Bree’s gaze snapped around the room and fell on some framed snapshots on a side table. Most of the photos focused on a little blonde girl. Bree’s heart kicked against her ribs.
She’d known homicide would be challenging. Instead of the occasional dead body, death would be her focus on a daily basis. She’d come to terms with her new reality, but kids . . . For most cops, it was the child victims who broke them.
“Lena is your daughter?” Romano asked.
“Yeah.” Kelly jumped to her feet, her eyes wild. “You gotta find her.”
Bree studied the photos.“How old is she?”
“Five.” Kelly covered her mouth with one hand. She wrapped the other around her own waist.
“Is there anyone James could have left Lena with?” Romano’s voice remained calm, but the tone had shifted. There was a layer of urgency under the quiet words.
“Maybe his father. That’s who he lives with.” Kelly shoved a hand through her limp hair. She pulled out a phone and jabbed the screen. She turned on the speakerphone and held the cell in front of her mouth.
A man answered in an angry voice. “Why are you calling me?”
Kelly ignored his question. “Marty, where’s Lena?”
“I don’t know.With James, I guess,” the man said.“ James said I’m not supposed to talk to you. Everything has to go through the attorney.”
“James is dead,” Kelly snapped.
Bree winced. This wasn’t the way a father should learn about his son’s death, but Kelly was—understandably— focused on finding her daughter.
Three heartbeats of silence ticked by, then the man said, “What?”
“Two cops—detectives—are here right now. They said James is dead. Lena was with him last night.” Kelly’s breaths came quicker, as if she might hyperventilate. “Are you sure she’s not there? Can you check the bedroom?”
“James can’t be dead,” the father said in disbelief. “Please, just see if Lena is in her room.”
“OK, but he wouldn’t leave her here without telling me.”
The man’s attitude shifted. The sounds of heavy footsteps came across the line. A door opened. “She’s not here.”
(c) Melinda Leigh, Amazon Original Publishing, 2021. Shared with permission from the publisher.
HER SECOND DEATH by Melinda Leigh
Bree Taggert #0.5
In this short-story prequel to the Bree Taggert series by #1 Amazon Charts and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh, a murder investigation yields parallels to the Philly detective’s own frightening past.
When a man is shot in the head, Bree Taggert and her new partner, veteran detective Dana Romano, respond to the call. They break the news to the victim’s ex-wife and learn the estranged couple’s five-year-old daughter was supposed to have been with him. What starts as a murder investigation quickly morphs into a desperate search for a missing child. The case stirs memories of Bree’s own traumatizing childhood. To find the little girl, Bree will have to relive her own terrifying past.
Mystery | Suspense [Amazon Publishing, On Sale: December 7, 2021, e-Book, / ]
About Melinda Leigh
#1 Wall Street Journal and #1 Amazon Charts bestselling author Melinda Leigh is a fully recovered banker. A life-long lover of books, she started writing as a way to preserve her sanity while raising her kids. Over the next few years, she learned a few things about writing a book. The process was much more fun than analyzing financial statements, and she decided to turn her hobby into a career.
Her debut novel, SHE CAN RUN, was nominated for Best First Novel by the International Thriller Writers. Since then, she has garnered numerous publisher awards, including two Silver Falchions and three Golden Leaf Awards. She is a two-time RITA® Award Finalist and has earned three Daphne du Maurier Award nominations. Melinda’s books have sold over 8 million copies.
She holds a 2nd degree belt in Kenpo Karate. She’s dabbled in Arnis stick fighting, studied Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and taught women’s self-defense. She lives near the beach with her family and a small herd of spoiled rescue pets. With such a pleasant life, she has no explanation for the sometimes dark and disturbing nature of her imagination.
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