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Lisa Jackson's Bentz And Montoya Bundle Novel Chapters
List of most recent chapters published for the Lisa Jackson's Bentz And Montoya Bundle novel. A total of 274 chapters have been translated and the release date of the last chapter is Apr 02, 2024
Latest Release: Chapter 1 : Lisa Jackson's Bentz & Montoya Bundle.by Lisa Jackson.To John Scognamiglio, who was
Lisa Jackson's Bentz & Montoya Bundle.by Lisa Jackson.To John Scognamiglio, who was not only the editor of this book, but a major player in the creative process, just as he was with all my books for Kensington, especially during the writing of If She
- 101 "What?" Driving nearly sixty miles an hour, she didn't dare read the article as she drove, but several phrases leapt out at her.Faith Chastain, murder victim.Our Lady of Virtues Mental Hospital.Detective Reuben Montoya of the New Orleans Police Departm
- 102 "About what?"She'd hesitated then, and he'd sensed she was lying when she said, "I don't know.""Sure you do.""I won't until I talk to him.""At this time of night? It can't wait?" He'd glanced at the clock. Already after ten. But his argume
- 103 "I'm sorry for that horrible, long drive," she said. "You're such a good, good boy. Forgive me?" The cat looked at her with wide gold eyes then rubbed his head beneath her chin and purred loudly. "So, here we are Samson. Now what're we going to do
- 104 "Bingo."He picked up his plate and set it on the counter next to the sink, where she was running water. "You want me to talk to the nuns out there?""You don't have to do it. I will.""Abby," he said softly, touching her arm so that she glanced up
- 105 "Bye," Eve said, but the connection was already severed. Anna had hung up.Making a face, Eve considered dialing her father and letting him know she was in New Orleans then decided it could wait until morning. Even if he were still awake, Terrence would
- 106 Within seconds, the phone was connected.One ring.Two.Three."h.e.l.lo?" The old man's voice was brusque, loud over the background noise of the talk radio show he was tuned to. "Wait a minute. Who is this? How did you get my...s.h.i.+t!" A beat. "You
- 107 You're getting paranoid!But someone had set him up for Royal Kajak's murder. Someone who knew his movements. His reactions. Someone with a hard-on to see him sent away for good.Who? he wondered for the millionth time over the past three months. Who had
- 108 "What's your name?"He clicked the phone off.He had to get out of here and fast. Before the cops arrived. He was in enough trouble already.... They'd figure out that he'd been here, of course, but for now he needed some time to sort things out.Spying
- 109 She managed to pick up the phone. "h.e.l.lo?""He's free," warned the same low, raspy voice she'd heard before.Eve sucked in a strangled breath. "Who is this?"No answer. But he was still on the line. She knew it. Could feel him."Listen," she said
- 110 Don't trust him, don't trust him, do NOT trust him!Anxiety skittered up her spine. Somehow she managed to flip on the light over the sink. She caught sight of her weak reflection in the window: a thin woman with haunted eyes, pale lips, and short, strea
- 111 A muscle clenched in his jaw. "I don't like it.""That makes two of us.""You need to go back to Atlanta. Or anywhere else. I don't think it's safe here.""Now, wait, this is my home."He stepped forward. "Two men are dead, Roy and your father. Th
- 112 "Maybe something happened to her, and she needed to talk to him. Maybe she hurt herself, fell, or-""Oh shut the h.e.l.l up, Bentz. You don't need to play f.u.c.king devil's advocate. Eve Renner knows because someone told her, and that person is the k
