by Dani Pettrey
“Parker, please.” Regardless of his level of education, going by Doctor always felt pretentious for him. He scoped out the scene—the officers’ booties covering their shoes, the crime-scene area cordoned off, the crime-scene techs waiting for his arrival and instructions. “You guys have done an excellent job.”
“Thank you, sir. ME just arrived. Hasn’t made it down here yet.”
Parker nodded. Probably double-checking he had everything in precise order. The ME was a perfectionist, which made him impeccable at his job.
Parker set down his kit, and after his initial walk-through, he began documenting the scene.
Avery had wanted to photograph the scene as he sketched it, but she was too emotionally invested, so he’d called Tim Stanton, the crime-scene photographer he’d been working with since Avery had left his employ six months ago. Now that Avery was back, he’d give Tim a stellar recommendation and make sure he found a great investigator to team him with.
Tim signaled when he was finished and Parker glanced back at Avery one last time. “Are you sure, love?”
She nodded. She wasn’t leaving.
Parker knelt beside the garment bag, observing what he could from the outside. He found a fiber trapped in the garment bag zipper and carefully, with a pair of tweezers, removed it and bagged it.
Finally, ready to open the garment bag, he took a moment to fill his lungs with air and held it in. The first whiff was always the worst.
He pulled the zipper down.
Avery’s breath hitched, but she smothered the gasp threatening to escape her lips—only the slightest squeak was audible.
He looked up at her. She nodded, and he turned back to his work. Bloating and putrefaction were present, but the decay hadn’t reached a point where Skylar was no longer identifiable. Especially once the ME cleaned her up postautopsy for official next-of-kin identification. The earring they’d found in the hotel room matched the one still attached to Skylar’s right ear.
Parker meticulously worked the physical evidence on scene, and once the ME had taken Skylar’s body, Parker dropped Avery off at home and headed to his lab with the rest of the evidence. He’d work all day, all night. Whatever it took to get answers, to bring Skylar’s killer to justice.
And he found it.
The next morning, Dr. Miles Eason was officially charged with the murder of Skylar Pierce and Megan Kent. He thought he’d covered his bases, but in an attempt to seal Sebastian’s fate, he’d sealed his own.
He’d used his own car to transport Megan’s body. Tire tracks in the mud by both body dumpsites matched his Mercedes tire tread. Mud from both sites was still wedged in the luxury car’s tires. If Dr. Eason hadn’t panicked and tried to frame Sebastian by staging Megan’s murder to look like Skylar’s, they probably never would have found the physical evidence they needed to put him away. His cockiness had finally caught up with him, and with Avery at his side, Parker took great pleasure in watching Griffin haul Dr. Eason to his indictment hearing.
Kyle rushed toward his father as they moved him down the hall. Officers held him back, but his questions were loud and clear. “Dad, they’re wrong, right? You didn’t kill those women?”
Dr. Eason tugged to a stop, and Griffin let him respond. “You really think I was going to let some piece of trash destroy your life because you couldn’t keep it in your pants?”
Kyle’s face slackened in shock. “You . . . did . . . kill them?”
“You had to go and be selfish. What? Did you think you were just risking your future? You were risking—she was threatening—my reputation. I didn’t work so hard for some tramp to ruin it all by blackmailing my family. She deserved what she got.”
Avery stepped up and slapped him across the face. “Now you’re going to get what you deserve. Hope you bode well in general pop, doc.”
Two days later Parker grabbed Avery from behind in Charm City Investigation’s kitchen. Tipping her chin back, he kissed her fully. He lifted his lips a breath from hers. “Ginger?” he asked.
She held up the cup in her hand. “Tea.”
He hadn’t even noticed the mug in her hand. Only her. She was all he saw. All he wanted. And he prayed she felt the same. How could he be so blessed to have two incredible women love him in one lifetime?
After Jenna he never thought . . . But then God brought Avery striding through his door, and his entire world changed. He came alive again.
She narrowed her eyes, turning to face him fully. “What are you thinking about?”
He lowered his lips to hers and whispered, “You.”
Someone cleared his throat behind them.
Parker grunted at the intrusion and turned to find Griffin with a stack of pizza boxes in hand. “We’re ready to eat.”
Parker peeled himself back from the woman he loved. “Of course you are,” he said through gritted teeth at Griffin, who apparently found his interruption quite amusing, judging by the ginormous smirk on his face.
Sebastian settled back on the cot in his cell. Apparently it was illegal to photograph the dead. The police and the judge who’d indicted him for trial had used a lot of fancy legal jargon to describe his crimes, but that’s what it came down to.
He exhaled a soothing breath. No matter. He had plenty to occupy his time. He shifted the drawing pad in his hand and added a little more shading along Avery’s right earlobe.
“She your girlfriend?” his cellmate asked.
Sebastian looked up at the dozen sketches he’d done so far, surrounded by his favorite poem by Rossetti.
Rest, rest, for evermore
Upon a mossy shore;
Rest, rest at the heart’s core
Till time shall cease:
Sleep that no pain shall wake;
Night that no morn shall break
Till joy shall overtake
Her perfect peace.
“Yes,” he answered, gazing at Avery’s face on his lap. “Isn’t she beautiful?”
Epilogue
TWO WEEKS LATER
Avery and Parker stepped onto the dance floor at Griffin and Finley’s wedding in Chesapeake Harbor. It was a beautiful day in the mid-seventies, the late afternoon sun shining, and everyone from the town in attendance. Declan was present and sporting some snazzy crutches Tanner had decorated with pirate-skull duct tape.
