L E F T
T O
R U N
(An Adele Sharp Mystery—Book Two)
B L A K E P I E R C E
Blake Pierce
BlakePierce is the USA Today bestselling author of the RILEY PAGE mystery series,which includes seventeen books. Blake Pierce is also the author of theMACKENZIE WHITE mystery series, comprising fourteen books; of the AVERY BLACKmystery series, comprising six books; of the KERI LOCKE mystery series,comprising five books; of the MAKING OF RILEY PAIGE mystery series, comprisingsix books; of the KATE WISE mystery series, comprising seven books; of theCHLOE FINE psychological suspense mystery, comprising six books; of the JESSEHUNT psychological suspense thriller series, comprising seven books (andcounting); of the AU PAIR psychological suspense thriller series, comprisingtwo books (and counting); of the ZOE PRIME mystery series, comprising threebooks (and counting); of the new ADELE SHARP mystery series; and of the newEUROPEAN VOYAGE cozy mystery series.
ONCEGONE(a Riley Paige Mystery--Book #1), BEFOREHE KILLS (A Mackenzie White Mystery—Book 1), CAUSE TO KILL(An Avery Black Mystery—Book 1), ATRACE OF DEATH (A Keri Locke Mystery—Book 1), WATCHING(The Making of Riley Paige—Book 1), NEXTDOOR (A Chloe Fine Psychological Suspense Mystery—Book 1), THE PERFECT WIFE (A Jessie HuntPsychological Suspense Thriller—Book One), and IF SHE KNEW (A Kate Wise Mystery—Book 1)are each available as a free download on Amazon!
Anavid reader and lifelong fan of the mystery and thriller genres, Blake loves tohear from you, so please feel free to visit www.blakepierceauthor.com to learn moreand 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 ortransmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrievalsystem, without the prior permission of the author. This ebook is licensed foryour personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away toother people. If you would like to share this book with another person, pleasepurchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book anddid not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then pleasereturn it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work ofthis author. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses,organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the product of theauthor’s imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actualpersons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Jacket image CopyrightJakubD,used under license from Shutterstock.com.
BOOKS BY BLAKE PIERCE
EUROPEAN VOYAGE COZY MYSTERY SERIES
MURDER (AND BAKLAVA) (Book #1)
DEATH (AND APPLE STRUDEL) (Book #2)
CRIME (AND LAGER) (Book #3)
ADELE SHARP MYSTERY SERIES
LEFT TO DIE (Book #1)
LEFT TO RUN (Book #2)
LEFT TO HIDE (Book #3)
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)
A JESSIE HUNT PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSESERIES
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)
CHLOE FINE PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE SERIES
NEXT DOOR (Book #1)
A NEIGHBOR’S 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
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 ONE
Beneath anevening sky dripping with the final glimmers of sunlight, Adele glanced atAgent Masse’s trembling hands. His upper lip was beaded with sweat, and hisAdam’s apple bobbed as he stared down the barrel of his service weapon. Notingher attention, Adele’s new partner flashed an uneasy smile followed by a quickthumbs-up. The gesture caused Masse to momentarily release his weapon with onehand, before uneasily readjusting his shaky grip.
Adele resistedthe urge to scowl. Her eyes narrowed over her own sidearm, which pointedsteadily down the open-air walkway on the second level of the motel. On theirright, a thin, rickety white railing—half rust and half steel—provided aprecarious barrier between the stretch of hall and the courtyard below. Backupwas delayed—something about a gunman at a gas station that had rerouted most ofthe units in the area. But they couldn’t wait. Hernandez had proven slippery inthe past. For now, all she had was Masse and her own sense of foreboding.
Adele glancedover the railing at the rectangular pool; the unnaturally blue water reflectedthe residue of the evening light in crystalline flashes and gentle motion. Adiving board on the opposite side occupied the space next to a metal entry ladderdipped into the water. The heavy scent of chlorine lingered in the air,mingling with the proximate buzz of traffic from the adjacent street. Glimpsesof stagnant cars could be spotted through
