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  “Tomorrow after the doctor gives you the okay.”

  We said good night and left the hospital. I climbed into the passenger seat and turned to Dave as he drove out of the visitors’ lot. “What’s going on at Greg’s house?”

  “Officers are tearing apart every inch of it. Why?”

  “I’d like to help out with that. I need to know what made that maniac do the things he did and why Kamila was the woman who sent him over the edge.”

  Dave gave me a frown. “You sure you’re up to it?”

  “I am, but I’d like to give my mom a quick call first and tell her I’ll be home in a few hours.” I smiled. “I’ve put her through enough stress over the years. It’s a courtesy thing, you know?”

  “I understand and go ahead.”

  “Thanks.” I made the call to my mom, even though she and Kim had sat with me the entire time I was in the observation room. I hung up minutes later and chuckled. “I swear, moms are all the same.”

  “Hovering?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “But it’s all good?”

  “It’s perfect.”

  We arrived at the house on Hickory Road a half hour later. The forensic team and four squad cars still sat in the driveway with my red rental and that green Honda. The horrifying memory of Greg spotting me and chasing me through the field flashed through my mind. I shuddered as I relived that morning in slow motion.

  Dave noticed. “You okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m good.”

  I walked through the house and took note of Greg’s quirky habits. He was a perfectionist to the letter and a stickler for detail. On the calendar, he’d noted what tea he’d had that day. He never drank the same brew twice in a row. His bed was made, and the dishes were done and placed neatly in the cabinets. Every coffee cup was lined up side by side and had the handle facing outward, and the canned goods were arranged alphabetically on the shelves. I made my way through the master closet to the hidden rooms. I had been in there but drugged so heavily I had no memory of it.

  Entering the operating room, I thought of the women who’d lost their lives in that hellhole. All the missing heads and arms told me something had gone wrong, and he began again with entirely new bodies. Replicating Kamila was his only mission and at any cost—even death and dismemberment of innocent women. I stared at the cardboard figure of the woman I assumed to be Kamila then took in each photograph of her throughout the room.

  So these heinous crimes were all about you? Why did he go off the deep end for a prostitute who obviously had many lovers? He knew what he was getting from you, didn’t he?

  I was drawn to the wall of cabinets at the back of the room. With my gloved hand, I opened each drawer. Inside the largest one lay an array of surgical tools. I moved down to the next one and found sleep medications along with other assorted drugs and antiseptics. The bottom drawer contained a closed shoebox and nothing else. I slid it out and carried it to a chair at the far end of the room, where I lifted off the cover. A stack of unsent letters, rubber banded together, sat alongside a journal. I’d hit the jackpot and possibly found the answers to many of our questions. As I flipped through the book of secrets, I’d learned to appreciate Greg’s organizational skills. His meticulous records would make our investigation so much easier, especially since we couldn’t question him in person now.

  I nodded with thanks as I read. Originally, I was going to suggest seeing if Kamila had a police jacket since many prostitutes did. Most ladies of the night went under assumed names, though, and tracking them down by their true identity was often difficult.

  So, Kamila, your real name is Patricia Oakley. Hmm… there’s one instance of the oak reference.

  I continued through the pages and stopped at the heading—Our Engagement Day.

  Wow, what’s this?

  The entry told how Greg had wanted to surprise Kamila by proposing to her. He planned a weekend trip to South Carolina and one of her favorite places—the Angel Oak on John’s Island.

  Another oak reference.

  He professed his love and devotion to her at the tree. He asked for her hand in marriage, but she said no. I winced as I glanced at the date of that entry—it was last year and the weekend before Halloween.

  That simple no sealed your fate, Kamila, and less than a week later, you were dead.

  The mention of Lone Oak Avenue caught my eye. That was where her torso was found on the bench. It turned out that a man by the name of George Hendricks, a longtime customer of Kamila’s, lived there.

  So, Greg was not only obsessed with her, he followed her to the customers’ houses too.

  George was lucky to be alive. Since no perp was ever caught, and none of the body parts were ever identified, I was sure George had no idea the torso belonged to Kamila. He sold the house simply because he didn’t want it to be a Halloween sideshow every year thanks to the gruesome discovery that had taken place in his front yard.

  Greg had purposely placed the torso there, as either a warning to George or a way to flaunt what he was capable of. If he couldn’t have Kamila, nobody could, and that was especially true of a two-bit john who didn’t love her as Greg did. The fact that George lived on a street with oak in the name was a coincidence, but it made Greg’s decision that much easier to perch Kamila front and center for all to see. It was justified karma meant for both of them.

