If She Ran (Martina Monroe Book 2)

by H K Christie

  "Also, the department's communications liaison will reach out to you, because as soon as the news breaks, you will probably have a swarm of reporters coming after you requesting interviews. It will be a good idea to hire a lawyer or some other form of representation to handle all the media requests that are going to come your way. I have a list of several that would like to perform their services pro bono. I will give you the contact information. It would be best to reach out to them before the press conference."

  "Oh, wow, I hadn't even thought of that," Raquel said.

  "Yep, as happy as you are to be back with your family, your story of resilience and survival will touch many people. They'll want to hear your story and to help. It's quite remarkable what you did, Raquel."

  Tears escape Raquel's bright blue eyes. "I couldn't have done it without Layla and Willow."

  It was nice to hear that the women had supported one another. "All right, I'm going to go visit Layla. I'll see you later, and I'll let my mom know about the blueberry muffins."

  She wiped her eyes and smiled. "Thank you."

  I exited Raquel's room and waved at the guard outside Layla's room before entering. Layla's best friend, Jennifer, was on one side, while her mother and younger brothers were on the other. All of them appeared to be in good spirits. It was remarkable how three days of nourishment and being surrounded by people who loved you could turn things around. Before I could say a word, the best friend, Jennifer, ran up to me and wrapped her arms around me. "Thank you, Martina." I gave her a gentle squeeze before she released me.

  "You're very welcome. You know that without you, we wouldn't have been able to find her, right?"

  "All I did was answer your questions," Jennifer said.

  "You gave us critical information that helped us connect her to the others and then to find them."

  "Oh," Jennifer said.

  I went on to explain to Layla everything I had told the others about the press conference and what to expect. They had a few questions. I told them not to worry. "Layla, how are you feeling?"

  "I feel great. I understand why I need to be in here, but I'm really, really looking forward to being able to go outside again."

  "I can only imagine."

  "How are the other girls doing? Can I visit with them? How's Willow?" Layla asked.

  The three women's bond was strong. They'd endured something so awful but got through it because of each other. I gave her the update on Willow and Raquel. When I asked if there were any special requests, Layla bit her lower lip. "It's not dinner, but I would love some mint chocolate chip ice cream, if she can get it. If not, it's not a big deal."

  "Consider it done. So far we have lasagna, salad, garlic bread, blueberry muffins, and mint chocolate chip ice cream."

  "Sounds amazing," Layla said.

  "Please let me know if you need anything at all. You have my card. I'm always available to all of you."

  "Thank you. Did they find the others?" Layla asked.

  "They found the three graves on the property. They have used dental records to confirm the bodies belonged to Daniela, Aria, and Iris."

  She nodded. "Raquel told us about Iris. She tried to escape. That's when he killed her."

  I nodded, understanding that they had been subjected to horrible things at the hand of Rhett Kinsey. It sounded more and more like Jeff Kinsey never had contact with the women, but he definitely knew about them and had covered it up for his son. His son, on the other hand, seem to hate him and was ready to tell all his father's secrets. Speaking of fathers, Hirsch and I had no intention of looking further into Layla's father, Roger's whereabouts. There was no missing person’s report and no body. I thought nothing was to be gained by pursuing the search any further. I said my goodbyes and exited the room.

  I headed toward the elevators and spotted Hirsch. "Hey. I didn't realize you were coming down here?"

  "I was on my way back home and wanted to let you know I just talked to Jordan, and we've agreed to keep him in protective custody throughout Jeff Kinsey's trial."

  "Kinsey's still not talking?"

  "Not yet, but we're going to take another run at him to identify Jordan's shooter so we can let the women go home and start living their lives again."

  "Wouldn't that be something?"

  "How are they all doing?"

  "Except for Willow, they're in good spirits. Willow's sleeping. The doctors say she needs as much rest as she can get. They started chemotherapy today."

  "It's a good thing she's getting medical treatment."

  "Agreed. The doctor said if it had been much longer, they may have had a different prognosis."

  "You let them know about the press release?"

  "Yes."

  "I have a few more updates."

  "Yeah?"

  I didn't like the way his body deflated. It would not be good news.

  "Detectives Smart and Yates admitted they covered up the crimes, but that they had no knowledge of what was actually happening or why they were asked not to investigate. The DA decided not to pursue criminal charges, but Smart has been terminated from the police department. He'll lose his pension as will Yates."

  It didn't seem to be enough. "They just get to walk away?"

  "Unfortunately. Now, for some good news. LAPD got a hit on the shell casing found at Jordan's house. They have a suspect in custody."

  "Why didn't you lead with that? We could use some good news."

  "Nothing's done yet, but if we can confirm he's the shooter, those women can go home."

