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Buried Too Deep by Karen Rose – Review & Giveaway

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Buried Too Deep by Karen Rose – Review & Giveaway

 

 

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Description:
Three can keep a secret if two of them are dead.

Employed as the nighttime security guard of Broussard Private Investigations, Phineas Bishop has been working through overwhelming PTSD episodes from his Army service while still utilizing his military skills. But when a violent break-in occurs at the office, the accusatory eyes of the NOPD glance to Phin, and he resolves to track down the intruder and clear his name.

Phin’s only lead and witness is Cora Winslow, a spirited librarian who also needs answers. Her father’s body has been discovered under a recently demolished building, murdered twenty-three years ago. So, who has been sending her the handwritten letters—written and signed by him—every year since she was five? Someone wants to keep Cora in the dark. And now, they’re coming for her.

As Cora’s bodyguard, Phin is surprised by his fondness for the woman’s fierce determination and research prowess. But New Orleans’s Garden District holds secrets as old as the streets themselves. With help from the entire Broussard P.I. team, Phin and Cora enter a labyrinth of fraud and homicide that threatens to bury them all.

 

 

Review:

Buried too Deep by Karen Rose is the 3rd book in her New Orleans series. As I have mentioned previously, I am a big fan of Karen Rose, as her suspense thrillers are amazing, and unputdownable.  Buried Too Deep is another fabulous book, as Rose always creates fantastic heroes and wonderful secondary characters, as well as evil villains. Buried Too Deep is a tense, violent, exciting, non-stop action filled story that kept me on the edge of to my seat from start to finish.

Broussard Private Investigations is an elite security firm, in New Orleans. Phin Bishop, suffers from PTSD, and the team always looks out for him.  Phin, now has a service dog, SodaPop, who follows him, and helps to make sure Phin is calm. Phin arrives at the office, only to discover their receptionist, Joy has been shot, and though the police suspect him, they realize that he was innocent, only arriving at the office after Joy was hurt.  Phin also saw a woman run out of the office, when he arrived, with someone chasing her.

Cora Winslow had contacted Broussard Agency to help to discover who was sending letters to her over the years, as her father had been missing for twenty-three years.  Cora is a librarian in the Garden District, and was talking to Joy, when she ran after someone shot Joy; she suspected that she may have been the target at the office.  She does go to the police to give further information about the shooting, which cleared her name, especially since a body was discovered buried under some foundations and it turned out to be her missing father. Cora also is determined to find out who has sent letters pretending to be her father.  The entire Broussard PI team will work together, which includes Burke, Molly, Val, Antoine and Phin to find the clues as to who is behind the attacks, as well as someone breaking into her home.  Molly and Val take turns protecting Cora, with Phin also fixing up things in her home. 

Phin will watch Cora, and soon the attraction between them escalates.  Cora has a lot of empathy and compassion, as she always is able to calm Phin, as well as SodaPop.  I really liked how both of them slowly found each other. Phin and Cora were great characters, but the entire Broussard team was equally fantastic.

We have another POV centered on the killer, as well as his grandson; with the grandson determined to discover the secrets of this grandfather.  The grandson, discovers many things about terrible things his grandfather has done, and ultimately must decide who to trust.

What follows is an intriguing, tense, exciting, and edge of your seat suspense story line that had me unable to put the book down; also, with plenty of twists and turns.  This was very tense from all the way through, especially with the evil villains constantly killing off many innocent people.  I do not want to give spoilers, as you really need to read this book from start to finish.

Buried too Deep is an intense thriller, with non- stop action all the way.  As I have said before, Karen Rose never fails to give a fantastic well written thriller that is intense, always on the edge, with fantastic characters, evil villains and a wonderful couple you care for. If you love suspense, with a touch of romance and a thriller all the way, then look no further then Karen Rose.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

                           Berkley Hardcover
                                  Excerpt

Phin Bishop stumbled to a stop, staring up at the building that was as close to a home as he’d known in a long time. It wasn’t the building itself, of course, although it was beautiful with its cast iron balconies and its shutters thrown wide in welcome.

Even to me. He hoped.

Because the magic of the building wasn’t in its bricks or balconies. It was in the people who worked within its walls. Burke Broussard and his people had become Phin’s family.

But I deserted them. I ran.

No. He could hear the voice of his therapist in his mind. You didn’t “run.” You have PTSD. You left to get better.

But was he better?

Am I ready to be back?

