted the two boys from school. They were both cute, with long, tousled hair, torn jeans, and loose-fitting T-shirts.

  “Hey, mom. Can we go over to Santa’s grotto?” she asked.

  Angie, Kenzie’s mom, didn’t hear her. Angie had linked her arm with her husband’s, and Uncle Larry was leading them into the mulled wine tent. Kenzie didn’t like mulled wine, or any wine for that matter, and the tent was filled with adults.

  She patted her mother on the shoulder. “Bethany and I are going over to Santa’s grotto, okay?”

  Angie smiled. “Sure, honey. Actually, I’ll come with you. I want to look at the other booths. I haven’t finished my Christmas shopping yet.”

  “I’ll meet you back here,” Angie said to Kenzie’s father, giving him a peck on the cheek. Then the three of them walked out of the tent together. “Be good, girls.”

  Kenzie gave her a half-wave and ran off with Bethany towards the grotto. That was the last time she ever saw her mother.

  The girls flirted with Tom and Christian until they left to go to a friend’s house. Then Kenzie saw her father standing in the middle of the square looking around. “Have you seen your mother?” he asked as she and Bethany walked up.

  “No, she was looking at the booths.”

  “I can’t find her.”

  Uncle Larry emerged from the mulled wine tent, his cheeks flushed. “She’s not in there.”

  They walked around the market, still busy with festive shoppers, but her mother was nowhere to be seen.

  “Could she have gone home?” Larry asked.

  “I don’t think so. Not without telling me.” Bud, Kenzie’s father, scratched his head.

  “Maybe she felt sick,” offered Bethany.

  “It’s possible.” Her father pulled out his cell phone. “I’ll call her.”

  The call went straight to voicemail. He shook his head and hung up. “Her phone’s not on.”

  Kenzie’s voice trembled. “Where could she be?”

  Her father shrugged. “She must have wandered off. I’m sure there’s no reason to worry.”

  “I’ll call Nora,” Larry said. “She can check at the house.”

  “Thanks, Larry.”

  Her uncle pulled out his phone and spoke to his wife. They lived a few doors down from Kenzie and her parents. Nora had brought them a flower arrangement to welcome them to the neighborhood when they’d first moved in. That’s how they’d become friends.

  Bethany’s phone beeped, and she glanced at it. “That’s my mom. She wants me home.”

  Bud hesitated. He had to get Bethany home, but Kenzie could tell he didn’t want to leave the square without his wife.

  “I’ll walk her back,” Larry offered. “I’ll let you know when I hear from Nora. Keep your phone on.”

  “I will. Thanks Larry. We’ll wait here in case she comes back.”

  “No problem.”

  Larry left with Bethany, while Kenzie stood beside her father under the giant tree’s flashing lights, wondering what had happened to her mother. A strange pressure was building inside her chest, which she later recognized as panic.

  “I’m going to look again.” She took off before her father could stop her. She ran from booth to booth, peering inside, expecting to see her mother’s blonde hair as she inspected ornaments or jars of spiced jam. The market was large, and Kenzie was exhausted and overwrought when she got back to her father.

  “She’s not anywhere.” She burst into tears and clung to her father. “Where is she?”

  “I don’t know. She’s not at home. Nora checked.” He glanced around helplessly. “I think I’ll have to call Vic.”

  Vic was his partner at the Miami Police Department. A bear of a man, or that’s how he seemed to Kenzie. Vic and her father were as close as brothers. Her father always said he’d trust Vic with his life. Bud turned his back on Kenzie and spoke rapidly into the phone for a few minutes. She caught the tension in his voice. It made her worry even more.

  Mom, where are you?

  A short time later, Vic arrived, followed by two police vehicles. Their blue lights drowned out those from the Christmas tree. People stopped to stare.

  “She disappeared.” Bud threw his hands up in the air. “Vanished, into thin air.”

  That’s when the nightmare really began.

  Kenzie woke up covered in perspiration. She hadn’t revisited that awful night for years. It wasn’t a nightmare, rather a reliving of the events leading to her mother’s disappearance. A lucid dream. And it was always the same. The market, the smells, the grotto, then the overwhelming fear.

  She propped herself up in bed and reached for her glass of water. The police file was still open on the bed beside her. She’d fallen asleep reading it. She took a glug and then fell back onto the pillows. Reading the case files was getting to her.

  Reid.

  She needed to speak to Reid. He’d know what to do.

  She showered and dressed, then left the house. The ex-police detective would be at home, in his isolated cabin on the Glades. After his last job consulting for the Miami PD, he’d decided not to go back full time. A pity, Kenzie thought. He was so good at it.

