Her Last Summer: A Veronica Lee Thriller Read online

  Wrapping his hands around her waist, Vanzinger lifted Riley up and deposited her on the tree branch. He hovered underneath her as she scooted up to the fence and grasped the edge.

  “Okay, wait there,” Vanzinger commanded, swinging his long legs up and over the branch, which bowed under his weight.

  When he looked around, Riley was gone. Cursing under his breath, Vanzinger maneuvered himself onto the fence and looked down, relieved to see it was an easy drop onto the ground below.

  He hit the ground, sending muddy water splashing all over his pants and shoes, then surveyed his surroundings. Riley and Hunter waved for him to follow them as they slipped around the house. He stopped short when he came around the corner.

  Hunter opened the door to a big red Jeep that was parked in the brick courtyard and slipped inside, out of the rain. Riley jumped into the passenger seat, and Vanzinger was left to wedge himself into the Jeep’s narrow backseat. Once he’d wiped the rain out of his eyes, he saw Hunter holding up an iPhone.

  “It’s Veronica’s,” he said, his eyes bleak. “So she may not even be here anymore. Maybe she and Julian took off together.”

  “If they did, they left the door open.”

  Vanzinger pointed to the door by the garage, which was blowing back and forth in the rain and wind.

  “That can’t a good sign.” Riley’s eyes were wide. “Maybe we should call for help. Ask the local cops to provide back-up.”

  “We can’t wait that long.” Hunter’s hand was already on the door handle. “Something’s definitely wrong here. I’ve got to find Veronica before it’s too late.”

  A loud crash of thunder sounded overhead, and a bolt of lightning illuminated the sky as Hunter opened the door, then hesitated.

  “Did you hear that?”

  “Yeah, I heard that. Everybody in town heard that,” Vanzinger said, spooked by the lightning. “It’s called a thunderstorm.”

  Holding up a hand, Hunter listened. A faint scream could be heard on the wind. It was coming from the beach.

  “Someone’s screaming, and I think it’s Veronica,” Hunter said, lunging out of the Jeep and slamming the door shut.

  Vanzinger reached forward and put a hand on Riley’s shoulder.

  “Stay here and locked yourself in,” he ordered. “I’ll go find out what’s going on and come back.”

  “Fuck that, Vanzinger,” Riley said, opening her door, “I didn’t drive three hours to sit around waiting in a car.”

  She took off running after Hunter as Vanzinger struggled to extricate himself from the compact backseat.

  “Next time I call shotgun,” Vanzinger muttered, as he started running after Riley.

  Another bolt of lightning flashed directly in front of him, but he didn’t stop. Riley was out there, and he had a feeling she was going to need him.

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Riley watched Hunter pound down the path toward the beach, knowing she would never be able to keep up with him in her strappy sandals. She skidded to a stop at the top of the wooden stairs that led down to the sand. From her vantage point she could see a woman in the distance running along the waterline. Wet strands of long, dark hair hung down the woman’s back, confirming Riley’s fear that it had to be Veronica Lee.

  Lightning tore open the sky above her, and Riley cringed against the wooden rail, sure that she would be struck down at any minute. Statistics of how many people were struck by lightning each year ran through her head.

  Is it forty people struck by lightning each year, or forty people killed?

  All she could remember for sure was that Florida was the lightning capital of the US, and that being on the beach in a thunderstorm was an extremely bad idea.

  Straining to see Veronica through the downpour, Riley didn’t hear the footsteps until they were right behind her. A strong hand gripped her arm, and a deep voice spoke in her ear.

  “You’re gonna get yourself killed out here.”

  Shaken by Tucker Vanzinger’s sudden appearance, Riley turned to glare at him, then pointed out toward Veronica’s receding figure.

  “Veronica’s running that way, and Hunter’s going after her.”

  Vanzinger strained to see the figures moving down the breach.

  “That’s not Hunter,” Vanzinger said, squinting against the rain. “The man running after Veronica looks like Julian Hart.”

  Riley followed his gaze toward the man sprinting across the sand. His shirt was plastered to his skin, revealing his muscular back and arms. He was gaining on Veronica with every step.