A hand closed over his shoulder, warm and reassuring. “Phin?” Stone O’Bannion murmured. “We can come back tomorrow. Or we can get SodaPop. This is exactly what she’s trained for. Helping you through situations just like this.”

Swallowing hard, Phin turned to meet his best friend’s eyes and saw understanding and compassion that Phin didn’t think he deserved. Stone was right. Phin should have brought his new service dog. But he hadn’t, wanting to stand on his own two feet.

Which had been wrong thinking. He knew that. Knew that there was no shame in needing a service dog. No shame in having PTSD. He’d accepted that. Accepted that he’d have episodes. That he’d sometimes relapse.

SodaPop made it easier to stave off his episodes. Helped him recover faster when he did relapse.

And you deserve that help. Those words were again in his therapist’s voice. Phin could accept that there was no shame in needing his dog. But he hadn’t been able to accept that he deserved the assistance. And that was the real reason he’d left SodaPop behind this morning.

“That we could come back tomorrow is what you said yesterday,” Phin said. And yesterday, he’d jumped at the chance to turn tail and run.

He’d been running most of his life.

“And I’ll say it tomorrow and the next day.” Stone gave his shoulder a squeeze. Anchoring him. “What are you afraid of? Be honest with me.”

Phin forced the words out. “That they won’t want me back.”

“If they don’t, it’ll hurt,” Stone acknowledged, and Phin was grateful that Stone hadn’t brushed his concerns away. “But I read their texts.” Phin had given Stone permission to read all the communication from his New Orleans friends. “These people care about you. They will want you back.”

“What if I flake again?” He hated losing control of his own mind, hated the spiral that tugged him under.

Stone shrugged. “Then you leave, you heal, and you try again.”

Phin’s chest hurt. “I’m so tired of leaving.”

“Then stay. Take a step. Right now. There you go. Now another. That’s the way.”

Phin forced his feet to move closer to the building that housed Broussard Investigations. “I should have stopped for beignets.”

Stone chuckled, clearly not fooled by the lame procrastination attempt. “I’ll get some for you. Once you’re inside and talking to your friends.”

The building grew closer and Phin’s chest grew tighter. “Why are you still here? Babysitting me?” He was grateful. He was. But he didn’t entirely understand why Stone put up with him. “You have better things to do.”

“No, I don’t. Right now, I’m exactly where I need to be, doing what I need to do. Because you need me. And because I’ve been where you are. Someone stuck by my side until I could walk alone.” Phin knew Stone’s story. His friend had been an addict, sober for years now. “So I’m paying it forward, doing it for you. Keep walking, Phin.”

They were nearly at the front door. Just another fifteen feet.

Then the door burst open, banging into the wall behind it. Startled at the sound, Phin lurched back, once again grateful for Stone’s steadying hand. When he’d righted himself, he got a glimpse of the woman who’d thrown the door open. She wore a gray hooded cloak that hid her face, but a wisp of black hair escaped the hood to whip in the wind. For a moment, Phin stood stock-still, staring as she rushed away, heading toward the center of the Quarter.

The only part of her body that was visible was her legs.

They were very nice legs. Her calves were perfectly defined, thanks to the three-inch heels she wore. How she was able to walk in heels that high-much less run-was a mystery.

She took an abrupt left at the next intersection and disappeared from view.

“Who was that?” Stone asked.

“I don’t know.” He’d never seen her before. He’d remember legs like that.

Importantly, her appearance had stopped the mental spiral of his anxiety. Sometimes a distraction was exactly what he needed to get his head on straight.

That’s what SodaPop’s supposed to do, you idiot.

Fine. Next time he’d bring her along.

“Did she come from your office?” Stone pressed. “From Broussard Investigations?”

Phin stilled. She hadn’t been a woman with nice legs. She’d been a fleeing woman with nice legs. “Shit.”

The sound of two gunshots, one right after the other, shoved his body into motion, and he started to run.

“Joy.” She’ll be alone. Because she was always the first in the office.

“Joy’s the office manager?” Stone asked, running beside him. “The lady who uses a wheelchair?”

“Yes.” Phin bypassed the ancient elevator and took the stairs. He’d told Stone about everyone in Burke’s office. He cared about them all, but Joy was special. She’d accepted him from the beginning. Taken him under her wing. Mothered him. Trusted him. “Ex-cop. Got shot on the job. Paralyzed from the waist down. Tougher than she looks.”

