The Game Changer Read online

  Table of Contents

  Excerpt

  Praise for Iona Morrison

  The Game Changer

  Copyright

  Dedication

  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

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  A word from the author…

  Thank you for purchasing this publication of The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

  In the middle of the night,

  Jessie awakened to fear licking at her senses. The darkness settled over her like a heavy weight. She sat up in bed, her heart beating frantically. He was near. Breathing became work. She could feel him trying to get inside her thoughts and take them captive; strong, pulling her into his web; choking the life out of her. She fought, singing the song in her mind. When she grew weary, and her eyes closed, the shadows began to dance, and the voices mockingly sang you will die, you will die. Jessie got up and sat on the floor. I will not let you in. I will live, I will live, she repeatedly whispered until his power was broken and the night gave way to the gray light of dawn. Strange. She should still feel fear, but it wasn’t there. Why?

  Praise for Iona Morrison

  “Not only are her human characters charming and likeable…Iona calls our attention to serious ills of society in her books, and she gives us food for thought as well as entertaining us. This is a definite must read!”

  ~Shelley Cadwallader

  ~*~

  “Her tales are hand wringers that make me want to yell at the characters to warn them when they are in danger. It is difficult to put her books down. Loved book number two and am looking forward to book number three.”

  ~ReNae Bowman

  ~*~

  “I highly recommend this tight, fast-paced romantic intrigue-paranormal-murder-mystery to anyone who loves a good book. I hope we see more of Jessie and Matt.”

  ~Carol Ann Kauffman

  The Game Changer

  by

  Iona Morrison

  A Blue Cove Mystery

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  The Game Changer

  COPYRIGHT © 2016 by Iona Morrison

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press, Inc. except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  Contact Information: [email protected]

  Cover Art by Debbie Taylor

  The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

  PO Box 708

  Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708

  Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com

  Publishing History

  First Fantasy Rose Edition, 2016

  Print ISBN 978-1-5092-0857-9

  Digital ISBN 978-1-5092-0858-6

  A Blue Cove Mystery

  Published in the United States of America

  Dedication

  I dedicate this book to my nephew

  Dennis Paul Hurst,

  who has inspired me with his convictions,

  humor, courage, and his strength.

  Chapter 1

  The front door pushed open with a creaky squeal. Jessie flinched, hitting her head on the edge of the counter. “Darn.” Her fingers gingerly rubbed the spot. She had forgotten to lock it again. She stood and peered over the mountain of books stacked on the work surface at a pleasant-looking young man standing in the doorway. His uniform was pressed and tidy. Perhaps another delivery of books from a vendor, she mused. Sunglasses covered his eyes. Masculine hands brushed the snow off the sleeve of his jacket, as he appeared to search the interior of her store. Her pulse quickened. A strange sensation crept over her as he came closer to where she was standing. The cold chill started at her neck and spread like icy fingers down her back.

  “Hello. Is anyone here? I have a delivery for you,” he called.

  “I’m over here, by the counter.” She waved at him. Jessie stepped from behind the boxes and motioned again.

  He took off his sunglasses and stared at her. His jaw dropped slightly. “It’s another cold one this morning.” He looked intently at her. “I wanted to make sure someone was here before I unloaded the boxes out of the truck.” He didn’t move from the spot where he stood.

  “As you can see, I’m here.” Jessie pressed her lips together.

  “Yes, yes, I can see that you are.” He shook his head.

  Jessie clutched her phone, moving toward him. “You said you have a delivery.” She placed her free hand on her hip, stopping in front of him.

  “Of course…” His voice trailed off. “Yes, I have a delivery for you.” He turned his back and walked out the door. A few minutes later, he returned pushing a hand truck loaded with several boxes.

  “You can set them in the corner over there.” She pointed to the spot.

  “Will do.” He gave her a slight smile and got busy unloading the boxes. “Looks like you’ve got your work cut out for you.” He rolled the hand truck over by the door.

  “You mean this?” She motioned around the room at the stacks of boxes. “This isn’t work, it’s my next great adventure.” She gave a tentative smile when he rolled his eyes. “All right, I admit it may be a wee bit of work.”

  He walked toward her. “I need you to sign off on the paperwork. I marked all the spots where the company requires a signature.” He studied her face as he pointed to the first place on the page.

  She shivered, suddenly uncomfortable with the way he kept looking at her. Where was Matt when she needed him? She handed back the signed papers.

  He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry. You must think I’m rude. I don’t mean to stare at you. It’s just that you’re the last person I expected to see here this morning.” He shifted his weight back and forth.

  “Excuse me? I’m not sure I understand. Have we met before?”

  “No. I know I’m making a mess of this. Maybe I should start over,” he mumbled. “I’m not sure I know how to explain this to you, so I’ll just say it. I saw you in a dream last night. A woman in my dream pointed you out to me. She told me you could help me find my wife.” He bowed his head shoving his hand in his pocket.