- 113 "Then how do you know?""I was there. Renner called me.""d.a.m.n it, Cole! I knew it! You can't keep your nose clean for a day!""I told you I thought I was in trouble.""Trouble is a traffic ticket. This isn't trouble. It's a f.u.c.king catastro
- 114 "I suppose we'll find it when we clean out his house or safe-deposit box.""If he has one.""I know it's kind of uncomfortable to be talking about it so soon, but it's just that Kyle thought you might know something about it."Her stomach soured. Th
- 115 Even though he'd let several cars weave between them, she'd been aware of his truck.He realized immediately she would try something; a trick to read his license plate or get a better look at him.Fortunately, he'd figured what would happen. Sure enough,
- 116 "You don't even know what I like.""Last I heard it was tofu and beans.""Very funny."He laughed and held the door open for her. The rich smells of hot Cajun cooking wafted from the kitchen and invaded his nostrils. The booths were dark wood with sti
- 117 "I doubt it. Van didn't say anything about it, and Kyle doesn't like to spend the night at other people's homes. He'd rather live in a hotel. He doesn't like to play by anyone else's house rules.""Is that so?" Bentz asked.Eve shrugged. "It's n
- 118 "Renner called me me. Or at least some guy claiming to be him.""Okay, and what about Eve? You've seen her. And I suppose you're planning to see her again."Cole stared at his beer, didn't answer.Deeds shook his head woefully. "You're making a big
- 119 A s.e.xy grin stole over his lips, and she regretted her words. "That's not what I meant, and you know it.""Tease.""Yeah, that's me," she said, rolling her eyes, then realized that his c.o.c.ky grin had faded. "There is, I a.s.sume, a reason you
- 120 "As I said, let's pool our resources." He walked over to her as she lined the coffeemaker with a paper filter and poured in the dark powder. "I don't like it that someone's following you, breaking into your car.""That makes two of us.""So I thin
- 121 "His blood alcohol level is high," Montoya said, his gaze scanning the doc.u.ment. "Drugs? Alprazolam? A sedative?""Hmm. Brand name Xanax.""He took it with booze?""Not a good combo.""He was a psychiatrist, could have prescribed it himself." Be
- 122 The dork she'd dated in high school, the guy who'd planned to be a farmer and had wanted to marry her, had ended up going to school, getting not only a BS but a d.a.m.ned PhD in criminology, and now worked in the state crime lab. Go figure. The guy she
- 123 If she closed her eyes, she could still see the patients in wheelchairs, the nuns hurrying by, the nurses eyeing a group of younger, silent patients whose gaze followed Eve as she and Roy crossed the lawn. What had that boy's name been? Rick or Ralph or
- 124 She didn't remember leaving Charlotte here, and she'd been up here long after she'd had any interest in rag dolls. This one had been sewn and stuffed by her grandmother. Nana had even made a blue dress and pinafore, then braided the doll's brown hair
- 125 "I don't know. I didn't even know I was coming here. If Sister Rebecca had seen me this afternoon, I probably would have gone straight home."Cole's expression hardened, became more grim. "I wonder if he thought he would bring you up here.""What do
- 126 "Come here," Eve said as Cole tucked her into the bed, her bed, high in the turret of her house.He smiled down at her and shook his head, his dark hair catching in the light from the bedside lamp. "I don't think that's such a good idea.""Why not?"