  "Fingers crossed. By the way, my mom is bringing dinner for everyone. I plan to go home, get changed and see my daughter, but I'll be back with Mom and home-cooked lasagna, blueberry muffins, and mint chocolate chip ice cream."

  "So, I should stick around?"

  "It'll be a party—especially if we can give them news that they can go home tomorrow."

  "I'll work on it—if you save me some ice cream."

  "You've got a deal. We should be back around five-thirty with dinner."

  "Great. I'll be here."

  I exited the hospital, feeling grateful that those women were with their families and that I knew where my daughter was and that she was safe.

  49

  Martina

  I stepped out into the sunshine and surveyed my backyard. It was warm with a cool breeze—nearly perfect. My mother stood over the new grill we just purchased while Zoey ran around the yard with Barney, our new puppy. Well, not quite a puppy. He was two years old, but he had the energy of one. He was a black and white Shorkie - a Yorkshire Terrier and Shih Tzu mix. As I had predicted, I caved after seeing the photos and the excitement in Zoey's eyes. I thought Zoey had a lot of energy, but compared to that dog, she was pretty low key. I wished I had half of Barney's energy. With the addition of Barney Monroe, our family dog, we were a family of four.

  Zoey giggled as she threw toys and watched the puppy run after them. A stuffed raccoon squeaked wildly as Barney chewed furiously on it. The doorbell rang, and the dog barked and ran toward the entrance to the house. Barney was a great alert dog. If we received a package, somebody knocked on the door, or a bird flew by, Barney would let us know about it. He was better than any state-of-the-art alarm system we could've purchased.

  Zoey scrambled after Barney, and I told her, "Zoey, why don't you stay here in the backyard, and I'll answer the door."

  She nodded and scooped Barney into her arms before trotting off toward my mother.

  I slid open the door into the house and proceeded toward the front door. Through the peephole I could see it was Hirsch. I opened the door. "Hey, Hirsch, my mom and Zoey are out back, playing with the new puppy, Barney."

  "I finally get to meet this Barney I keep hearing about."

  "You can probably hear him now. That's him barking in the backyard."

  "That I do. I brought chips and guacamole, homemade. Where should I put it?"

  I glanced down at the bag. "My mom has a table set up in the backyard
. It has a red checkered tablecloth and everything."

  "Sounds nice."

  I shut the door and moments before I was about to reenter the backyard, a knock on the door sounded. I retreated to the entry and let the visitors in. "Hello. Come on in. Everyone's in the backyard with the new puppy, and my mom's on the grill."

  Heather gave me a light squeeze. We'd grown close over the past few weeks since she had convinced me to start a self-defense program at her college. Next weekend was the first class. We already had a waiting list since we'd hit capacity. Despite her short time in captivity, Heather had kept in touch with Layla, Raquel, and Willow. According to Heather, they texted each other every day. It was nice to hear updates about the women from Heather. Raquel and Layla were thriving. Willow remained in the hospital as she continued her chemotherapy and soon would receive a bone marrow transplant. She was strong, and the doctors were hopeful she could beat it.

  Kaylie declared, "We brought cupcakes with sprinkles."

  "That sounds amazing. Did you help make them?"

  "I put the sprinkles on."

  No doubt. "Bridget, Tom, how are you?"

  "We're doing great. Thanks, Martina."

  I led them and the cupcakes to the party. We stepped outside, and I watched as Kaylie ran to Zoey, who now had the puppy cornered. I wasn't sure who was having a better time: the puppy or the two girls. He loved playing tug-of-war. The girls squealed with delight. It was quite the scene.

  I was thankful they had caught Jordan's shooter, who had opted to cut a deal and confessed that Jeff Kinsey had hired him to shoot Jordan Day. So, technically, we didn't need Jeff Kinsey to talk once Jordan's shooter implicated him, corroborating Rhett Kinsey's story. With the pressure of all the fingers pointing at him, Jeff Kinsey finally confessed to hiring a hitman to kill Jordan Day, and the coverup of the kidnapped women. Jeff Kinsey swore that he'd never touched any of the women and that everything he did, he'd done to protect his son. In some ways, I could understand wanting to protect your children, but covering up abductions and murder? Never.

  This was a situation where the good guys won—kind of. The bad guys were in prison for the rest of their lives, and four women were home with their families. The three we didn't rescue, we were at least able to bring them home to their families so they could begin the process of grieving.

  There was definitely a reason for a celebration.

  I hadn't barbecued in several years and I wasn't exactly a grill master. Jared had taken care of that when he was still with us.

  The doorbell rang and despite Barney's barking, and thoughts on the matter, I told everyone I would get it. I headed back into the house. Looking through the peephole once again, I smiled widely and opened the door. "Come on in, Rocco."

  "Martina, you're looking very well."

