Title page

t h e p e r f e c t s e c r e t

(a jessie hunt psychological suspensebook 11)

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 JESSE HUNT psychological suspense thriller series, comprising fourteen books (and counting); of the AU PAIR psychological suspense thriller series, comprising three books; of the ZOE PRIME mystery series, comprising four books (and counting); of the new ADELE SHARP mystery series, comprising six books (and counting); of the EUROPEAN VOYAGE cozy mystery series, comprising six books (and counting); of the LAURA FROST FBI suspense thriller, comprising three books (and counting); and of the ELLA DARK FBI suspense thriller, comprising three books (and counting).

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 © 2020 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 youre 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 authors imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Jacket image Copyright George Mayer, used under license from Shutterstock.com.

BOOKS BY BLAKE PIERCE

ELLA DARK FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

GIRL, ALONE (Book #1)

GIRL, TAKEN (Book #2)

GIRL, HUNTED (Book #3)

LAURA FROST FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

ALREADY GONE (Book #1)

ALREADY SEEN (Book #2)

ALREADY TRAPPED (Book #3)

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)

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)

CHLOE FINE PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE SERIES

NEXT DOOR (Book #1)

A NEIGHBORS 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 MUDER (Book #2)

A TRACE OF VICE (Book #3)

A TRACE OF CRIME (Book #4)

A TRACE OF HOPE (Book #5)

CONTENTS

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

CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN

EPILOGUE

PROLOGUE

He wasnt supposed to be there.

Under normal circumstances Cord Mahoney would never have come near this part of the mansion. But the guest house where he was crashing was clear across the estate and he knew hed never make it in time.

Hed tried every guest bathroom he could find in the house, but at a party with more than five hundred revelers, they all had long lines. So hed snuck up to Jaspers private wing, the one area that was off limits to guests, which meant it was also the one area with an available toilet.

Even in his drunken, uninhibited state, part of him worried that Jasper would kick him out of the guest house he was letting him stay in if he found him up here. It wasnt a ridiculous concern. Jasper Otis was a notoriously volatile guy, and as a billionaire dozens of times over, he could afford to be.

But when you have to go, you have to go. Thats how Cord found himself stumbling past the mahogany doors into Jaspers private wing and clumsily tiptoeing through the mans massive bedroom toward the closed door that he desperately prayed hid a bathroom. If it didnt, he was going to be reduced to using a trash can.

He pushed open the door, turned on the light, and almost cheered out loud when he saw the toilet. He hurried over and relieved himself just in time, though his aim wasnt perfect because of his unintentional swaying. Then he moved to the sink to wash his hands. As he dried them off, he glanced in the mirror and saw the large shower behind him. It was about the size of a sauna and even had a marble bench built into the back wall.

Then he noticed something else. At first, he doubted what he was seeing, maybe because the room was spinning slightly. But when he squinted, it was still there. Lying on the shower floor near the bench was a woman, wearing just a bra and a long, black skirt with a slit up the side. She looked like shed passed out. That wouldnt have stunned Cord. Jaspers parties were infamous for all kinds of wildness: live bands, endless booze, copious amounts of drugs, bikini-clad young women, and occasional orgies. So seeing a half-naked woman crashed out in a shower stall wasnt as shocking as some might think. Seeing her like that in Jaspers shower was.

Cord called out to her quietly to see if he could rouse her, but she didnt respond. She was lying on her back, which could be a choking hazard if she threw up, so he peeked through the glass to make sure she hadnt. He saw nothing other than a reasonably attractive woman in her early forties. She was no bikini girl, but at Jaspers parties, it took all kinds.

He did notice that her head was bent at an awkward angle that would leave a nasty ache in her neck when she woke up. He decided that the gentlemanly thing to do was to shake her slightly so she could readjust her position. So he opened the glass door, bent down, and gave her a gentle jostle on her shoulder. Her skin was wet. He looked down and saw that her clothes were too, along with the shower floor. He gave her another little shove. She didnt reactat all.

Thats when Cord noticed that she wasnt breathing. Panic welled up inside him but he managed to force it down long enough to remember the CPR training from his junior lifeguard days. He got out his phone, dialed 911, put it on speaker, and rested it on the shower bench. Then he moved beside her and prepared to start compressions.

He was about to press down on her chest for the first time when he noticed something else. Her neck wasnt just bent awkwardly. It was lolling to the side sloppily, as if there was nothing supporting it. If he didnt know better hed think it was broken.

It was just as the 911 operator came on the line that he realized it was. Thats when he began to scream.

CHAPTER ONE

Jessie Hunt officially gave up on sleep at 5:10 a.m.

Shed been awake since four anyway and there didnt seem to be any point in lying in bed, especially today. So she got up and quietly made her way out to the kitchen to start the coffee.

Jessies half-sister, Hannah, wasnt an early riser under any circumstances, but certainly not on a Sunday morning. And since shed just started her senior year of high school, weekends were especially precious to her. Jessie did her best to be respectful of that, if for no other reason than to keep the peace.

