by Blake Pierce
H E R L A S T
W I S H
(A Rachel Gift Mystery—Book One)
B L A K E P I E R C E
Blake Pierce
Blake Pierce is the USA Today bestselling author of the RILEY PAGE mystery series, which includes seventeen books. Blake Pierce is also the author of the MACKENZIE WHITE mystery series, comprising fourteen books; of the AVERY BLACK mystery series, comprising six books; of the KERI LOCKE mystery series, comprising five books; of the MAKING OF RILEY PAIGE mystery series, comprising six books; of the KATE WISE mystery series, comprising seven books; of the CHLOE FINE psychological suspense mystery, comprising six books; of the JESSIE HUNT psychological suspense thriller series, comprising nineteen books; of the AU PAIR psychological suspense thriller series, comprising three books; of the ZOE PRIME mystery series, comprising six books; of the ADELE SHARP mystery series, comprising thirteen books; of the EUROPEAN VOYAGE cozy mystery series, comprising six books (and counting); of the new LAURA FROST FBI suspense thriller, comprising five books (and counting); of the new ELLA DARK FBI suspense thriller, comprising six books (and counting); of the A YEAR IN EUROPE cozy mystery series, comprising nine books (and counting); of the AVA GOLD mystery series, comprising three books (and counting); and of the RACHEL GIFT mystery series, comprising three books (and counting).
ONCE GONE (a Riley Paige Mystery--Book #1), BEFORE HE KILLS (A Mackenzie White Mystery—Book 1), CAUSE TO KILL (An Avery Black Mystery—Book 1), A TRACE OF DEATH (A Keri Locke Mystery—Book 1), WATCHING (The Making of Riley Paige—Book 1), NEXT DOOR (A Chloe Fine Psychological Suspense Mystery—Book 1), THE PERFECT WIFE (A Jessie Hunt Psychological Suspense Thriller—Book One), IF SHE KNEW (A Kate Wise Mystery—Book 1), and MURDER (AND BAKLAVA) (A European Voyage Cozy Mystery—Book 1) are each available as a free download on Amazon!
An avid reader and lifelong fan of the mystery and thriller genres, Blake loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.blakepierceauthor.com to learn more and stay in touch.
Copyright © 2021 by Blake Pierce. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior permission of the author. This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Jacket image Copyright oekka.k, used under license from Shutterstock.com.
BOOKS BY BLAKE PIERCE
RACHEL GIFT MYSTERY SERIES
HER LAST WISH (Book #1)
HER LAST CHANCE (Book #2)
HER LAST HOPE (Book #3)
AVA GOLD MYSTERY SERIES
CITY OF PREY (Book #1)
CITY OF FEAR (Book #2)
CITY OF BONES (Book #3)
A YEAR IN EUROPE
A MURDER IN PARIS (Book #1)
DEATH IN FLORENCE (Book #2)
VENGEANCE IN VIENNA (Book #3)
A FATALITY IN SPAIN (Book #4)
SCANDAL IN LONDON (Book #5)
AN IMPOSTOR IN DUBLIN (Book #6)
SEDUCTION IN BORDEAUX (Book #7)
JEALOUSY IN SWITZERLAND (Book #8)
A DEBACLE IN PRAGUE (Book #9)
ELLA DARK FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER
GIRL, ALONE (Book #1)
GIRL, TAKEN (Book #2)
GIRL, HUNTED (Book #3)
GIRL, SILENCED (Book #4)
GIRL, VANISHED (Book 5)
GIRL ERASED (Book #6)
LAURA FROST FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER
ALREADY GONE (Book #1)
ALREADY SEEN (Book #2)
ALREADY TRAPPED (Book #3)
ALREADY MISSING (Book #4)
ALREADY DEAD (Book #5)
EUROPEAN VOYAGE COZY MYSTERY SERIES