- 127 Deep into her chest.She gasped, gurgled, toppled to her knees. Her mind swirled, pain burning deep in her soul. Who would do this? She tried to see his face, but the darkness hid it. Her voice failed her, and she watched, unable to move, unable to warn an
- 128 "Never even...never even...never even..."He spied the turn-off for Baton Rouge and on his portable GPS screen he saw his ultimate destination, the campus. He'd changed in the truck, just so that no one-a late-night jogger, some idiot out walking his do
- 129 She flushed. "The view's fine.""Better than fine.""Way to be humble."He looked over his shoulder. "What do you mean? I was talking about the yard," he said, hitching his chin toward the window, where the magnolia tree was visible. But his slow-sp
- 130 "I'm sorry," she said, "but I have no idea where those might be. You could check with the Archdiocese, of course, and go through whatever we have here, but the hospital has been closed for so many years, I'm not certain those records still exist." S
- 131 Montoya had stopped walking. "What the h.e.l.l was that all about?""I don't know," Bentz said, "but I don't like it." He moved out of the way as a couple of guys from the coroner's office hauled a body bag out of the convent. The news crews still
- 132 "There were operating rooms and padded cells and rooms where electroshock therapy was administered." She met the questions in Bentz's eyes. "Some treatments seem barbaric and demeaning now, but they were widely accepted when the hospital was open." E
- 133 "I don't know," she admitted."For right now, the only total connection is the hospital," he said, tapping his pen on the page. "That's the key.... So, what do these numbers mean? 212, where Roy died, 101 at your dad's, 323 on the nun, and 444 on t
- 134 What if she hadn't gone?What if she hadn't been so certain that Cole had been there, pistol in hand?Roy's throat had been slit, no bullet in his body, and yet she'd been shot from a handgun as yet unlocated."...so I'm hoping to move out of the dive
- 135 "The revolver...Uh, I put it back in my grandfather's desk in the den," she said vaguely. Then, with more awareness, "But it's not loaded. I don't think we have any bullets.""That's probably a good thing. What about a rifle or shotgun?""No. Nan
- 136 With the Reviver, the lovemaking would be pure. Ordained by G.o.d. A way of salvation for Eve before she paid the ultimate price for her sins and faced the Father herself.Give her to me, he thought wildly, for the moment forgetting that he was close to th
- 137 "Because there was over a year where they didn't see each other at all."Bentz wasn't sure how much to buy, but the woman had enough facts to make her story believable. He just couldn't separate fact from fiction. She seemed truly rueful, her face tor
- 138 "Like Kimble," she said bitterly. "Now you're pleading both sides of the argument." She shook him off. "I told myself over and over, don't believe him, he's a liar, don't go with him, and for G.o.d's sake don't fall in love with him all over ag
- 139 He said he loved you, and that was before he admitted that he'd been at the cabin.So what?Talk was cheap.Though he had seemed intent on protecting her, caring for her, loving her....She clenched her teeth and made a sound of frustration. Has he done anyt
- 140 But what about Anna Maria? Her first name was the same backward and forward. She knew no one close named Bob or Lil or Ava or Gig, or any other name that could be construed as reading both backward and forward. But what about someone called dad or mom? Co
- 141 He explained about the names or t.i.tles of the victims being palindromes, how the numbers at the crime scenes read both left to right and right to left, how they also might represent room numbers for the hospital. "Terrence Renner's office was room 101
- 142 "I'm going to give it my best effort," she said, hoping she could manage to get a night's sleep without this horrible nightmare encroaching. She needed to sort things out and get a new perspective on her life."You said something about staying in a ho
- 143 As it had been from the beginning.EVIL LIVE.LIVE NOT ON EVIL.Isn't that what Mother had always said? Hadn't she always talked in palindromes? Hadn't she told him they were the secret ways to communicate? Forward and and backward? backward?He listened t
- 144 The occupant, a tall, excruciatingly gaunt man with sunken features, was sprawled upon the recliner. He was dressed in a plaid s.h.i.+rt and cardigan sweater, slacks and slippers, no sign of a clerical collar. His eyes were closed, his mouth agape, and he
