Gone Before Goodbye (Love &Mystery in the--6-oh-3 Book 1)
Read Gone Before Goodbye (Love &Mystery in the--6-oh-3 Book 1) Online
Authors: Nora LeDuc
Gone Before Goodbye
By
Nora LeDuc
GONE BEFORE GOODBYE—Love and Mystery in the 6-oh-3, Book 1
The police are stumped. Was she a runaway careening toward disaster or the victim of a predator preying on teenage girls?
When rebellious seventeen-year-old Lisa Grant vanishes from her bedroom in New Hampshire, her guardian, Teagan Raynes, becomes ensnared in the frantic hunt to find her alive. Search dogs lose the girl’s scent at Pretty Park, where another teenager disappeared three months ago. Teagan and the police fear a stalker is using the park to track and abduct young girls. Soon a mysterious death threat arrives for Teagan, and she reluctantly puts her faith in the lead detective, the notorious Noah Cassidy.
PRAISE FOR NORA LEDUC
TRUST ME
: “The suspense built steadily and unpredictably. Trust Me is a must read.” ~
Long and Short Reviews
~*~
DEAD WOMEN TELL NO LIES:
“This author writes an outstanding romantic suspense. One of the best I have read in a long time. I would absolutely recommend highly—5 Flowers—I loved this book! It’s on my keeper shelf!”~
It’s Raining Books
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“STAGING MURDER
absolutely kept me glued to my ereader. I was caught up in the suspense, quite curious about the murder, the threats and what they all meant for Ava.” ~
Jennifer Porter, Romance Novel News
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“Impressively crafted,
PICK UP LINES FOR MURDER
is an enjoyable suspense thriller.”
~ Josee Morgan, Apex Reviews
~*~
MURDER CAME CALLING
: “A Night Owl Romance Book Review TOP PICK!”
~* ~
MURDER BY HEART: “Tension begins on the first page and doesn’t end until an unexpected culprit is revealed in the last few pages. This cleverly crafted story is filled with sexual tension that neither the hero nor the heroine wants to recognize and an abundance of action as they try to outwit a vicious killer.” ~
Donna M. Brown for Romantic Times Book Reviews
~*~
LOVE’S WICKED JEWEL: “Several of the scenes contain wry humor that binds all into a tidy bundle of compelling and suspenseful romance.” ~
Faith V. Smith, Romantic Times Book Reviews
GONE BEFORE GOODBYE
Copyright © 2014 by Nora LeDuc
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/ use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
Contact Information:
[email protected]
Cover Art by Beetiful Book Covers
Formatted by
IRONHORSE Formatting
Publishing History 2014
Digital ISBN: 978-0-9892090-7-6
Dedication
To Susan and Linda who tirelessly answered all my how, when, where, and what questions. Thank you for sharing your awesome knowledge with me.
Table of Contents
Lisa Grant was trapped in the dead zone, aka Pretty Park. That’s what the nerds called this place in Hawick Falls, New Hampshire.
No one remembered why or who named the park. “Stick that fact in your history books,” Lisa mumbled to herself she kicked the burnt-out sparkler leftover from last night’s Fourth of July firework celebration and scanned the open space under the lights.
Where was Travis? She never should have snuck out to meet him so late at night, but it wasn’t fair she’d been grounded for ‘talking back’. She was seventeen, not a little kid, and should be allowed her opinions.
The shriek of a cat from the woods nearby startled her. She clenched her jaw.
Come on, Travis.
She should have hitched a ride with him, but she’d wanted to keep him guessing if she’d come. He’d made a big deal about tonight, like something special would happen. She checked her phone one final time, no messages. No way was she texting him.
Already, she’d wasted more than half an hour hiking the almost two miles from home and standing around to be blown off. If she called the house and admitted she was stranded, Teagan, her legal guardian— no, her guard— would find out she’d taken her phone and slipped out. Lisa would be jailed in her room for the rest of the summer.
Who could she call? Travis had been her one loyal friend, and he’d deserted her. A jab of pain struck her, and she swallowed the lump of misery.
It didn’t matter; she’d always been on her own. Still, she was sure Travis was different.
She thought he’d loved Lisa Grant, the unlovable child abandoned by her parents in foster care when she was two.
She pivoted around, taking in the jogging path, the lit tennis court on the rise to her left, and the vacant playground in her right. Beyond lay the run-down ball field. She was totally alone in the empty park. If anything bad happened to her, who would know? Goose bumps broke out on her arms.