  “Who said I could help you?”

  He shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know, just some woman. I heard her say you were the one. You must think I’m crazy. I can assure you I’m not. Nothing like this has ever happened to me before.” He turned his face away.

  Goosebumps spread up her arms. “Maybe you should start from the top.” She went over to the table in the center of the room, shifted a few boxes, and motioned for him to join her. “If it’s okay with you, I want to call a friend.”

  “Sure.” He sat across from her. “I w
ould appreciate any help I can get. No one else seems to be taking me seriously.”

  She touched Matt’s number. “Matt, where are you?” she asked the minute he answered.

  “I’m next door getting your morning coffee, sweetheart. I have some extra time to help you unpack. How does that sound?”

  “Perfect, get another coffee and hurry over, would you. There’s something I think you’ll want to hear.” The tingle of excitement was growing stronger.

  The man leaned forward in his chair, his fingers massaging his temples. His foot kept an annoying rhythm as it repeatedly hit against the leg of the chair. “I’m sorry I said anything,” he muttered quietly.

  “I know you must need to get back to work. My friend should be here any minute.”

  “I’m only going through the motions. I can’t seem to concentrate, if you know what I mean.” His voice was flat. “I almost gave this run to someone else this morning but decided against it at the last minute. I have no clue why, but I knew I needed to make this delivery, and now, here you are…” He pointed at her, his voice trailing off. “Excuse my manners, I’m Evan.” He rubbed his forehead. “Evan Foster.”

  “Jessie Reynolds.” She extended her hand, and he took it. “Can I get you anything?”

  “No, I’m good, thanks.” His foot kept the persistent tapping.

  The bell above the door rang when the door opened. At least the darn bell worked this time. Matt walked toward them with three cups of coffee on a tray with a bag in the center. He was a handsome devil for sure, and he always remembered to get her a scone. The calories weren’t needed, but the scones were always good. Jessie jumped up and walked toward him. “Good morning.” She leaned close to him to speak. “I think maybe you should listen to this.”

  “Okay.” He smiled and softened his voice. “I get it, you’re feeling a little nervous, and you want me around.”

  She nodded at him. “Evan, this is Matt Parker. He’s the police chief in Blue Cove. If anyone can help you, he can.”

  Matt shook Evan’s hand and then placed his hand on her shoulder. “Jessie here is my partner and a damn good investigative reporter. We’ve worked a few cases together. If it is help you want, you’ve come to the right place.”

  His praise brought a tinge of pink to her cheeks. “Yes, he has.”

  Matt sat next to her. “Evan, what’s up?”

  “To tell you the truth, I’m not sure. I’m still as baffled by it as I was when I first walked in the door and saw her.” He pointed at Jessie. “I don’t know what to think.”

  “Why don’t you start at the beginning, and we’ll go from there.” Matt encouraged him.

  “My wife, Adriana, was on her way to Blue Cove a few weeks ago to see her best friend Kathy. She left early in the morning so that she could spend the day with her. She never made it. It was as if she just vanished. They found her car abandoned on the side of the road several miles out of town, but there was no sign of her. No one has heard from her or seen her since.” He swiped at the tears forming in his eyes.

  “Which police department is handling the case?” Matt asked taking his pen out of his pocket.

  “It’s the county sheriff. They found her car somewhere between here and Rocky Pointe.”

  “Is there anything else you can tell me? Was there any blood at the scene?” Matt studied Evan’s face as he wrote a few notes in his notebook.

  “No, there was nothing.” Evan shook his head. “I’m the prime suspect, of course.” He frowned, making the small lines on his forehead more pronounced. “I have a solid alibi, though. I was working with a partner on a run at the time.”

  “There’re other ways to be a part of it. You could have hired someone. Are you involved?” Matt’s voice hardened.

  Evan straightened in his chair and looked Matt directly in the eyes. “No! Never! I loved my wife. She’s expecting our first baby. We had just found out a few days before she went missing. It’s eating me up inside.”

  “What is the sheriff saying?” Matt took a sip of his coffee and handed one to Jessie. He gave the other cup to Evan, never taking his sight off him.

  “Besides thinking it’s my fault somehow, his next theory is maybe she ran off.” He hung his head.

  “What do you think? Is it possible she left you?” Matt asked.

  “No—we love each other—I would never believe it of her.” He crossed his arms across his chest. Evan’s eyes met Matt’s. “Look, to be honest, I had started to wonder if she had run off. Up to now, Adriana has always let me know her whereabouts. I didn’t want to believe it of her, but the longer I’ve gone without hearing from her my mind has imagined all kinds of crap.” He leaned forward in his chair. “Then I had a dream. Adriana kept telling me to come and find her. She begged me to hurry.” His voice got stronger as he rushed on. “The dream changed from Adriana to another woman. As weird as this all sounds, I heard in my dream that this woman,” he pointed at Jessie, “could help me find Adriana.”