It was easier to avoid accidentally waking anyone up since the big move. It had been a month since theyd left the apartment of Jessies best friend, Kat, and started to settle in at the house Jessie had inherited from her mentor and friend, Garland Moses. There was lots more space and the walls were thicker.

The new house had an added benefit. As a one-story home formerly occupied by a long-widowed senior citizen, it was already well-designed for people with mobility challenges. That was a major plus considering that Jessies boyfriend, LAPD Detective Ryan Hernandez, was coming home today.

Nearly six weeks after being stabbed in the chest by Jessies ex-husband and four weeks after being taken out of a medically induced coma and removed from a ventilator, hed been given approval to leave the hospital. Jessies excitement when Dr. Badalia gave her the news was tempered by his warning that the hardest part of Ryans recovery had yet to begin.

He would need multiple daily visits from a nurse to help out and evaluate his progress, in addition to daily physical therapy. Dr. Badalia had suggested a full-time, in-home nurse for a few months but Ryan had balked at the idea. Jessie didnt want to make him feel powerless so shed consented to his wishes. But she worried that even with all the equipment shed had installed, including handrails, bath and toilet accessories, and help buttons in every room, she might still not be prepared for the responsibility.

Caring for a wheelchair-bound thirty-two-year-old man who might have cognitive impairment was a challenge on its own. Doing that while simultaneously raising a seventeen-year-old who was still recovering from seeing her adoptive parents murdered felt borderline insurmountable.

But it wasnt all darkness. Kat had been an amazing friend, offering her place as a safe haven after Jessie and Hannah couldnt return to the condo where Ryan had been stabbed. Shed also been a shoulder to lean on and someone to vent to, even as she was trying to keep her own fledgling private investigator business running.

Another good distraction for Jessie was work. After officially leaving her job as a criminal profiler for the LAPD, she had been teaching a weekly forensics seminar at USC, her alma mater. She was supposed to instruct a full-on class in the subject when the fall semester began a week from Monday.

In addition, shed come to an informal agreement with her former boss, Central Station Police Captain Roy Decker. If time permitted, shed offer her services as a profiling consultant on major cases. Shed already worked on two as part of the arrangement, one involving the death of a faded movie star and just last week, the murder of an abducted oil heiress.

But with Ryans arrival later today and classes picking up in a week, she doubted shed be able to help out much on the law enforcement front going forward. And if Hannahs reaction when Jessie told her shed be expected to help out with Ryancursing under her breathwas any indication, just keeping her head above water was going to be job enough.

Her cell phone rang and she quickly silenced it. Even before looking at it, she knew that at this hour, the call could only be from one of two places. She was relieved to see it wasnt the hospital.

Hey, Captain, she said. A little early to be calling on a Sunday morning, dont you think? The suns not even up.

Sorry, Hunt, he replied, maintaining the last name formality even though she was no longer an employee. You know I wouldnt reach out like this unless it was a big deal.

Whatever it is, Im think Im going to have to take a pass on this one. I start teaching in a week. More importantly, Ryan leaves the hospital this afternoon.

I know, he said. Thats why I need to see you this morning. Pleasedont say no until youve heard what this is about.

Jessie wanted to say no. With everything going on at home, she didnt need the extra responsibility. And yet, she couldnt help but be curious. She relented slightly.

See me? Cant you just fill me in over the phone?

No. This ones pretty sensitive. Can you be in my office in an hour, just to hear me out? Trust meitll be worth your while.

Jessie knew he was playing her. Captain Decker understood just which buttons to push to pique her interest. And it was working.

This better be good, she warned, though she knew he wasnt intimidated.

He had her hooked.

*

As Jessie entered the station, she noticed that it was deathly quiet.

That wasnt a shock at 6:04 on a Sunday morning, but it was still unsettling to walk past the deputy desk sergeant, who was reading a magazine because there was no one in the lobby. It was odd not to hear the standard sounds of phone chatter and keyboard typing that usually filled the bullpen. Jessie passed the half dozen people sitting forlornly at their desks and headed for Deckers office.

Just before entering she checked her phone one more time. She didnt really expect a text from Hannah at this hour but she knew that when she got one, it wouldnt be friendly. Hannah was surly these days as it was. But when she saw the note on the kitchen counter saying that Jessie had gone to the station to discuss a case and to keep the house tidy for Ryans arrival, her response was unlikely to be gracious enthusiasm.

Jessie knocked on the closed door to Deckers office.

One minute, came the gruff response from the other side.

While she waited, Jessie glanced back at the HSS section of the bullpen to where she used to sit. Homicide Special Section was a unit within LAPD dedicated to cases that had high profiles or intense media scrutiny, often involving multiple victims and serial killers. For two years, shed been the units primary profiler, working with a small team of detectives led by Ryan. Theyd sat at desks across from each other, initially as partners, and eventually, as much more. The thought of the long hours they spent across from each other, sparring playfully at first, then lovingly, brought a smile to her lips.