  I said, "Thank you," before slipping my fingers into my pocket to touch my one-year sobriety token. I hadn’t told the other partygoers that this get-together was more than a celebration of our new puppy and case closure. "Everyone's out back, including the new puppy, who is the star of the barbecue."

  "No doubt."

  I led Rocco to the backyard, where the festivities were going on. Everyone was fawning over Barney as well as chatting with my mom, who apparently had a social gene that somehow skipped me. Go figure. She passed down the alcoholic gene, but not the social one. We can't choose our genetics.

  I had invited Stavros to the barbecue as an olive branch of sorts, but he hadn't committed to attending because of a prior commitment. We hadn't spoken much over the past few weeks, except for a few check-ins here and there to let him know I was doing all right, how the case was progressing, and to give him a heads up before the press conference. He was happy, and I was happy. For now, we agreed this was the best situation for both of us. Not to mention the great press that not only Drakos Security & Investigations was receiving, but also the CoCo County Sheriff's Department.

  Not surprisingly, with all the positive press, the department secured additional funding to solve more cold cases. What started out as Hirsch and myself would soon be a twelve-person team. Not only had we solved the case of the missing women, but we enabled the department to solve even more cold cases.

  Hirsch and I were getting noticed more than we'd like and adjusting to our new celebrity. Hirsch enjoyed his free doughnuts and coffee, and I humbly accepted a latte or two.

  Hirsch and I had closed another case together, but there was still one thing we needed to discuss. I walked over to Hirsch. "It appears we did a good thing, Hirsch."

  "I'd say so."

  "Any word on the DeSoto case?"

  "You're always working, aren't you, Martina?"

  "I don't know any other way."

  "I talked to Sarge about it. I just got the green light for us to take a second look at the case. We can start Monday, if you're up for it?"

  "Oh, I'm up for it," I said, playfully.

  I was definitely ready to make Blake DeSoto pay for what he’d done to his wife, Julie. No one should be able to get away with terrorizing their spouse and then hiring a contract killer to have them murdered. I knew Blake DeSoto was behind Julie's death, and now Hirsch and I were going to prove it.

  Martina Monroe Book 3

  Release date: November 17, 2021

  Order your copy today!

  A tragic death. A massive cover up. PI Martina Monroe must face her past in order to reveal the truth.

  PI Martina Monroe has found her groove working cold cases alongside Detective Hirsch at the CoCo County Sheriff’s Department. With a growing team of cold case detectives, Martina is ready to dive headfirst into the next investigation. But when Martina receives a haunting message from her past, it nearly tears her in two.

  As the cold case turns hot, communications from the mysterious source rattle Martina to the core. Now questioning everything she believed about her time working for Drakos Security & Investigations and with the United States Army, Martina must uncover the truth for her sanity and her own life.

  Pushed to the brink, Martina risks everything to expose the real criminals and bring justice for the victim’s family.

  Order your copy today!

  Thank you!

  Thank you for reading If She Ran I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I loved writing it. If you did, I would greatly appreciate if you could post a short review.

  Reviews are crucial for any author and can make a huge difference in visibility of current and future works. Reviews allow us to continue doing what we love, writing stories. Not to mention, I would be forever grateful!

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  Also by H.K. Christie

  The Martina Monroe Series is a nail-biting suspense series starring Private Investigator Martina Monroe and her unofficial partner Detective August Hirsch.

  What She Left, Book 1

  If She Ran, Book 2

  All She Wanted, Book 3

  The Selena Bailey Series is a suspenseful series featuring a young Selena Bailey and her turbulent path to becoming a top notch kickass private investigator as led by her mentor, Martina Monroe.

  Not Like Her, Book 1

  One In Five, Book 2

  On The Rise, Book 3

  Go With Grace, Book 4

  Flawless, Book 5

  A Permanent Mark: A heartless killer. Weeks without answers. Can she move on when a murderer walks free?

  For a full list of books by H.K. Christie, visit her website at

  www.authorhkchristie.com

  About the Author

  H. K. Christie watched horror films
far too early in life. Inspired by the likes of Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and a vivid imagination she now writes suspenseful thrillers featuring unbreakable women. If She Ran is her eleventh book.

  When not working on her latest novel, she can be found eating & drinking with friends, walking around the lakes, or playing with her favorite furry pal.

  She is a native and current resident of the San Francisco Bay Area.

  Acknowledgments

  Many thanks to those who helped me shape and create this story. First, many thanks to my Advanced Reader Team. My ARC Team is invaluable in taking the first look at my stories and helping find typos and spreading awareness of my stories through their reviews and kind words. To my editor, Lia Fairchild, a huge thanks for your careful edit and helpful comments. To my cover designer, Odile, thank you for your guidance and talent. Last but not least, I’d like to thank all of my readers. It’s because of you I’m able to continue writing stories.