- 145 "Thought you'd want to know. The suspect that Noon brought in, Tessler, he picked Ronnie Le Mars out of the photo lineup.""I'll be right there.""That's not all, Bentz," Montoya said, his voice dark with anger."What?""Tiggs just died." CHAPTER
- 146 It was great!And the pictures were turning out better than she'd antic.i.p.ated. There were still a few hours of daylight, though the d.a.m.ned rainstorm was turning day to night. She had to hurry.So, how to break into this fortress?She saw the windows n
- 147 Her stomach turned over.And there was something else...marks on the floor, probably made by the investigators. Every so often. Circles around what appeared to be holes in the flooring. Kristi leaned closer to one and peered through, to see one of the room
- 148 Oh dear G.o.d.No, oh please, NO! It couldn't be!The footsteps stopped completely.And the trilling ceased.Kristi knew her message had been received. By the man in Room 307.By her contact in the police department. A. J. Tennet would know she was on the flo
- 149 Kristi's only hope of escape was down the very stairs he would ascend into the attic.His footsteps thudded as he ran down the length of the hallway. Hers were silent. While every instinct told her to run in the opposite direction, she quickly tiptoed to
- 150 "Isn't this cozy," the maniac said, sounding pleased with himself over the drip of rusting, ancient pipes. "I a.s.sume you two have met.... No? Oh, that's right. Kristi, meet your half sister, Eve. And Eve, have we met? Do you know who I am?"She did
- 151 But Cole was suddenly beside her, pulling her into his arms, kissing her hair, cradling her protectively. "I thought I'd lost you," he said, holding her as if he'd never let go. "I thought...Oh G.o.d."Tears sprang to her eyes and she broke down, cli
- 152 FINAL SCREAM.WISHES.WHISPERS.TWICE KISSED.UNSPOKEN. IF SHE ONLY KNEW.HOT BLOODED.COLD BLOODED.THE NIGHT BEFORE.THE MORNING AFTER.DEEP FREEZE.FATAL BURN.s.h.i.+VER.MOST LIKELY TO DIE.ABSOLUTE FEAR.ALMOST DEAD.LOST SOULS.LEFT TO DIE.WICKED GAME.MALICE.Publi
- 153 CHAPTER 17.CHAPTER 18.CHAPTER 19.CHAPTER 20.CHAPTER 21. CHAPTER 22.CHAPTER 23.CHAPTER 24.CHAPTER 25.CHAPTER 26.CHAPTER 27.CHAPTER 28.EPILOGUE.PROLOGUE.Acknowledgments.I would like to thank everyone who worked on this book. As always, my insightful editor,
- 154 Hours?She had no idea.A nightmare?A bad trip?She hoped to G.o.d so. Because if this was real, then she really was situated on a couch, on a stage, wearing nothing, her long hair twisted upon her head, her limbs unmoving. It was as if she were playing a pa
- 155 "You could-""Look, Dad, I don't want to hear it," Kristi interrupted as she tossed her purse onto the pa.s.senger seat next to three bags of books, DVDs, and CDs. "You've known I was going back to school for months, so there's no reason for a big
- 156 But the truth was, he'd read and heard about her brushes with death, about her dealings with madmen, about her long stint in the hospital recovering from the latest attack, and he'd felt bad, even going so far as to call a florist to send her flowers be
- 157 She almost said, "A chip off the old block," but curbed the automatic response. Rick Bentz was still a little touchy when reminded that he wasn't her biological father. "Listen, I've got to run. I'll talk to ya later," she said instead. "Love ya!
- 158 "Hi," Kristi said, s.h.i.+fting from one foot to the other."Oh, hi." Ariel nodded, then glanced past Kristi to the door, as if she were looking for someone, at least someone more interesting than Kristi."And this is Grace," Lucretia indicated her th
- 159 Kristi bookmarked a page as she heard steps on the staircase. A second later the doorbell rang, and she rolled her secretary's chair away from the desk, crossed the small room to peer through the peephole. Through the fish-eye she saw a scruffy man in hi
- 160 "We've got a DB down by the waterfront. Looks like a party gone bad. Not far from the casino. I'll be there in fifteen.""I'm on my way," Bentz said, and felt a jab of regret when he saw the disappointment in Olivia's eyes. He hung up and started t
- 161 Emmerson scratched at the stubble on his chin as he read his notes, flipping through pages, scowling at his own scribbles, only looking up when the door to the room opened and yet another student walked in and searched for a vacant desk.The remaining spot
- 162 Kristi couldn't help but notice the ring on Lucretia's left hand. "Are you engaged?" she asked, and remembered the conversation Lucretia was having about the guy who was absolutely "amazing." Could she have meant Grotto?Lucretia stopped mopping for