She’d give Travis five more minutes before she bolted. A breeze carried the sound of a croaking frog and the warning of rainfall. Lisa paced past the lamppost and brushed against a piece of paper tacked on the pole. Pausing, she glanced at the laminated sheet. Moisture had seeped inside the plastic cover during the rainy spring and hot, humid June and July, but she recognized the fading image of the missing fourteen-year-old girl with a gap between her two front teeth. Kara Linn’s picture had popped up everywhere during April when she vanished at dusk walking her dog in a park.
This park
. Everyone knew horrible things happened to girls who disappeared. Gooseflesh crawled over Lisa’s arms. She should never have come. Anyone could hide in the woods across the street and watch her.
Screw it. She was going home.
Movement by the court lights caught her attention. Travis? She let out a breath of relief. Everything would be okay. He must have parked in the lot behind the hill. She’d forgive him for keeping her hanging around after he begged to get back together. Maybe he’d bought her something special for tonight. It could be a necklace. She’d wear it the first day of school. They’d walk side-by-side through the halls and sit next to each other at lunch. After classes, they’d ride around in the cool car Travis was going to buy. Lisa ran her damp hands over her cutoff shorts and smiled. She didn’t care that he wasn’t on the honor roll but more likely on the detention list. She loved him.
The figure paused beneath a light, twenty feet from her. The beam spotlighted a short man, wearing a T-shirt and sweatpants that hung on his body. White hair touched his shoulders. The guy was too old to be Travis and kinda creepy.
Don’t go into the park after sunset
. The caution screeched in her mind. Parents claimed criminals and crazies roamed the place at night. Why hadn’t she listened? What if the guy was a freaked-out murderer who wandered the park searching for victims? What if he’d kidnapped Kara Linn?
Lisa’s throat grew dry. She shrank from the light. She shouldn’t have worn a white shirt, too obvious in the dark. Nah, forget Travis and shirts. That guy was coming closer. She turned and headed away along the path. The wind picked up and whipped strands of hair across her face while thunder rumbled a caution overhead. She tossed a glance over her shoulder; the man was moving in her direction. Sweat broke out on her forehead and ran down her face. This was Travis’s fault.
Why didn’t you come, Travis? I love you. No, he left me in the park, by myself at night. I hate you. We’re done forever. Why’d you ditch me in this scary place?
Once she got out of here she’d throw away the stupid heart bracelet he’d given her. She wished she could rip it off her wrist now. Tears filled her eyes and blurred her vision.
She swiped at them and broke into a trot. Cool drops of rain splattered on her head.
Great, a storm was rolling in.
Claps of thunder and flashes of lightning struck on both sides. She clenched her hands at the sound of running behind her. He was following. He—
She stumbled as her foot touched a broken branch on the ground. Something hit the heel of her shoe. For a second, she wobbled, and then righted herself. She glanced over her shoulder. Her wallet had fallen out of her pocket. No. No. Her life was inside.
The man rounded the bend.
Forget it. She’d come back in daylight and find it. She increased her speed. Had Kara fled on this path too? Would Lisa’s picture be on the next flyer nailed on a pole? She gulped, and her heart threatened to leap from her chest.
The city sidewalk appeared through the rain like a finish line. A few more feet and she’d be out of the park. The chilly drops soaked through her shirt and caused more goose bumps. Trees lining the trail swayed together. The rustle of their leaves whispered, “Faster. Faster.”
She reached the vacant walk near the road and peeked behind her. No signs of the creepy guy. Phew. She paused to catch her breath. The homes on the other side of the street were dark. Lightning sizzled across the sky, and in the flash, he appeared.
She gasped. He was less than ten feet from her and blocked the way. He grinned a toothless smile and licked his lips. She whirled around and fled.
Beams from a set of headlights emerged in the blackness. “Please, please stop.” She darted into the lane and waved her arms.
The vehicle slowed and halted. The driver’s window rolled down with a mechanical whine.
“I’m trying to get home,” she blurted, struggling to keep the hysteria out of her voice. “Will you take me?”
The sound of locks popping up answered her prayer before the caution burst into her thoughts:
Never take rides from strangers.
But this was no stranger, and tonight, if anyone asked who gave her a ride, she’d say, “My savior.”
Lisa hurled herself into the front seat. The door locks clicked shut.
Lisa Grant had been missing forty-eight hours, and Teagan Raynes, Lisa’s guardian, couldn’t cry any more. Teagan had promised Aunt Sophia, before she passed away, to take care of the troubled teen, her aunt’s foster child.
How could Lisa have disappeared without a clue? Was she a runaway? She talked about living in a big city like Boston, but in the distant future. Worse, had someone snuck inside while they slept, crept upstairs, and entered Lisa’s room? Had Lisa awoken and become paralyzed with fear, as something dark stole across the floor to her bed and covered her mouth to drown her screams?