MURDER (AND BAKLAVA) (Book #1)
DEATH (AND APPLE STRUDEL) (Book #2)
CRIME (AND LAGER) (Book #3)
MISFORTUNE (AND GOUDA) (Book #4)
CALAMITY (AND A DANISH) (Book #5)
MAYHEM (AND HERRING) (Book #6)
ADELE SHARP MYSTERY SERIES
LEFT TO DIE (Book #1)
LEFT TO RUN (Book #2)
LEFT TO HIDE (Book #3)
LEFT TO KILL (Book #4)
LEFT TO MURDER (Book #5)
LEFT TO ENVY (Book #6)
LEFT TO LAPSE (Book #7)
LEFT TO VANISH (Book #8)
LEFT TO HUNT (Book #9)
LEFT TO FEAR (Book #10)
LEFT TO PREY (Book #11)
LEFT TO LURE (Book #12)
LEFT TO CRAVE (Book #13)
THE AU PAIR SERIES
ALMOST GONE (Book#1)
ALMOST LOST (Book #2)
ALMOST DEAD (Book #3)
ZOE PRIME MYSTERY SERIES
FACE OF DEATH (Book#1)
FACE OF MURDER (Book #2)
FACE OF FEAR (Book #3)
FACE OF MADNESS (Book #4)
FACE OF FURY (Book #5)
FACE OF DARKNESS (Book #6)
A JESSIE HUNT PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE SERIES
THE PERFECT WIFE (Book #1)
THE PERFECT BLOCK (Book #2)
THE PERFECT HOUSE (Book #3)
THE PERFECT SMILE (Book #4)
THE PERFECT LIE (Book #5)
THE PERFECT LOOK (Book #6)
THE PERFECT AFFAIR (Book #7)
THE PERFECT ALIBI (Book #8)
THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR (Book #9)
THE PERFECT DISGUISE (Book #10)
THE PERFECT SECRET (Book #11)
THE PERFECT FAÇADE (Book #12)
THE PERFECT IMPRESSION (Book #13)
THE PERFECT DECEIT (Book #14)
THE PERFECT MISTRESS (Book #15)
THE PERFECT IMAGE (Book #16)
THE PERFECT VEIL (Book #17)
THE PERFECT INDISCRETION (Book #18)
THE PERFECT RUMOR (Book #19)
CHLOE FINE PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE SERIES
NEXT DOOR (Book #1)
A NEIGHBOR’S LIE (Book #2)
CUL DE SAC (Book #3)
SILENT NEIGHBOR (Book #4)
HOMECOMING (Book #5)
TINTED WINDOWS (Book #6)
KATE WISE MYSTERY SERIES
IF SHE KNEW (Book #1)
IF SHE SAW (Book #2)
IF SHE RAN (Book #3)
IF SHE HID (Book #4)
IF SHE FLED (Book #5)
IF SHE FEARED (Book #6)
IF SHE HEARD (Book #7)
THE MAKING OF RILEY PAIGE SERIES
WATCHING (Book #1)
WAITING (Book #2)
LURING (Book #3)
TAKING (Book #4)
STALKING (Book #5)
KILLING (Book #6)
RILEY PAIGE MYSTERY SERIES
ONCE GONE (Book #1)
ONCE TAKEN (Book #2)
ONCE CRAVED (Book #3)
ONCE LURED (Book #4)
ONCE HUNTED (Book #5)
ONCE PINED (Book #6)
ONCE FORSAKEN (Book #7)
ONCE COLD (Book #8)
ONCE STALKED (Book #9)
ONCE LOST
(Book #10)
ONCE BURIED (Book #11)
ONCE BOUND (Book #12)
ONCE TRAPPED (Book #13)
ONCE DORMANT (Book #14)
ONCE SHUNNED (Book #15)
ONCE MISSED (Book #16)
ONCE CHOSEN (Book #17)
MACKENZIE WHITE MYSTERY SERIES
BEFORE HE KILLS (Book #1)
BEFORE HE SEES (Book #2)
BEFORE HE COVETS (Book #3)
BEFORE HE TAKES (Book #4)
BEFORE HE NEEDS (Book #5)
BEFORE HE FEELS (Book #6)
BEFORE HE SINS (Book #7)
BEFORE HE HUNTS (Book #8)
BEFORE HE PREYS (Book #9)
BEFORE HE LONGS (Book #10)
BEFORE HE LAPSES (Book #11)
BEFORE HE ENVIES (Book #12)
BEFORE HE STALKS (Book #13)
BEFORE HE HARMS (Book #14)
AVERY BLACK MYSTERY SERIES
CAUSE TO KILL (Book #1)
CAUSE TO RUN (Book #2)
CAUSE TO HIDE (Book #3)
CAUSE TO FEAR (Book #4)
CAUSE TO SAVE (Book #5)
CAUSE TO DREAD (Book #6)
KERI LOCKE MYSTERY SERIES
A TRACE OF DEATH (Book #1)
A TRACE OF MURDER (Book #2)
A TRACE OF VICE (Book #3)
A TRACE OF CRIME (Book #4)
A TRACE OF HOPE (Book #5)
CONTENTS
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
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY ONE
EPILOGUE
CHAPTER ONE