  “There’s Hunter,” Vanzinger cried, pointing to another figure moving at top speed. “If he catches up, he’s going to need help.”

  Riley watched as Vanzinger gripped his holster and started down the stairs. He stopped and looked back at Riley, trying to yell over the storm, but the wind carried his words away.

  “What?” she yelled back, following him halfway down the stairs.

  “I said go call for backup,” he yelled louder. “And hurry!”

  Whirling around Vanzinger charged down the remaining stairs two at a time. She watched him join in the race across the sand, then pulled out her phone and tapped 911. But when she held it to her ear, she couldn’t hear anything over the crashing surf and booming thunder.

  Climbing to the top of the stairs, she threw one last look at Vanzinger’s retreating back, then hurried back toward the house. The back door was still open, and Riley ran inside, immediately slipping on the wet tile floor. She fell and slid against the wall, coming to rest beside a large stainless steel freezer.

  Pushing herself to her feet, she looked down at her hands in confusion. They were smeared with a dark, sticky substance.

  What the hell…what is this?

  She lowered her gaze to the floor; she was standing in a thick puddle of blood. Recoiling in horror, Riley backed away, banging into the freezer door, which was slightly ajar. She grasped the handle and tried to steady herself as her feet once again slipped out from underneath her.

  The door swung fully open as she fell backward, landing hard on her tailbone. Bracing herself against the wall, Riley managed to rise to her feet again and her eyes followed the trail of blood. It appeared to be coming from within the freezer. Leaning forward to take a closer look, Riley heard a faint voice nearby.

  She spun around, searching the shadows, just as another flash of lightning lit up the room. Riley saw that the room was empty, even though she could still hear the voice.

  “What is your emergency, ma’am? You’ve reached 911…”

  Riley stared at her phone, realizing the voice she’d heard was the 911 operator. Relaxing her shoulders, Riley raised her eyes to the open freezer. A man’s body had been stuffed inside. What skin she could see was ghostly white and covered in ice crystals.

  Unable to stop herself, Riley emitted a terrified scream.

  “Ma’am, where are you, what is your emergency?”

  The sound of the operator’s calm voice reached through Riley’s panic. She held the phone up to her ear with a shaky hand.

  “I’m a state prosecutor at the scene of an active crime,” she gasped. “There’s a…a dead body here…and an officer is now in active pursuit of the…the suspected perp.”

  “What is your location?”

  Riley tried to think. She knew the address. Finally it came to her.

  “It’s 1001 Hart Cove Way,” she managed to say, her voice still hoarse from screaming. “We need police backup and an ambulance.”

  Dropping the phone back in her pocket, Riley viewed the body again, unsure who the man was.

  Could this be Julian Hart? If it is, who’s the man chasing Veronica?

  She took several careful steps away from the freezer, leaving smears of blood on the white tiled floor, and plucked a snapshot off the refrigerator. A beautiful woman with blonde hair and a happy smile stood beside a man that looked vaguely uncomfortable. He also looked vaguely familiar.

  The man looks li
ke Julian Hart, but…he isn’t. Is he?

  Thinking back to the few times she’d met Julian in person, she could see the resemblance, but it wasn’t same man she was looking at in the photo. She flipped the photo over and read the scrawled names on the back: Portia and Julian, 2018.

  The truth hit her like a punch. The man that had come to Willow Bay wasn’t the real Julian Hart. She looked toward the freezer.

  The real Julian Hart is the man in that freezer. And the man who came to Willow Bay is a murderer and a fake.

  There was only one person that would have the audacity to pull an outrageous con using the assumed identity of a billionaire, and the willingness to kill anyone who got in the way.

  Xavier Greyson had tried to run a high stakes game, and he’d almost gotten away with it. His trail of victims was stunning.

  Suddenly she realized that the serial murderer and con man might manage to take a few more lives before he was through. He was out there on the beach running after Veronica Lee, perfectly willing to kill Hunter Hadley and Tucker Vanzinger if the need arose.

  The bastard might even get away with it.