  As someone who would give anything to work for the Miami PD, she didn’t understand it, but she wasn’t him. She hadn’t lost a colleague and lover in the line of duty. She didn’t carry the burden of that death on her shoulders, though it wasn’t his fault.

  But that was Reid. He took his responsibilities seriously. He had integrity, and that was a rare trait. It was one of the reasons she trusted him.

  Trust. That was huge for her.

  Kenzie Gilmore trusted no one. Not until she’d met Reid earlier that year and they’d worked the Swamp Strangler case. Now he was helping her figure out what had happened to her mother almost twenty years ago.

  She got into her car and drove out of her condo complex, the manilla folder on the passenger seat.

  After a forty-minute drive, she turned off the busy US-27 highway and onto a deserted road to the Everglades Holiday Park. The signpost specified airboat rentals, alligator tours, boat hire, and a general store. It was a muggy, overcast day and the clouds above signified rain–and
lots of it. It had been humid as hell for a week now, and they were due a thunderstorm.

  Reid’s cabin was five miles down this road. Previously an airboat tour company right on the water’s edge, he’d converted it into a livable home. It was very rustic, no AC and annoyingly temperamental Wi-Fi, but the view was spectacular, and he enjoyed being away from the chaos of the city.

  Kenzie pulled off the road and parked beside his Ford Ranger pickup. He was home. She knocked on the door, but as usual, there was no answer. Not waiting, she made her way around the house, squeezing through the gap in the foliage, her feet squelching on the soggy ground.

  He was cleaning his airboat, the water gushing from the hose onto the deck. “You really should get a buzzer.” She climbed onto the waterfront wooden deck in front of the house. “You can’t hear a thing from out here.”

  “That’s the point.” He grinned up at her.

  She shook her head. “Can we talk?”

  “Sure, just give me a moment.” He didn’t need to ask what she wanted to discuss. She’d had the case files for a week now. He finished hosing down the boat, then climbed onto the small walkway. He curled the length of the hose around his hand and elbow, then looped it over a low wooden pole.

  “Help yourself to a drink.” He strode past her into the house, leaving a trail of wet footprints. “I won’t be long.”

  “Sure.”

  She took a jug of iced tea out of the fridge and poured each of them a glass. When he got back, she was sitting in the living room, the folder on the coffee table in front of her.

  “Thanks.” He picked up the glass and downed it in one.

  Her gaze fell on his unshaven jaw and big hand clutching the glass. “I dreamt about her last night,” she whispered.

  He sat down opposite her, the wicker chair creaking under his weight.

  “Your mom?”

  “Yeah. We were in the market square on the night she disappeared. I remembered everything like it was yesterday.”

  He watched her, waiting for her to continue.

  “I haven’t had that dream in years, yet it felt so real. I could smell the mulled wine and pinecones.”

  “Reopening the investigation will bring back those memories,” he said softly. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

  She didn’t hesitate. “Of course I’m sure. I need to find out what happened.”

  “Okay.” He leaned back. “I said I’d help you and I will. You have to realize, though, we might not find anything. It’s been a long time and–”

  “I know,” she cut him off. “But we have to try.”

  He nodded.

  She took a shaky breath. “Should we start with Uncle Larry and his wife Nora? Larry was there. He’s not really my uncle, more like a good friend. I just called him that.”

  “What about Captain Reynolds?” Reid asked. “He was your father’s partner. He was the one in charge of the case. We should probably speak to him first.”

  She liked the way he said ‘we’. It helped her recognize she wasn’t doing this alone. As a reporter, she was used to investigations, but this one was personal. It felt good having Reid there to bounce ideas off.

  “We should speak to him, but it might be a good idea to get some background first. He’s a busy man and I don’t want to waste his time.”

  Captain Reynolds headed the Miami PD. He’d come a long way since being Bud Gilmore’s partner twenty years ago.

  “Sure,” agreed Reid. “I’m happy to tackle this however you want. Where is Larry now?”

  “We lost touch after my mother’s disappearance,” Kenzie admitted. “I never saw him or his wife again. They’re in Orlando now. I found an address for them in Winter Springs.”

  “Then, that’s where we’ll start.”

  Dead Heat: Chapter 2

  “Maybe I should have called ahead.” Kenzie gnawed on her lip as they drove into Winter Springs. It was an attractive suburban area nestled against the blue waters of Lake Jesup. They passed several lush, green parks, a quaint town center, and neatly lined streets with spacious houses set back from the road.

  “It’s a bit late now,” Reid retorted. “Anyway, the element of surprise is always good.”

  Larry and his wife lived in such a house. It looked new. The garden was well taken care of, and the driveway was swept clean despite the leaves turning a burnished orange above them.

  Kenzie remembered Nora had been a florist back in Miami. That’s why she hadn’t been at the Christmas market. She’d been preparing for a function the following day.

