Speak No Evil_ A Novel - Allison Brennan [0]
TITLE PAGE
DEDICATION
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
PROLOGUE
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
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
ALSO BY ALLISON BRENNAN
PRAISE FOR ALLISON BRENNAN
PREVIEW FOR SEE NO EVIL
EXCERPT OF SPEAK NO EVIL
COPYRIGHT
For Trisha McKay Richins
A loyal and true friend, and the first person
I trusted enough to read my stories
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
FIRST AND FOREMOST, I want to thank my readers. If you’ve enjoyed this book, I hope you’ll visit my website at www.allisonbrennan.com to read exclusive content, including deleted scenes, and view book trailers for this and my other books.
San Diego is a beautiful city that I’ve visited many times and look forward to enjoying again. Though I strive for accuracy, I have taken some liberties with the area for story purposes.
As always, several people have helped with the details in this book.
Jennifer Hennessey, who dusted off her criminology degree; Wally Lind, Dan Pollock, and Patrick Murray at Crime Scene Writers, who are always quick to answer questions on anything from postmortem injuries to tracking sexual predators online; author and nurse Candy Calvert, who answered several medical questions; and Gary Olson, consultant for the California State Assembly, who once again shared his knowledge of public safety law so I wouldn’t have to spend days reading the California Legislative Code.
A special thanks goes to Karin Tabke and her husband, ex-cop and all-around good guy Gary, who always answered their phone even when they knew it was me, on deadline, with last-minute questions that were always more complicated than I originally thought.
My husband Dan and our kids deserve extra-special appreciation for giving me the time to write and travel; my mom, who is truly my number-one fan; and everyone in the Sacramento Valley Rose chapter of RWA, who always answered my most arcane questions while giving me unconditional love and support.
And finally, the people who made this book possible: the Ballantine team, especially my wise editor Charlotte Herscher, Dana Isaacson, Kim Hovey, and Gilly Hailparn, who have all been so supportive; the art department, which gave me covers I absolutely love; my super agent, Kimberly Whalen; and the entire Trident Media Group.
PROLOGUE
AT THE VERY BEGINNING, she had seen his face and knew he would not let her live.
She couldn’t plead with him, he’d sealed her mouth shut. No way to beg, to appeal to his humanity. He had no humanity. Why hadn’t she seen it before? Had she been so blind that when he looked at her she couldn’t see the hatred, the anger, the sick lust?
She’d trusted him because she had no reason not to, but looking at him now, she saw the evil he’d hidden so well for so long.
The pain that had kept her awake for two nights had dulled, her body numb from abuse. She didn’t think about it, didn’t think about him, turned into herself, and remembered swimming at the beach. Or talking to her friends. Or how her mom was so proud of her when she graduated high school with honors.
Burning tears leaked from her eyes.
I’m so sorry, Mom.
He untied her once, to give her a bath. She was too weak to run, too tired to fight. But fierce pain reawakened when he scrubbed her body with soap, making her scream, a deep rumbling in her chest that couldn’t escape through her glued lips.
“I need to wash your body,” he told her calmly. “Just in case.”
Just in case of what? The water hurt, but it also woke her up. Maybe she had a chance. Maybe she