  Shuddering at the thought of Xavier Greyson evading capture, Riley knew she had to do something. She couldn’t let the heartless killer get away. Not again. Not after everyone he’d destroyed.

  Moving slowly across the grimy floor, Riley reached the door and ran back into the storm. She felt the rain wash away the blood on her hands and legs, glad to get rid of the sickly sweet stench.

  As she reached the top of the stairs, she heard the wail of sirens in the distance, and looked to the west, wondering how far away they were, and how soon help would arrive.

  The figures on the beach were growing smaller, but Riley could see that Veronica was still running, but she was slowing down. The man chasing her was only a few yards behind, and Riley was mesmerized as he watched the surreal scene playing out in front of her. Once again Xavier Greyson was within reach.

  The ruthless con man who had stolen Miriam Feldman’s money and thrown her body into the water for the fish to eat, was right there on the beach in front of her after all these years, and Hunter Hadley and Tucker Vanzinger were right behind him.

  After everything he’s done, he can’t get away this time, can he?

  Her anxiety mounted as she saw Veronica stumble and fall into the crashing surf.

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Veronica’s heart pounded like a jackhammer in her chest as she ran through the sand. Her legs were getting heavier and weaker with every step, and exhaustion was overtaking fear as her strength began to drain away.

  Glancing back in desperation, she saw that Xavier Greyson was only a few yards behind her, his handsome face twisted into a terrible grimace as he ran. Adrenaline flooded through her at the sight, fueling a momentary burst of speed.

  Then the sand underneath her seemed to give way, and she stumbled and fell forward into the choppy water.

  Pushing herself onto her knees, Veronica tried to stand just as Xavier grabbed a thick handful of hair and forced her further into the water, pushing her head down into the salty waves as she fought to keep her face above the surface.

  Panic bloomed in her chest, and she clawed at the iron fist that held her underwater. Desperate for air, she kicked out at Xavier’s legs, but the heavy pull of the water absorbed most of the force.

  Struggling back to the surface, she gulped in a mouthful of salt water and sea air. A flash of lightning lit up the sky above her, and Veronica saw the savage look of triumph on Xavier’s face as he pushed her head under again. Too weak to resist, Veronica felt her body give in to the pull of the waves.

  A strange calm settled over her as she let her body go limp.

  So, this is it. This is how it all ends.

  Her mother’s face floated in the water next to her, the familiar eyes no longer worried, a gentle smile turning up the corners of her mouth as she spoke in a voice that soothed away all fear.

  Everything will be all right now, Ronnie. You can let go. The pain and the struggle are behind you now.

  Comforted by the gentle words, Veronica felt herself drifting freely with the tide, all resistance fading away.

  Then a blinding flash of light above her opened the heavens and illuminated the water, and the hand in her hair was suddenly gone. Lifting her head out of the water, Veronica wiped salt water out of her burning eyes and squinted up at the big man who had suddenly materialized beside her.

  Hunter Hadley looked down, his face tight with anger and fear.

  “Get out of here,” he shouted, pointing toward the shore.

  She stood on shaky legs, lifting her face to Hunter just as Xavier Greyson rose out of the water behind him.

  “Watch out!” she screamed. “He’s behind you!”

  Spinning around, Hunter crouched in a defensive posture as Xavier Greyson sprang forward to tackle him. Veronica saw both men tumble into the water. She splashed toward the shore on trembling legs, then turned to see Xavier and Hunter still wrestling in the foaming waves.

  She took a few stumbling steps up the beach, knowing she had to get help, but her stomach heaved, and she bent and retched out a mouthful of salt water. As she wiped her mouth on her soggy sleeve, Veronica felt a big hand fall on her shoulder.

  Too exhausted to scream, she twisted her head to see a muscular man looming over her. Relief flooded through here as she recognized Detective Vanzinger.

  “Thank God you’re here,” she gasped, coughing up another mouthful of sandy water. “He’s trying to kill him…”

  But her relief was quickly replaced by fear as Vanzinger motioned for her to step out of the way, and she saw the big Glock in his hand. It was the same model that her mother had taught her to shoot at the gun range.

  “No! Don’t shoot!”