  “Nice place.” Reid turned off the engine.

  The front door opened and a slender woman with gray hair exited. She’d aged, but Kenzie recognized her and was jolted back to afternoon barbecues at their house, helping her mom and Nora in the kitchen.

  “You okay?” Reid glanced at her.

  “Yeah.” She got out of the car and walked toward the woman. “Nora, it’s Kenzie Gilmore. Do you remember me?”

  Nora stared at her, stunned. “Why Kenzie, yes, of course I remember you. What are you doing here?”

  Kenzie gave her a brief hug. It seemed fitting after all these years. Their families had been close, after all.

  “I’m sorry to drop by unannounced. I was hoping you’d be able to talk to me about my mother. About the night she disappeared.”

  Nora sighed, then gave a little nod. “I suspected this day might come.” She turned to Reid and held out her hand. “And you are?”

  “Oh, I’m sorry.” Kenzie flushed. “This is Reid Garrett. He’s helping me with her case.”

  Nora wore a sad little smile, then beckoned them inside. “I’ll put some coffee on.”

  They accumulated in the spacious living room. Wide windows overlooked the front driveway and garden, which was how Nora must have seen them arrive. The floor was tiled, but a large rug covered most of it. A well-used leather sofa and matching armchair were positioned around a deep wooden chest. It was stylish and functional. On a side table stood an arrangement of photographs in silver frames.

  Kenzie inspected them. Nora and Larry in their younger days. Larry fishing. A wedding picture of a young couple Kenzie didn’t recognize. The Eiffel Tower.

  “Have a seat,” Nora called from the kitchen. “I’ll be right in.”

  They sat next to each other. Reid was also looking at the photographs. Always observing.

  Nora came back with a tray. “I must say, I am surprised to see you after all this time. I was sorry to hear about your father’s passing. He was a good man.”

  “Thank you.” Kenzie got up to help her pour the coffee. She handed one to Reid. Black. Then poured one for Nora and herself.

  “Thank you, dear.” Nora sat herself down in the armchair with a little squeak. “How are you, Kenzie? What are you doing with yourself these days?”

  “I’m a reporter.” She smiled. “For the Miami Herald.”

  “That is impressive.” She glanced at Reid. “And your boyfriend? Reid, was it?”

  Reid spluttered on his coffee.

  “Oh, he’s not my boyfriend. Reid’s a–a friend.” She hoped he wouldn’t notice her pink cheeks. “As I said, he’s helping me find out what happened to my mother.”

  Nora glanced between them, then smiled. “Well, it’s lovely to meet you, Reid.”

  “Likewise, ma’am.”

  Kenzie kept her gaze fixed on the elderly woman. “Nora, is Larry around?”

  Her shoulders slumped. “No, my dear. I’m afraid Larry died several years back. He had a heart attack, like your father. It was very sudden.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.”

  Damn it.

  She’d been hoping to get a first-hand account from him. Nora must have sensed her disappointment, because she said, “But I remember that evening as clear as day.”

  “You do?”

  “Yes. I wasn’t there when Angie disappeared, but Larry was in such a state, we talked about nothing else for weeks afterwards
.”

  Kenzie stared at her. “Would you mind refreshing my memory?”

  “Of course, dear. I’ll tell you what I know.” She settled back in her chair, still holding her coffee mug. “I was at home arranging flowers for the Christmas dinner at the Community Center. It was about eight-thirty when Larry called. He asked me to go to your house and see if Angie was there.”

  Kenzie nodded. She remembered Larry making the call.

  “The house was dark. I rang the buzzer and tried the front door, but it was locked. Nobody was home.”

  “Did you look inside?” Reid inquired.

  She shifted her gaze to him and nodded. “Yes, I peered through the windows but couldn’t see any movement. I even tried the kitchen door around the back.” She shook her head. “Your mother wasn’t there.”

  Kenzie swallowed. “What happened then?”

  “Well, I drove into town to help your father and Larry look for her.”

  Kenzie vaguely remembered a policewoman taking her home and sitting with her until her father got back late that night.

  “Didn’t Larry take Bethany home?” Bethany. She wondered what had happened to her. After her mother had disappeared, Kenzie had taken time off school, except when she went back, it was a different place. The people were distant. Those she thought were her friends suddenly didn’t want to talk to her anymore. Perhaps their parents had warned them off. A mysterious disappearance. A father under suspicion. It didn’t make for comfortable friendships.

  “Yes, he did. But he came back again. We had quite a search party. That detective Vic Reynolds was there, along with a few of his officers. There was also a group of locals, mostly stall owners. We looked everywhere.” She shrugged. What more could she say? Angie had vanished.

  “What about the residents?” Reid asked. “I didn’t read anything in the report about door-to-door inquiries.”