- 163 There was so much to do.And one problem that nagged at him. He'd tried to ignore it, had spent months telling himself it was of no consequence, but with each pa.s.sing day, he felt a little more irritated, a bit more compelled to correct his stupid mista
- 164 "Oooh, low blow, Bentz," she said, but chuckled deep in her throat. "So, okay, I'm lying about being able to read your mind, but I know you, Detective, and I do know how you think." She walked into the room and propped that tight little b.u.t.t of he
- 165 He nodded at her. "Yes?""Sometimes the crime scene evidence doesn't make sense because the body might have been moved. In that case you would have the dump site but you'd also find evidence from the place where the attack or killing actually occurred
- 166 "And ending up with a split lip?""Yeah. Kristi can explain," Jay said, shooting her a look. "'Night, Kristi. Detective Bentz." And then he left her to deal with her father and "the talk" in which her father asked her if he needed to make an appoi
- 167 But there would be others...so many more.He smiled in the darkness as their faces came to him.Kristi couldn't sleep. The clock at her bedside table told her it was nearly one in the morning and the events of the past few days had been swirling in her min
- 168 Her other quandary was more difficult to deal with, she thought as she found a jacket and threw it on. For the past ten days, off and on, Kristi had caught glimpses of Ariel O'Toole, Lucretia's friend. Once at the bookstore, another time in the student
- 169 Two cla.s.ses down, too many more to go, Jay thought as he drove north on Friday night. With Bruno by his side, nose to the crack in the window, and Springsteen blasting through the stereo, he hauled some new plumbing fixtures and tiles toward Baton Rouge
- 170 "Maybe a little too pa.s.sionate.""Didn't think that was possible."One side of his mouth lifted into a knowing half grin. "Pa.s.sion can run hot and cold, Kris," he said. "When one person can't get what he or she wants, that pa.s.sion can turn in
- 171 "No, I'm sorry, I should have-""There are lots of things you should have done. Could have done, but it's too late. You know it.""No! I can't believe-""That's right, you can't can't and therein lies the problem. I hope that you know what you e
- 172 After Jay left, Kristi spent over an hour instant messaging different screen names and joining chats online, some of which were disturbing, others which were silly and just plain inane. She figured those were probably filled with kids just messing around
- 173 Though it was dark, with his eyes he zeroed in on her. He walked swiftly, hiding in the shadows, keeping near the empty buildings. Hard to believe any woman was stupid enough to take a shortcut and walk home after a night of writhing around a pole for mon
- 174 "Yes, ma'am. Them things ain't cheap."Talk about highway robbery. Sure they were the expensive ones, but really, how much could they cost brand new? "Great," she said with an undertone of sarcasm. "Great," she said with an undertone of sarcasm."S
- 175 She parked in a hurry, running up the steps to her apartment. Inside, she quickly stripped off her work clothes and tossed them into her laundry bag. She also threw in two packets of detergent, the bolt cutters, and a flashlight, then stepped into jeans a
- 176 The woman wasn't taking the hint."Hey," he answered, hating the upbeat sound of his voice. It sounded as phony as his feelings."How are you?" Her voice too was sunny, a little breathless."Busy.""Always." She si
- 177 Holy Father, what kind of beast from h.e.l.l was this?Stricken, the priest fell to his knees, scrabbling for his rosary, sending up prayer after prayer in his terror-riddled, near-paralyzed state. What had he gotten himself into? What? What?He heard voice
- 178 Kristi hesitated. The blonde-what was her name, Maren or Marie? Something like that-had entered without a problem.After a moment Kristi strode through the front gate as if she'd intended to head into Wagner House all along, and flew up the steps. Tho
- 179 Kristi hit the speed dial b.u.t.ton on her phone as she hurried across the street. She hated to be one of those women who always turned to a man, but d.a.m.n it, she needed a back up and Jay was the only person she'd confided in. Armed with the mace
- 180 "Someone was here," Kristi insisted. "And so what if I was breaking a law or two? I'm trying to find out what happened to those girls, d.a.m.n it. And come on, Jay. You're not entirely innocent, are you? You dug through government
