Cold Threat
Ellie Kline Series: Book Three
Mary Stone Donna Berdel
Copyright © 2020 by Mary Stone
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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Mary Stone
To my husband.
Thank you for taking care of our home and its many inhabitants while I follow this silly dream of mine.
Donna Berdel
First, a big thank you to Mary Stone for taking a chance on me by collaborating on this story. I’m honored and indebted!And, of course, to my husband. Thank you for being you. You’re my rock.
Contents
Description
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Ellie Kline Series
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Description
Monsters hide in the dark until it’s time to feed.
Puppets. Toys. That’s all his captives are to him. He’s the master, the one in complete control, and he’s planning on recreating the night he kidnapped Ellie when she was fifteen.
Ellie Kline’s life has never been the same since that night thirteen years ago. Now a detective in the Cold Case Division of Charleston Police Department, she’s compiled a mountain of evidence against a dirty detective, revealing betrayal within the department. Determined to reveal the truth, Ellie enlists the help of her best friend, CPD file clerk Jillian Reed, to help her prove she’s not just paranoid.
But as the anniversary of the day she escaped a serial killer nears, the murderous villain is coming to finish what he started. She beat him once before, and when he takes someone close to her, she has to hope she can outplay him again.
This time, she’s not a child. And the master is only a man.
An enthralling game of puppet and prey, Cold Threat is the third book of the Ellie Kline Series that will make you want to check in the shadows for monsters.
1
Thirteen Years Ago…
Whistling a happy tune, Anderson Duncan paused in the parking lot and turned his face up to be warmed by the sun.
Taking a deep breath of fragrant Charleston air, he continued to the front of the building where his therapist kept an office. He held the door open for a woman coming out of the building, frowned when she didn’t thank him, and walked through the entrance, determined to not let a thankless bitch ruin his day.
A short drive from his own workplace, the small psychiatric practice specialized in treating compulsive behavior and intrusive thoughts, of which Anderson suffered from both. Used to suffer from, he told himself, whistling again.
Used to.
He was better now. Much better. Thanks to a magic pill and the good doctor located in this building.
His shoes squeaked on the polished floor with each step, the sound echoing off the vaulted ceiling above. He’d come to think of this particular tone of squeak as the sound of mental health. Even after a long day at work, Anderson was excited for his weekly session. He had news to share, and he just knew his doctor would be very proud of what he’d accomplished.
There was no one at the front desk, so Anderson checked the hall. The tiny light above the doctor’s office door was green, indicating he could enter without interrupting another patient in session. At the door, he turned the handle and opened it without knocking—he was expected, after all. He froze as his gaze landed on a young man sitting beside the doctor.
He’d made a mistake. He should have knocked. The doctor wouldn’t be pleased.
Worry circled Anderson’s mind, the questions picking up speed before the doctor inclined his head in the briefest of greetings. The stranger said nothing. Did nothing. It was as if he were made from stone.
Anderson needed to go. Flee. Run away from this awkward scene. An awkward scene of his own making. He was such a fool.
No!
He was supposed to be here, he reminded himself. Not this other man.
Giving himself a mental shake followed by a deep, cleansing breath he practiced every day, Anderson flashed the pair a bright smile as he pushed the door open a few inches more. “Good afternoon, gentlemen.”
“You’re rather chipper this afternoon, Anderson,” the doctor said, his mouth a thin line. “How was your day?”
“Amazing,” he blurted, glancing at the other man who still hadn’t moved. “I implemented some of the changes you suggested, then I confronted the coworker who has been undermining me. I feel like I’ve had a breakthrough. Standing up for myself is almost intoxicating.” He checked his watch, preparing to stand up for himself just a little more. “In fact, I have to leave our session a little early today, but don’t worry, I’ll still pay the full price. It’s worth it.”
The doctor’s mouth ticked at each corner. “The fee is a flat one, but may I ask why you have to leave early today? They haven’t roped you into working overtime on a Friday?”
“No. Ellora in accounting is leaving the company, and they’re throwing her a party at the office.” He gave a half snort, half laugh. “What can I say, I wanted to see her off personally.”
The doctor’s bland expression didn’t change. “I hope you’re not letting your animosity toward Ellora color your excitement?”
Although he hadn’t been invited in, Anderson took two full steps into the room. “Actually, ever since I started coming to therapy, things have changed for me. I haven’t forgiven her for mocking me in front of our colleagues and acting like OCD made me incapable of doing my job.” His heart started hammering at the memory, but he took a deep, cleansing breath, just as the doctor had taught him.
“And how does that make you feel?”
Anderson lifted his chin, immensely proud of himself. “I feel