It was one of the rare days that Rachel was actually pleased with the woman she saw staring back at her in the mirror. She looked closer to twenty-five than her actual age of thirty-three and she was having a good hair day. She’d slept soundly last night and her brown eyes had a well-rested sparkle. Even her skin was on point today, glowing slightly under the bathroom lights.
Not that it mattered. She had training today and, in about three hours, she’d be sweating, and her hair would be in a ponytail. She enjoyed the training, though, and would gladly look like a sweating ragged mess if it meant she’d had a good session. She smiled at the anticipation of it, despite the awful singing voice coming from the shower behind her—the voice of her husband, Peter, belting out “Head Over Heels” by Tears for Fears.
“Darling,” she said with a smile. “I love you dearly, but you missed that note by about a trillion octaves.”
Peter responded by increasing his volume and reaching for a high note that wasn’t even a part of the song. “You know,” he said, following the note. “Most women would appreciate being serenaded before they go off to work.”
“This is more like the torture techniques the army used in Afghanistan by pumping Marilyn Manson into prisons at three in the morning.”
“Sweet. Let your supervisors know. Maybe I’d make a fine addition at the FBI. Then you could work around this singing voice all day long.”
Before she could respond, Peter started singing again. When Rachel left the bathroom, there was a huge smile on her face. It was just one of those days…one of those days where even before the morning had gotten a good start, you just knew it was going to be a good day.
Despite the awful off-key chorus, she was actually glad to hear Peter singing in the shower. It was something he’d been doing a lot more as of late. They’d been working at having a second child for the past few weeks, which meant a much more active sex life. Their first, a daughter, Paige, had come after some difficulty, and they were hoping the second would be a bit easier. She knew Peter didn’t mind putting in the time trying to get her pregnant, but Rachel rather hoped it would happen soon.
When Rachel got downstairs, Paige was already awake. She was standing in front of the refrigerator, on her tip-toes as she tried to get the orange juice. She’d dressed herself, which Rachel always encouraged, and none of it matched. She was wearing a black Descendants shirt with a pair of striped leggings that were green and white in color. Her brown hair was still up in the pigtails Rachel had put in place the day before.
“Hey there, Squirt,” Rachel said, stepping in behind her daughter and getting the orange juice down for her.
“G’morning, Mommy,” Paige said.
“Glad to see you’re already dressed for the day. You got big plans for the day?”
“No, just school,” Paige said, though there was excitement in her voice. Paige seemed to love everything about kindergarten, which was good; she was just like her mother in that she did not particularly take instruction well. It was a trait that seemed to dissolve the moment Paige stepped into a classroom, though. Her teacher had nothing but remarkable things to say about Paige, something Rachel tried not to take too much pride in.
