Her Last Confession (A Rachel Gift FBI Suspense Thriller—Book 17) by Blake Pierce

Author:Blake Pierce [Pierce, Blake]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: UNKNOWN
Published: 2025-03-14T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Rachel fought the urge to pace. After years of working homicide cases, she'd developed an almost visceral reaction to watching time slip away while a killer remained free. Each second that ticked by felt like another grain of sand through an hourglass, another moment someone else might die. And the odd, morbid nature of this case was making it so much worse.

"One pod," Diana repeated, her voice echoing slightly in the vast space. "One peaceful passage pod unaccounted for." She pushed herself back a bit more into the chair, as if hoping it might swallow her up and take her away from this conversation. "It was delivered to a small experimental hospice center in Woodbridge just two days ago."

Rachel's stomach clenched. Hospice centers had, after all, become quite near and dear to her heart. Over the past year or so. It made the entire ordeal feel more personal. She glanced at Novak, who stood with his back to one of the floor-to-ceiling windows, his frame silhouetted against the afternoon light.

A young employee hurried past them, heels clicking against the polished floor, the sound emphasizing the gravity of their conversation. Rachel shifted her weight, positioning herself to block the woman's view of Diana's increasingly distressed face. The contrast between the lobby's serene atmosphere and the darkness of their discussion felt almost obscene.

"And the staff?" Novak pressed, his voice pitched low to avoid carrying across the lobby. "No one has contacted you back?”

Diana shook her head, her perfectly styled hair catching the light. "We've tried everything. Calls, emails, texts – three different people are responsible for that pod on-site. Not one of them has responded." She sighed and stared out into the morning through the massive windows. "It's not like them. These are dedicated healthcare professionals. They understand the importance of maintaining contact."

Rachel felt the familiar pull, that nagging instinct that told her to get in the car and drive the four hours to Woodbridge right now—to hunt down that missing pod. But experience had taught her that sometimes the most valuable information came from staying put, from pressing just a little harder where you already stood. She'd learned that lesson the hard way, through years of cases where rushing in had meant missing crucial details.

She studied Diana's face, noting the shadows under her eyes poorly concealed by expensive makeup. The CEO's polished demeanor was cracking, revealing the worried woman beneath. Small lines around her mouth betrayed nights of lost sleep, of wrestling with the knowledge that her company's creation had been perverted into something monstrous.

"Ms. Tatum," Rachel said, choosing her words carefully, "during our investigation, we spoke with Dr. Marcus Kent." She paused, watching for any reaction. "He had some rather strong opinions about EndLight's safety protocols. Strong enough to get him fired, from what we understand."

Diana also apparently had issues standing still when she was anxious; she stood from the chair less than two minutes after taking it and began to pace slowly. She smoothed her skirt with trembling hands, a nervous gesture that reminded Rachel of Paige when she was trying to hide something.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.