  The scream ripped through her throat as she saw Hunter’s broad back in clear range of Vanzinger’s weapon.

  “If you miss you’ll hit Hunter!”

  Her words evaporated into the wind, but Vanzinger hesitated as the men continued to struggle in the water.

  “Shit!”

  He lowered his weapon and splashed forward, circling the men as the waves crashed over them.

  Resisting the urge to collapse onto the wet sand, Veronica forced her feet to move, willing her legs to carry her back into the water.

  I have to get Hunter out of the way so Vanzinger can get a clear shot.

  Rain beat down in relentless fury, pelting her skin and drenching her hair, which hung in heavy, wet strands around her face.

  Ignoring the water churning around her knees, she grabbed out and caught hold of Hunter’s shirt tail just as a wave smashed over her, tossing her toward the shore.

  As she sputtered and fought to regain her feet, she realized she was still holding tight to Hunter’s shirt. He erupted from the water next to her, spitting out a mouthful of saltwater as he spun to see Xavier charging toward Vanzinger.

  The explosion from the big Glock echoed over the water like a clap of thunder just as a bolt of lightning lit up the cloud-darkened sky.

  Xavier jerked backward. A spray of blood stained the shifting water around him a garish red, then washed away into the ocean’s depths as if it had never existed. He vanished into the water, then surfaced again as a violent wave propelled his limp body onto the shore.

  As the wave receded, Veronica’s eyes widened in fascinated horror; a trickle of blood seeped out of a crimson hole in Xavier’s forehead, soaking into the wet sand beneath him.

  “Tucker!”

  Startled by the anguished cry from behind her, Veronica spun around to see Riley Odell racing across the sand toward the water. The prosecutor didn’t hesitate as she reached the water’s edge. She plunged forward into the waves.

  Only then did Veronica realize that Detective Vanzinger was gone. Before she could react, Hunter’s voice sounded in her ear. She felt his strong hand grip hers as he dragged her toward the spot where Vanzinger had last been
standing.

  “Must have been…the…lightning,” Hunter gasped. “He was holding…the gun, and then he just…went down. We’ve got to find him.”

  He dove headfirst into a breaking wave, Seconds later Riley emerged to take a long gasping breath.

  “I…can’t…find him,” Riley panted between sobs. “He’s gone!”

  Sucking in a deep lungful of hot, salty air, Veronica prepared to dive under just as Hunter shot up out of the water. One arm was wrapped around Vanzinger’s broad chest, the other arm was already pushing through the water toward shore.

  Veronica splashed over to Vanzinger’s side, taking hold of his limp arm. The big detective’s water-logged body was unbelievably heavy as she helped Hunter keep his head out of the relentless waves.

  Assisted by the incoming tide, they finally deposited the big detective onto the safety of the sand. Veronica’s trembling legs gave out underneath her and she sank onto her knees. She felt the warmth of Hunter’s body next to her and looked over as he checked Vanzinger for a pulse.

  Hunter’s face was grim as he gave a slight shake of his head.

  “Is he breathing?” Riley asked above them in a ragged voice.

  Tilting Vanzinger’s head back, Hunter leaned forward and listened, his eyes resting on Vanzinger’s chest, watching for the tell-tale rise and fall, but the big man was motionless.

  “He’s not breathing,” Hunter croaked, then cleared his throat. “Let’s start CPR. Veronica, you breathe. I’ll do the compressions. Riley, you count us through it.”

  The faint wail of a siren rose over the roar of the ocean as they began working on Vanzinger’s motionless body. Veronica kept up a steady stream of breaths, listening to Riley’s desperate countdown.

  “…and one, and two, and three, and breathe, and one, and two…”

  After what seemed like hours, Veronica felt the paramedic’s impatient hands on her shoulders and allowed herself to be moved to the side. She watched as they rushed forward with a defibrillator, allowing herself a small hope that the big man could be revived.

  “I’ve got a pulse!”

  When she heard the paramedic’s excited shout, Veronica collapsed onto her back in the sand and looked up. A patch of blue sky peeked out through the dispersing clouds. The storm was over.