“What about this weekend?” Rachel asked, taking the glass of orange juice to the able where Paige was sitting with a bowl of Apple Jacks she’d apparently already poured for herself. Rachel cringed internally at the thought of drinking orange juice with Apple Jacks. “Anything big you’d like to do?”
“Mrs. Denning said I could come ride one of her horses, remember?”
“Yes, but I—”
“And Annie Jenkins is having an ice cream party. Oh, and I want to try that new jump park all the kids in my class are talking about!”
Rachel smiled. Her daughter always had huge plans. The girl hated to sit still—another trait she got directly from Rachel. “That does sound like a busy weekend.”
Rachel set about made a smoothie while preparing a bowl of oatmeal. Because she had training this morning, she’d probably also eat a protein bar on the way to the obstacle course. She fully expected to be drained and maybe even flushed with adrenaline by the end of it, so protein was going to be key. She sat down at the table with Paige, enjoying the fact that she didn’t need to rush this morning. Her training days started a little later than her typical day at the FBI field office, which gave her a moment to connect with Paige.
“We’ll see about the horses,” Rachel said. “I’ll call Mrs. Denning this evening and try to schedule something.”
“Thanks!”
Rachel ate her oatmeal as Peter came into the kitchen. He’d gotten dressed and was working on his tie when he came into the kitchen. He straightened the knot, and went about his fast and furious routine: a bagel slammed into the toaster and a tall cup of coffee. Rachel took a moment to watch him move quickly through the kitchen. He seemed to be in a good mood, too, which was great. He was so much more handsome when he was smiling (but then again, weren’t all men?). He needed a haircut, but she didn’t want to point it out. Besides, she liked it; his blonde hair hanging slightly over his forehead made him look boyish, younger than his thirty-six years. He needed a shave, too, but Rachel rather liked his five o’ clock shadow.
Peter worked as a software designer, and as of late he and his team and been working on a patch for an update that, if finished on time, would net his business a massive multi-million-dollar contract with the US government. He’d been working late hours and acted as if he were caught in a whirlwind when he was home.
; After lathering his bagel in cream cheese and topping off his coffee, he kissed Paige goodbye, giving her a little raspberry on her cheek. Paige giggled as he also put a dab of cream cheese on her nose.
He then quickly came over and gave Rachel a peck on the side of her mouth. “You ladies have a great day,” Peter said.
“You, too, Daddy!” Paige said. “Hey, I might get to ride Mrs. Denning’s horsies tomorrow!”
“That’s fantastic,” Peter said, already on his way out the door.
Paige frowned and looked down to the last remaining Apple Jacks, afloat in milk in her bowl. “Daddy was in a hurry, huh?” she said.
“Yeah. But we talked about that. He’s been very busy with work. I think after another few weeks, it’ll be back to normal. Now…speaking of hurrying, we need to get you to school. You want anything else to eat?”
“Maybe a donut from Dunkin’ on the way?” she asked with a devilish smile.
“Only if we can be out the front door in less than two minutes,” Rachel said.
Paige got up quickly and went screeching out of the kitchen and through the hall, looking for her shoes and bookbag. As usual, Paige was ready and waiting at the door before Rachel was completely ready. As Rachel finally fell in line and opened the door for Paige, her daughter beamed brightly and said, “I’m getting the Boston cream!”
Sneering at the remnants of her smoothie and the rectangular protein bar in her hands, Rachel did her best to share in Paige’s enthusiasm.
***
Rachel thought it was a bit ridiculous that there was a car rider line for kindergarteners, but she supposed that’s just the way the world worked now. As she meandered along in the line, Paige sat patiently for her turn to get out of the vehicle and walk into school. She had just finished wolfing down her Boston cream donut when she started pointing out her friends one by one (she had a lot of them, apparently) as they drew closer to the drop-off zone.
“That’s Shelly! Her mommy has a cooking vlog.”
“How do you even know what a vlog is?” Rachel asked.