  I closed the journal and put it back in the shoebox with the letters. I’d hand the box off to the Atlanta Police Department to go through. It was their case, after all, and I was just a conduit who helped it along.

  I found Dave in the third room with Forensics. He tipped his chin back the way I had come. “Let’s get out of here. I’ve had enough gore to last me a lifetime.” He pointed at the box tucked under my arm as we walked through the closet and back to the living quarters. “What have you got there?”

  I handed the box to him. “A gift from Greg, not that it matters anymore. Let’s just say it’s his way of rationalizing what he did. By the way, Kamila’s real name was Patricia Oakley. Maybe she had a police jacket listing family who could be contacted.”

  Dave raked his hair as he frowned. “Yeah, unfortunately, a year too late.”

  Shields approached us with a box in his hand. “Boss, I found this on the porch and took the liberty of opening it.”

  “Yeah, what’s inside?”

  Shields groaned. “Have a look.”

  Dave set the shoebox on the coffee table and took the other one from Shields. He opened it, and inside were two bubble-wrapped bundles. “Jesus Christ. That guy was really off his rocker.”

  I stared down at the yellow-green glass eyes and shuddered. Nobody needed to tell me what Greg’s intentions were.

  Dave handed the box back to Shields. “Put this with the rest of the evidence.” He looked at me and pointed at the couch. “Let’s talk for a minute.”

  “Sure.” I took a seat and folded my hands in my lap.

  “Kate, I can’t thank you enough for offering your services to the Atlanta PD. You have the gratitude of the entire force, I assure you that. I will admit, it was a dangerous stunt you pulled going to his house alone, but if you hadn’t, he might never have been caught.”

  “Yeah, and that’s why I did it.” I grinned. “That’s a lie, and you know it. I truly am sorry I went in alone, but I wasn’t there as a cop. Hell, I didn’t even have a weapon with me. I really didn’t think I was in danger since he was busy at the butcher shop. Somehow, Greg suspected me of being in law enforcement and followed me to his house. Even though I’m psychic, I can’t figure out how he knew.”

  “I guess it doesn’t matter anymore.” Dave glanced at the shoebox. “So this box contains all the answers?”

  “Maybe. I only went through a few pages of his journal, but hopefully he named the women he picked up and killed. If any had police records, you might be able to find out who their family members are. They deserve to know what happened.”

  “I promise we’ll follow
up with everything and everyone. Just because Greg picked up women from the streets doesn’t mean they deserved to die. I guess they’ve gotten a certain amount of justice by Greg killing himself.”

  I sighed. “True, but he didn’t do it for them. He did it to fulfill his own delusions. But on the bright side, Halloween should be a fun night of trick-or-treating with cute costumes and lots of candy for the kids.”

  Dave laughed. “Should I hold my breath?”

  Chapter 57

  It was Halloween day, and Kim and I had just returned to Mom’s house with grocery bags full of candy. We’d spend the evening with Janine and Beth and hand out those tasty treats to the pint-sized ghouls and goblins who rang the bell and yelled out “Trick or treat!”

  Halloween had always been one of my favorite nights. My own memories of being a child running from house to house in that very neighborhood took me back twenty-five years to times that seemed safer. Whether good or bad, though, we lived in the here and now, and Janine and I would walk the neighborhood that night and make sure the kids enjoyed being kids, just as we did when we were young.

  I gained several new friends from that visit to Atlanta—a visit I had dreaded and almost talked myself out of. Beth was not only Mom’s dearest friend, but she became a great friend to Kim and me too. I found new friends in Sergeant Dave Masters and Commander Loren Moss, and I’d honor those friendships for life. I smiled when I thought about Kim. We’d started out on the wrong foot but quickly reconciled our sisterhood and now had a bond stronger than ever.

  As the night came to a close, Mom, Kim, Beth, Janine, and I sat on the porch, each with a glass of wine, and made a toast to our faith, our friends, and our family. I smiled widely at Janine and realized there was a deeper reason I went to Atlanta. Not only was I there to celebrate my mom’s birthday and to rekindle a long-lost relationship with Kim, but I was also there to gain a bond with the scrappy kid from down the street. We shared something that couldn’t be denied—Janine and I were damn good cops, and we both escaped death at the hands of the same madman. We’d be friends for life.