With her departure and Ryans injury, the unit was temporarily being led by crusty veteran detective Callum Reid. The team included Detectives Alan Trembley and Marjorie Pointer. Detective Gaylene Parker from Vice was even called in occasionally for support when things got especially hairy. They were still the most celebrated investigative squad in the department, but without Ryan and Jessie, HSS had lost a bit of its luster.

Jessie stepped over to the poster on the wall and gave herself a quick going-over in its reflection. She looked reasonably professional considering the day and hour. Her shoulder-length brown hair was loose but tidy. Her green eyes were well-rested, which she suspected would change once Ryan came home. Shed been able to maintain her trim, athletic figure through the recent injuries, though she knew she wasnt back in tip-top shape yet.

Come in, Decker called out, drawing her back into the moment.

Jessie opened the door. She wasnt surprised to find the captain standing up, dressed in the same attire he wore on a weekday afternoona jacket, tie, and starched dress shirt. She couldnt tell how long hed been awake because he looked perpetually worn out, with wrinkles near his eyes and bags under them. The few hairs on his head looked tired and wilted. Even his body, with its concave chest, seemed to fold in on itself. Despite all that, he appeared alert. Tall and skinny, his posture was painfully erect, highlighting his sharp nose and beady eagle eyes, which missed nothing.

Thanks for making the time, Hunt, he said, gesturing for her to take one of the weathered chairs opposite his desk. How are you feeling?

Tired, Captain. Very tired.

Im not surprised to hear that, he replied. But I meant physically. Hows your shoulder? And the burns?

He was referring to injuries Jessie had suffered before shed quit the force. Much of her lower back had been badly burned a few months back while rescuing a woman from her burning house, when a man whod abducted her and then intentionally released her had come back to finish the job. Only weeks later, her left shoulder was dislocated in a life or death struggle with her ex-husband, the same attack in which Ryan had been stabbed and Hannah nearly killed.

Both are much better, she assured him. The burns dont hurt anymore, though the doctor says itll be another year before they heal completely. Im still in rehab for the shoulder but it doesnt affect me except when I try to get something off the top shelf or do a power lifting session.

Youre very funny, Hunt, Decker said, not laughing. That should serve you well when Hernandez leaves the hospital. Please let me know what I can do to help. We can have officers stop by to check on him, even just to share war stories. Plus, I know you have security concerns about some of the people you put away reaching out to do harm.

There are almost too many to keep track of, Jessie conceded.

If it helps, weve been keeping an extra close eye on former police sergeant Hank Costabile and on Andrea Robinson, Decker said. You probably heard that Costabile was just sentenced to seven years in prison. And Robinson is still safely incarcerated in a psychiatric prison ward.

Always reassuring to know the folks who most want to kill me are being physically prevented from doing so, at least for now.

We can have units do extra patrols by your place, if it sets your mind at ease, Decker offered.

Thanks, Captain, Jessie replied. I might take you up on having folks stop by to hang out with Ryan. But I think were good on security for now. One good thing about inheriting the home of the most celebrated criminal profiler on the West Coast in the last quarter century is that it comes ready-made with elaborate security. Im still familiarizing myself with everything he had installed. But Im pretty sure were set, even in the event of The Purge.

Well, let me know if you change your mind, he said, either unaware of or unamused by the reference. We want Hernandez back and anything we can do to expedite that, we will. In the meantime, shall I tell you about the case?

Please.

He sat down at his desk and folded his hands.

Details are still sketchy for reasons that will become clear, he said. But Millicent Estrada, forty-two, was found dead a few hours ago at a huge party in Holmby Hills. Her neck was broken.

Should I know who that is? Jessie asked.

Not necessarily. She was a well-regarded attorney, one of those lawyer to the stars types. She and her husband, Beto, are both partners in the same firm, which handles everything from contracts to civil cases to criminal defense work. He does a lot of the civil stuff. She specialized in keeping clients off the police blotter and out of jail. They were considered a real power couple until about six months ago, when they announced they were divorcing.

Ouch, Jessie said. That sounds awkward.

Not as much as you might think, Decker corrected. Ive heard that it was fairly amicable. They still worked together. But theyve taken very different social paths since the split. Hes a homebody and she…lets just say shes spread her wings since they parted ways. Thats where it becomes HSS-worthy.

Pray tell.

Decker tossed her the thin file as he continued.

Estrada was found at the estate of Jasper Otis.

The billionaire? Jessie asked, unable to hide her curiosity.

Right, Decker confirmed. And by the way, according to Forbes, its about fourteen billion.

Is he a suspect?

Youll have to tell me, Decker advised. The first call reporting the death came in at 3:58 a.m. so its pretty fresh. I know West L.A. station sent out a detective but I think he might be out of his depth so I snapped it up.

Jessie flipped through the file skeptically.

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