She’d be okay. Joy could take care of herself, he told himself, propelling himself up the last few stairs in a single leap.

They rushed from the stairwell into Burke’s lobby. It was an open space with large windows along one wall that faced the street below. Joy’s desk would be in the dead center of the room and she’d be sitting behind her computer, doing whatever it was she did every morning. She’d give him a look that was both chiding and welcoming.

Just like all the other times he’d returned from having run.

Except . . . she wasn’t behind her desk.

“Oh no.” Phin’s heart went from a gallop to a dead stop.

Because Joy lay on the floor next to her desk, her wheelchair on its side. Her white blouse was rapidly becoming red with blood and she wasn’t moving.

Excerpted from Buried Too Deep by Karen Rose Copyright © 2024 by Karen Rose. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved.

 


 

 

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Beneath Dark Waters by Karen Rose – Review & Excerpt

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Beneath Dark Waters by Karen Rose – Review & Excerpt

 

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Description:
There’s no safe place for a child to hide when danger comes from every direction.

Public prosecutor J.P. “Kaj” Cardozo has only lived in New Orleans for six months, and he’s already working on a high-profile celebrity sexual assault case that’s made headlines all over the country. But when his son becomes the target of a kidnapping attempt as a threat to Kaj, he is desperate to keep him safe and turns to a private investigative firm famous for their protection services.

A veteran Marine, Val Sorensen is glad to have found a new career with Broussard Investigations. Her latest assignment as the bodyguard to ten-year-old Elijah Cardozo reminds her why–Val is a kick ass guardian with a tender heart. Through her duties, Val grows fond of the boy–and his handsome father.

But when the high-stakes investigation reveals an explosive network of crime through a revived drug gang, lingering deep-seated corruption in the NOPD, and a group of murderers-for-hire targeting Kaj, Elijah, and his star client, they’re all left scrambling for safety…

 

 

Review:

Beneath Dark Waters by Karen Rose is the 28th book in her Romance Suspense novels, and the 2nd book in her New Orleans series. As I have mentioned previously, I am a big fan of Karen Rose, as her suspense thrillers are amazing, and unputdownable.  Beneath Dark Waters is another fabulous book that is once again over 600 pages. Rose always creates fantastic heroes and wonderful secondary characters, as well as evil villains; and this does not change in this book, as she writes another masterpiece. Beneath Dark Waters is a tense, violent, exciting, non-stop action filled story that kept me on the edge of to my seat from start to finish.

We meet Assistant DA J.P. (Kaj) Cardozo, when his 10-year-old son, Elijah, who was almost kidnapped.  Kaj fears for his son’s life, especially since he doesn’t trust some of the New Orleans Police Department, and hires Broussard Investigations to protect him. Burke Broussard’s private investigation firm has an excellent reputation, and after talking to Kaj, Burke assigns Val Sorenson, a former marine, to be his son’s bodyguard.

Val is very good at her job, and has been very successful in protecting young kids, as well as having a past connection implicating drug gangs.   Val is a strong, savvy and fantastic guardian, very caring around children; she also ensures that Elijah, being a diabetic, takes his medicines and eats the proper food. Val moves into Kaj’s home, with her dog, Czar (huge dog), who has been trained.  I quickly fell in love with Czar and how close the dog protected Elijah.

Val, Kaj, and other members of the Broussard team, begin to investigate deeper into the kidnapping attempt, realizing that is a more dangerous and explosive crime, between a drug gang, murderers who will stop at nothing to kill anyone standing in their way, as well deep corruption in the New Orleans P.D. Kaj, Val and Elijah, as well as members of the team, find their lives deep in danger.  Kaj is currently working on two high profile cases, involving the death of a doctor, who was beaten to death, as he was blamed for the death of his son; the other is a trial with an actress accuseing an evil man of rape. Both cases have some connection, with a group of evil and dangerous hired killers, who have no qualms of committing murder; as well as the police corruption.

Both Val and Kaj slowly become attracted to each other, not to mention Val also becoming attached to Elijah. They each have their own past trauma, with each sharing their history.  Kaj having lost his wife to cancer, and taking good care of his so; Val was brutally raped by three Marines, which she needed therapy to move on with her life.

Corey Gates, and his friends Bobby and Ed are evil villains, who have involvements in both of Kai’s cases, and will stop at nothing to get what they want, even killing the younger Gates brothers. Throughout the book, from start to finish, there were so many murders, emotions, grief, torture, PTSD, as well as twists and turns. Who will survive the onslaught?