“What’s wrong?” Avery asked, as they remained standing still.
Parker cleared his throat. “I only know one dance. An Irish jig.”
Avery’s nose crinkled in that ultra-sexy yet adorably innocent way. “Seriously?”
He shrugged. “Afraid so.”
“Then why are you out here?” She indicated the dance floor and the couples swirling around them.
“Because for you I’d do anything. I hope you know that.” He lowered his head, looking her straight in the eye, and whispered, “I would do anything for you, lass.”
“I know.” She smiled. “Now let me lead.”
He was so busy focusing on their movement, the steps, that he didn’t realize what song was playing until he relaxed into the dance: “Wanted” by Hunter Hayes.
Smelling of jasmine and the spray of the bay, Avery slipped her arm around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder.
Parker glanced heavenward. Are you kidding me with this song, this day, this incredible woman? Talk about needing self-discipline.
Under these circumstances, Lord, please fill me with your Spirit’s equipping. It would definitely be greatly appreciated.
The lyrics spoke of wanting to hold her hand forever and that’s exactly what he wanted. To hold her hand in his forever.
Like Griff and Finley’s, his and Avery’s courtship was going to be a short one. Today, this moment, God’s leading had convinced him of that. True to her word, she’d paid him back for purchasing Skylar’s ring, and he was going to, in turn, put the money right back toward purchasing a new ring, this one for Avery’s left ring finger.
He looked around at the wedding reception scen
e, at the bride and groom so deeply in love, but he couldn’t imagine they were as deeply in love as he was with the woman in his arms. Every day he loved her more. He whispered in her ear—“One day soon this will be us, love”—and felt her smile against his cheek.
Letter to the Readers
Dear Readers,
Thank you so much for reading Still Life. I truly hope you enjoyed Parker and Avery’s love story.
I wanted to mention that my portrayal of Avery’s ostracism by the city’s artists is completely fictional. I took liberties for the story, and it is absolutely no reflection of the true art community. Baltimore is an amazing city full of talented authors, artists, chefs, and musicians, and its art community is wonderful, vibrant, and supportive. I hope one day you’ll have a chance to visit. If you make it out this way, you should definitely take time to visit Fell’s Point—it’s amazing.
You’ll see more of Baltimore in Blind Spot (October 2017) as Tanner and Declan race to stop an imminent threat. You won’t want to miss it!
Thank you again,
and God bless,
Dani
Acknowledgments
Jesus—for equipping me when I had nothing left to give. For strengthening me when I’m exhausted. For renewing my creativity with each new story, and for walking right beside me through each one. I’d never want to, nor could I, do this without You.
Mike—to my awesome hubby. Twenty-five years. You are by far my greatest adventure. I love you beyond measure.
Ty—for keeping life interesting.
Kay—for your sweet soul and Irish sass.
Lisa—for always being there.
Dad—for all the enlightening discussions. You’ve been a huge help!
Jimmy—for making us all your priority. We couldn’t be more grateful.
Donna S.—for my sanity. You are my superhero.
Officer Barry Jordan—for all your help with research and for answering endless questions over dinner. Any mistakes are mine and mine alone. Thank you so very much!
Inkettes—Becky, Katie, Julie, Katie, Lisa, and Karen. Thanks for all the laughter and the joy to come. You ladies warm my heart, even in massive blizzards.
Janet—for all your advice, encouragement, support, and prayers. I treasure you.
Dr. Michael Sellman—for searching until you found what was causing my pain and illness. You are an extraordinary doctor, and it has been an honor and a joy getting to know you.
Dr. DeMusis—for always going above and beyond. Thank you for taking such good care of us.
Dr. Blotny—for taking such good care of my girls over the years and now my grandsons. You’re amazing!
Karen—for being an amazing editor and better yet, a wonderful friend. You’ll be greatly missed, but I wish you a grand adventure. Love you.
Jen—for all your hard work and meticulous eye. I appreciate you!
Dave—for putting up with me through yet another book. For hours of brainstorming . . . even in weird coffee shops, over octopus, and through mad dashes in the rain. It’s a blast working with you.
To everyone at Bethany House and Baker—including but not limited to Noelle, Amy, Steve, Stacey, Anna, Dan, Dave Lewis, Dave Horton, Marilyn, Karen Steele, and Paul Higdon—you guys are such a joy and blessing to work with. Thanks for all you do.
Dani Pettrey is the acclaimed author of the ALASKAN COURAGE romantic suspense series, which includes her bestselling novels Submerged, Shattered, Stranded, Silenced, and Sabotaged. Her books have been honored with the Daphne du Maurier award, two HOLT Medallions, two National Readers’ Choice Awards, the Gail Wilson Award of Excellence, and Christian Retailing’s Best Award, among others.
She feels blessed to write inspirational romantic suspense because it incorporates so many things she loves—the thrill of adventure, nail-biting suspense, the deepening of her characters’ faith, and plenty of romance. She and her husband reside in Maryland, where they enjoy time with their two daughters, a son-in-law, and two super adorable grandsons. You can find her online at www.danipettrey.com.
Books by Dani Pettrey
ALASKAN COURAGE
Submerged
Shattered
Stranded
Silenced
Sabotaged
CHESAPEAKE VALOR
Cold Shot
Still Life
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