  “You heard that Jessie could help you?” Matt raised his brow.

  “Yes! I know how this must sound to you. It sounds crazy to me, too. I wasn’t going to work today, but at the last minute, I took this delivery—and here she is. Hell, I don’t know what to think.” He shook his head.

  Matt smiled at Jessie. “Nope, it isn’t strange at all when it comes to her. It’s par for the course.”

  Jessie gave him a playful hit. “You’ll have him thinking I’m weird.” She frowned at Matt.

  “You are weird, sweetheart.” He grinned at her.

  “I’ll admit I’ve had a few unusual things happen to me, but only since I moved here and met you.” She turned her attention back to Evan. “These circumstances are certainly different, though. I don’t know what to think about what you’ve told me.” His slumped form touched her heart. “I’m not sure how I can help you.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she knew she had to try.

  “I can’t imagine how you can either.” He rubbed the nape of his neck. “But I’m willing to do anything if it can help me get my wife back.”

  “Tell me about her.” She sipped her coffee, looking over the top of the cup at Evan.

  He pulled a picture of her from the papers on his clipboard. “This is a recent photo taken a few nights before she went missing.”

  Adriana had a sweet face and an infectious smile. She was tiny, barely reaching to her husband’s shoulder. An attractive woman, she reminded Jessie of Katie. An image flashed through Jessie’s mind, large hands wrapped around Adriana’s mouth. Her body hung limp. Scooped up like dead weight, she was thrown over a man’s shoulders. Another image quickly replaced the one of Adriana. Jessie shut her eyes trying to erase the impression. For another woman, it was too late. “Do you have extra photos so I can keep this one or would you like me to make a copy?” Her voice trembled as she asked Evan.

  “You can have it. I have several.” He pushed another copy of his wife’s picture toward her.

  Jessie handed a photo to Matt. “Did she work outside the home?” Jessie wrestled to get control of her emotions. Evan didn’t need any more stress.

  “She’s the VP at Rocky Pointe First Bank. The bank president had promoted her to the position a few weeks ago.” He wiped the tears running down his cheeks with the back of his hand. “She was so excited about her promotion and I was proud of her.” Evan clasped his hands together in front of him. “Honestly, I’ve loved her from the first moment I laid eyes on her.” His voice broke.

  “She obviously had a lot of contact with the public. Working in a bank gave her lots of exposure. Did she have friends at the bank?” Jessie asked as she wrote Adriana’s name on the back of the picture.

  Evan nodded. “Everyone seemed to like her. She was always talking about her co-workers, especially her friend Kathy. I wish now I had paid closer attention to what she was telling me.” He stretched his legs out, slouched forward in his chair.

  “Did the investigating officer question her friend Kat
hy?” she asked.

  “The deputy took her name and told me they were going to talk to her and Adriana’s co-workers.”

  “Could you write her friend’s address and number down for me?” Jessie pushed a pencil and a slip of paper toward him.

  “Did she have any enemies that you know of?” Matt asked as he copied the information in his notebook.

  “If she did, I never heard about them.” Evan fidgeted with the pencil, tapping it on the table “So what do you think? I mean I don’t know what to do next.”

  “Give me your number. Jessie can start snooping around. I’ll call and talk to the sheriff for you. I’ll find out who is handling your case and see where they’re at in the investigation. Here’s my number.” Matt handed his business card to Evan. “You can let us know if you hear anything and we’ll see if anything comes up on this side. In the meantime, hang in there.”

  “I feel better talking to you. You listened to me, at least.” Evan started to stand but sat back down when he heard Jessie’s voice.

  “I think she’s still alive, Evan. She would call you if she could, and the dream was probably her way of trying to get through to you. Someone is restraining her.” Jessie stood, reached across the table, and touched Evan’s hand. “Watch for her in your dreams. She may leave little clues as to where she’s at.”

  “Okay.” He shifted in his chair,

  “That’s my girl.” Matt patted Jessie’s shoulder. “You never fail to surprise even me.”

  They talked a few more minutes. Jessie watched Matt talk to him out near his truck until Evan left to finish his route and she went back to unpacking the boxes behind the counter. The petite brunette woman with her smiling brown eyes would fill Jessie’s thoughts the rest of the day. Hooked, intrigued, and ready to get started, her mind raced ahead to plot a strategy. Another case had found her.

  Jessie bent to pick up a heavy box. “Here, let me get that.” Matt playfully pushed her out of the way, picked it up with ease, and placed the box on the table when she pointed him there. “What are you thinking?”

  “I want to help, and I hope I can.” Gathering her hair, Jessie twisted it and clipped it up out of her face. “Matt, it was uncanny how he kept looking at me. That’s why I called, and I wanted you here.” She clasped her hands together. “I didn’t see this coming. I think I can safely say, here we go again.”