What follows is an intriguing, intense, exciting, and edge of your seat suspense story line that had me holding my breath so many times.  This story was very tense from all the way through, especially with the evil villains constantly killing off many innocent people.  As we raced to the wild climax, I prayed for the for the survival of all the good people, and the demise of the main villain. I do not want to give spoilers, as you really need to read this book from start to finish.

Beneath Dark Waters was very well written by Karen Rose, which was an intense thriller, with non- stop action all the way.  As I have said before, Karen Rose never fails to give us an amazing fantastic well written thriller that is intense, always on the edge, with fantastic characters, evil villains and a wonderful family you care for. If you love suspense, with a touch of romance and a thriller all the way, then look no further then Karen Rose.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

BENEATH DARK WATERS by Karen Rose
Berkley Hardcover | August 15, 2023
                                    Excerpt

“Morning, Val,” Burke rumbled in that deep Cajun drawl of his. “You have a new client. Bring a cupcake for him.”

Okaaaay. Holding the two cupcakes, Val walked to Burke’s office door, hearing the whir of Joy’s motorized wheelchair as the older woman followed her, unabashedly curious. A shiver of trepidation raced down Val’s spine.

A moment later, she knew why. Assistant District Attorney Jean-Pierre Cardozo was coming to his feet, having been seated in one of the chairs in front of Burke’s desk. She’d first met him at a party back in the summer. Burke and his staff had been celebrating with some clients after closing an all-hands-on-deck case when Cardozo had arrived, dressed in an expensive black suit that made him look like a Fortune 500 CEO.

He’d been charming as hell and impossible to ignore, despite her best efforts-that day and later. Unable to resist, she’d found herself googling him later that evening, learning surprisingly little personal information. Other than a few of the cases he’d tried up in the New York City courts, the man had no real internet presence, which took a lot of talent. Burke’s IT guy, Antoine, would surely have been able to dig up a lot more, but she’d been unwilling to ask. Unwilling to voice aloud that the man had fascinated her.

She knew only that he’d recently moved from New York and that his first name was spelled K-a-j, but pronounced Kai, rhyming with pie. And she only knew those tidbits because she’d overheard Burke telling someone else in the firm.

After that day, she’d seen Cardozo twice. Once a couple weeks ago at another party at a friend’s restaurant, Le Petit Choux. He hadn’t stayed long, and she’d managed to avoid him. Their most recent crossing of paths had been in a courtroom the week before, a plea hearing for one of the criminals whose crimes Burke’s group had exposed. No words had been exchanged between them either time, but Val had noticed the man’s every movement.

He moved so very nicely. And he was a good guy, prosecuting bad guys, but that smile he’d worn . . . He could get her to trust that smile. Which meant he was dangerous.

He didn’t look anything like that now. He was as handsome as before, his dark brown hair neatly combed, his face freshly shaven. His khakis were unwrinkled, the sleeves of his casual button-up shirt rolled up, exposing tanned forearms. He even wore a tie printed with whimsical dinosaurs. But his expression appeared haggard, as if he hadn’t slept at all.

And his dark eyes were full of fear.

Val glanced to the corner of the room, revealing the source of his fear. A boy of about nine or ten sat at Burke’s little meeting table. His hair was white-blond, unlike Cardozo’s. But their faces were too much alike for them not to be related. Father and son, she thought.

She hadn’t realized that Cardozo had a child, and she didn’t want to think about why that disappointed her. It didn’t matter that the child had a mother, that Cardozo had a significant other. It didn’t matter because she was not interested in ADA Cardozo, first name Kaj that rhymed with pie.

The child, however, had captured her attention. He clutched a tablet in his hands, staring down at it with a vacant look that Val recognized all too well.

She’d seen it in the mirror plenty of times.

He’d been traumatized. He didn’t look up, so Val turned back to his father.

“Hey,” Val said quietly, because the mood in the room was brittle. “It’s good to see you again, ADA Cardozo.”

The man’s throat worked as he swallowed. “Likewise. This is my son, Elijah. Elijah, this is Miss Sorensen.”

My new client? Val wondered. She looked at Burke, who inclined his head toward the boy, gesturing her to engage.

“Hi, Elijah,” she said, approaching the table. “I’m Val.”