  We said our good nights and goodbyes. Kim and I would be flying out the next day, each to our individual homes and lives, which now seemed too far from each other. Beth and Janine embraced both of us before they left. Tears of gratitude filled their eyes.

  “I can’t thank you enough, Kate, for pointing the cops in the right direction. Without your help, Janine—”

  “Shh… Janine is fine and be thankful for that. She’s a good cop, Beth. Trust in her ability and love her with everything you have. Life is short”—I smiled at Kim—“and we have to remember to love our family fiercely.”

  Janine gave me an extra-long hug. “I’ll never be able to repay you.”

  “And there’s no need. We’re cops, remember? You just happen to be a pretty cool one and the daughter of Mom’s best friend.” I squeezed her tightly. “Keep in touch, okay?”

  “You know I will.”

  An hour later, I went to bed with a smile on my face and my legal pad packed in my suitcase. I swallowed a melatonin tablet with my cup of chamomile tea, intending to sleep soundly that night.

  I made a quick call to Jack before I got too sleepy and told him I was flying home tomorrow and I’d go over the trip with him then. After hanging up, I called Amber.

  “Hey, girlfriend, don't forget I'm coming home tomorrow.”

  “Who is this?”

  “Very funny.”

  She chuckled. “Damn, you must have had a great time in Atlanta. I only talked to you twice since you’ve been gone. So I guess the ghost of Robert Lynch and the worry of Tony escaping prison have finally gone away?”

  “Yeah, I didn’t even think of them while I was gone. Too busy, I guess.”

  “Cool. You can tell me all about it over a beer tomorrow.”

  I fluffed the pillow behind my head and pulled the blanket closer before tucking it under my chin. “Sounds good. I’m beat and about to fall asleep.”

  “Okay, good night, Kate.”

  “Amber?”

  “Yep.”

  “I just want to say I love you and Jade. I love Jack too, and Clayton, and Billings.”

  She laughed. “You must be overtired, but we all love you too.”

  “Okay, good, and I can’t wait to get home. Good night, Amber.”

  “Good night, Kate, and I hope you have sweet dreams.”

  THE END

  Thank you!

  Thanks for reading Deranged, the third book in the Psychic Detective Kate Pierce Crime Thriller Series. I hope you enjoyed it!

  Start at the very beginning of the Monroe sisters’ world and meet each character as they’re introduced. The Detective Jade Monroe Crime Thriller Series is where it all began, and Maniacal, the flagship book, is the first book in that series. Sergeant Jade Monroe, a detective in the sheriff's department of a fictitious Wisconsin town, is introduced. Jade has more crimes to solve and murderers to apprehend than most detectives, but she's a tough cop, determined to prove herself, and gets the job done. The books are listed in order below:

  Maniacal

  Captive

  Fallacy

  Premonition

  Exposed

  The Agent Jade Monroe FBI Thriller Series follows on the heels of Exposed, Book 5, in the Detective Jade Monroe Crime Thriller Series. Jade has advanced to the big leagues. She’s now an FBI agent in the serial crimes unit. She has more ground to cover and more criminals to apprehend with her new partner, J. T. Harper. Currently available books are listed in order below:

  Snapped

  Justified

  Donors

  Leverage

  Malice

  The Amber Monroe Crime Thriller Series follows on the heels of Malice, Book 5, in the Agent Jade Monroe FBI Thriller Series. This series focuses on Jade’s sister, Amber, a new recruit in the Washburn County Sheriff’s Office. She has big shoes to fill, and all eyes are on her. Currently available books are listed in order below:

  Greed

  Avenged

  Vendetta

  Atrocity

  Travesty

  The Psychic Detective Kate Pierce Crime Thriller Series follows on the heels of Travesty, Book 5, in the Amber Monroe Crime Thriller Series. This series focuses on Kate Pierce, a psychic detective at the Washburn County Sheriff’s Office. Kate has gotten her share of ridicule over the years for her title as a psychic, but it’s that very gift that has landed her in the lead role in solving many cases that nobody else could figure out. Currently available books are listed in order below:

  Retribution

  Imperious

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  You’ll be one of the first to get a glimpse of the cover reveals and release dates, and you’ll have a chance at exciting raffles and freebies offered throughout the series.

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  Again, thank you for reading!

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  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  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
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br />   Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Chapter 54

  Chapter 55

  Chapter 56

  Chapter 57