- 181 But she wasn't dissuaded. "I will come out with you; I will see that she's worthy.""You've already helped me pick them," he reminded her. Elizabeth, too, had sorted through the pictures of the students at All Saints.&quo
- 182 "We have a history, Jay. And it's not good.""It's not bad." He wasn't giving an inch as he stood glaring down at her, his amber eyes dark with desire, his lips thin and hard."Stay back...I'll think of something
- 183 With a groan he started to roll off her, but she grabbed his arms, held him fast."It's four in the morning, Kristi. I'm not in the mood for word games.""What are you in the mood for?""Don't do this," he said.&q
- 184 He nodded, but she could tell he wasn't taking her seriously. "Your secret is safe with me.""It's not you I'm worried about," she pointed out, padding into the kitchen and opening the cupboard, though she knew she was ou
- 185 Kristi didn't have much time, but on the bike she zipped across campus, cutting between pedestrians, joggers, and skateboarders to Wagner House. Today in the gloomy daylight the house appeared less sinister, the sharp peaked roof, beveled gla.s.s win
- 186 "So you're not the docent?" Kristi ventured. She didn't like this woman, with her perfect complexion and officious att.i.tude, but she wanted to know more about her."Of course not," the woman said. "That's Marilyn K
- 187 "Give me fifteen minutes to close out the section," she said as he sc.r.a.ped back his chair, catching the evil eye from the hostess who had seated him specifically where he'd requested.Kristi finished up in no time, untied her ap.r.o.n, to
- 188 Jay reached for the door. "So, let's both go inside and let him know that you won't be around tonight, give him plenty of opportunity."They reentered and Kristi glanced toward the camera, still blocked by her books. They both made a bi
- 189 "Shh." She hadn't wanted to hear his fears. Had only wanted to be rea.s.sured by his strength.He hadn't disappointed. With his hands firmly splayed over her back, his legs had pressed against hers, and silently, still kissing her, he b
- 190 He'd given himself the name of Vlad the Impaler, though he had enough names already. But, fine, if he wanted to be Vlad, she'd go along with it. She had taken Elizabeth's name, a.s.sumed her ident.i.ty, so he, too, had felt compelled to bec
- 191 Kristi had never seen the play before but had read it, or part of it, in high school. The gist of it was that Everyman, symbolizing all men and women on earth, was too caught up in worldly goods and had lost his soul. When called upon by Death, Everyman h
- 192 She recognized his voice, didn't she?"Sister Ariel comes to us willingly."Who is "us"? And no, no I didn't come willingly.More steady footsteps, and though he was at her back, though she couldn't see him, she felt his pr
- 193 "Because?""He's got an interest in those girls that went missing. Seems to think they're more than just runaways, like you. Thought you might want to talk to him. Compare notes. He also asked me to look up some info on some of the
- 194 "I'm on my way over there."She searched the darkness, looking toward the library, but didn't recognize him in the groups of people hastening from one building to the next."Wait. I haven't gone in yet. Grotto had company. I�
- 195 "You talkin' to me?" Bonita Was.h.i.+ngton asked as she walked into the lab area, eyeing the microscopes and careful not to touch the gas chromatograph."Talking to myself, I guess," he said, rolling his chair back."Notice any
- 196 "Looks like." Montoya leaned a shoulder against Bentz's filing cabinet, one rescued from the aftermath of Katrina. Repainted and now rust free, it served as a constant reminder of how bad things could get. "They're sending divers,
- 197 "It looks like these bodies might not have any blood as well.""Severed arteries?""Not exactly," he said, and she felt his anger radiating through the wireless phone. "But it could be that the corpses were ex-sanguinated.
- 198 Where were they taking her?What did they have planned?The chapel bells tolled loudly...so close she knew they were on campus.... She blacked out for a second-or was it longer?-only to realize that she was alone.And she was naked.Lying on a couch of some k
- 199 In his mind's eye he saw the bloodless bodies of the girls in the morgue and sent up a prayer that she hadn't become a victim of the psycho who was behind the killings. Why hadn't he insisted she go to the police when they found the d.a.m.n
- 200 Or so he'd tried to convince himself.But G.o.d knew. The almighty Father could so easily view the darkness that was Mathias's soul and recognize the deceit, the evil, that lingered deep inside.How many times had he attempted to confess all his s