The boy didn’t look up until Val put the cupcake in front of him. “Hi,” he whispered.

It was one tiny word, but said with a determination that won her respect. She pointed at the cupcake. “That’s yours.”

“And that one, too?” Elijah asked, pointing at the cupcake still in her hand.

“Pfft. No,” she said, using her best duh tone. “This one is mine. You’re a greedy one, aren’t you?” She smiled so that he would know she was teasing.

The boy’s lips quirked up before returning to a grim line. “Was worth a try.”

“It’s always worth a try when cupcakes are on the line. Are you my new client?”

Elijah pushed Harry Potter-style glasses up on his nose. “I guess so.”

“May I sit down?” She waited until Elijah nodded before taking the seat beside him. From this vantage point she could see the boy’s face as well as that of his father.

Cardozo lowered himself back into his chair in front of Burke’s desk, his face still frozen in a rictus of fear.

Whatever had happened, it had been bad.

Excerpted from Beneath Dark Waters by Karen Rose Copyright © 2023 by Karen Rose. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved.

 

 

 

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Quarter to Midnight by Karen Rose – Review & Excerpt

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Quarter to Midnight by Karen Rose – Review & Excerpt

 

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Description:
There are good cops. And there are bad cops. The question is…who wins?

After completing her tours with the Marines in Iraq, Molly Sutton knew she could take down any bad guy she met. But when her law enforcement agency in North Carolina turned against her, she joined up with her former CO Burke Broussard, who left New Orleans PD to set up a private investigative service for people who couldn’t find justice elsewhere.

Gabe Hebert saw the toll that working for the NOPD took on his dad and decided instead to make a name for himself as one of the best young chefs in the French Quarter. But when his father’s death is ruled a suicide after a deliberately botched investigation by his former captain, Gabe knows his dad stumbled onto a truth that someone wants silenced.

Gabe goes to his father’s best friend, Burke, for help. Burke assigns the toughest member of his team, Molly, to the case. Molly can’t believe she’s being asked to work with the smoking hot chef whose chocolate cake is not the only thing that makes her mouth water. Sparks fly as they follow the leads Gabe’s dad left them, unraveling a web of crimes, corruption, and murder that runs all the way to the top.

 

 

Review:

Quarter to Midnight by Karen Rose is the 1st book in her New Orleans series, which is also the 26th book in her Romance Suspense series. I am a big fan of Karen Rose, as her suspense thrillers are amazing, and unputdownable.  In this newest arc, Rose gives us another fabulous book that is once again over 600 pages. Rose always creates fantastic heroes and wonderful secondary characters, as well as evil villains; and this does not change in this book, as she writes another masterpiece. Quarter to Midnight is a tense, exciting, action filled story that kept me on the edge of to my seat from start to finish.

Quarter to Midnight starts with a bang, as a retired detective dies, with his son, Gabe Hebert, our hero, unable to accept that the police said he committed suicide. Gabe suspects some of the police are trying to hide things, and he pushes to have a private autopsy, which confirms his suspicion.  Gabe goes for help to his father’s best friend, Burke Broussard, who is a former cop, now running a private investigation firm.

Burke will assign, Molly Sutton, our heroine, to work with Gabe, which at first doesn’t sit well with him, since she is a woman.  But he will learn that Molly is a former marine, and is considered the toughest member of his team; and from the start, Gabe learns how smart and savvy Molly is.  In a short time, the sparks will fly between Gabe and Molly, with a slow burn romance.  However, the case is the main focus of this story, as both become involved in a dangerous web of police corruption, evil villains who will stop at nothing to kill and murder. Molly, Gabe, Burke set out to investigate and protect a wonderful group of secondary characters, which was a great addition to the story line.

What follows is an intriguing, tense, exciting, and edge of your seat suspense story line that had me holding my breath so many times.  This was very tense from all the way through, especially with the evil villains constantly killing off many innocent people.  As we raced to the wild climax, I prayed for the for the survival of all the good people, and the demise of the main villain. I do not want to give spoilers, as you really need to read this book from start to finish.

Quarter to Midnight is an intense thriller, with non- stop action all the way.  As I have said before, Karen Rose never fails to give a fantastic well written thriller that is intense, always on the edge, with fantastic characters, evil villains and a wonderful couple you care for. If you love suspense, with a touch of romance and a thriller all the way, then look no further then Karen Rose.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

QUARTER TO MIDNIGHT by Karen Rose
Berkley Hardcover | On Sale August 2, 2022

Excerpt

Molly looked up to find her boss standing in his office doorway. Burke Broussard was in his midforties and, other than a few silver hairs at his temples, hadn’t changed a bit since he’d been her CO in the Marines a decade before. “Morning, Burke. I brought you coffee, too.” She held up the cup.

“Thank the good Lord for that,” he said fervently. “I’ve been here since six.”

Molly shuddered in mostly mock horror. “Why?” She’d left rising with the sun behind when she’d finished her final tour with the Marine Corps. Burke, however, had a love-hate relationship with mornings. He said he hated them, but he continued coming in earlier and earlier. The man was a fool.

He was also smart as hell, driven to succeed, compassionate, and generous to a fault. But a morning fool.

“Come into my office,” he said. “I have a new client you should meet.”

Joy’s eyes widened further, and she maneuvered her wheelchair so that she could unabashedly watch Molly walk into Burke’s office.

And Molly immediately understood why.

Sitting in the chair at Burke’s conference table was none other than Gabriel Hebert, Choux chef extraordinaire. He looked tired and tense and very unhappy.

She wondered if he’d been so unhappy the night before. He had looked tired, but not this unhappy. Of course, he might be one of those people who could put on the face they wished the world to see.

“Molly, this is Mr. Hebert. Gabe, this is Miss Sutton. I’m going to assign her to your case.”

Molly’s brows shot up. What?

Gabe’s brows shot up as well, then crunched together in a disgruntled frown. “What? You’re handing me off?” He came to his feet. “What the hell, Burke?”

The two men faced off, and they couldn’t have appeared more physically different. Burke’s skin was olive toned, his deep tan a testament to all the road biking he did in his spare time. Gabe was so lightly tanned that she might still call him pale. And, like a lot of redheads, he had a smattering of freckles across his nose.

She’d always wanted to trace those freckles with her fingertips. She’d wondered where else he had them.

Both men were tall, but Burke’s body was bulky where Gabe’s was lean. Molly loved to watch Gabe move. When he was cooking in his restaurant’s kitchen, it was like watching a choreographed dance.

Only their accents were similar-both speaking with that smooth New Orleans drawl that sounded like hot summer nights with jazz music thick in the air. Except that Gabe’s voice made her shiver, when Burke’s never had.

She probably shouldn’t have shivered at all, considering how angry he seemed, but her body couldn’t help how it reacted. Sue me.

Burke waved at him to be seated. “I’m too close, Gabe. Your father . . . he was important to me, too. He was my partner. I had his back, and he had mine. Whatever else went down when I was on the force, I knew your father would stand by me, and he did. I don’t know that I’d be able to keep an open mind.”

Gabe did not sit down, his frown deepening to something almost dangerous. “Open to what?” he asked, each word dripping with anger and warning.

“The truth,” Burke said simply. “Whatever it might be. Molly’s my right hand. She will not let you down. Now, please, have a seat. If, after you’ve talked with her, you want someone else, we’ll figure it out. Don’t worry. You can depend on her discretion, no matter who you choose to work your case.”

Gabe released a harsh breath. “Okay.” He sat, then shifted his gaze to Molly, who still stood in the doorway, having not moved a muscle. He did a double take. “Do I know . . .” He trailed off. “Right. Last night. Happy birthday, Miss Sutton.”

Burke looked between them, his expression suddenly unhappy. “You two know each other?”

“No,” Gabe said.

“No,” Molly said at the same time. “I’ve been to his restaurant a few times, that’s all. The girls took me there last night for my birthday. I brought you some cake,” she added lamely. “It’s in the fridge in the break room.”

“Thank you, Molly.” Clearly relieved, Burke gestured to one of the empty chairs at the table. “Join us. As I’m sure you’ve figured out, this case requires extreme discretion.”

Molly nodded. “I understand. Mr. Hebert, if you decide I’m not the best fit, there will be no hard feelings. But should you choose to work with me, I’ll do my very best.”

Gabe’s shoulders slumped, his exhaustion clear to see. “I appreciate that.” He swallowed hard. “I need to find out who killed my father.”

Molly glanced at Burke. “Are the police involved?”

Gabe’s laugh was bitter. “Most likely, yes.”

Burke sighed. “What he means is, someone in law enforcement might be complicit. Or responsible.”

Molly sat back, wishing she was surprised. “All right, then. Let me have it.”


 

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