Fatal Edge: A Jess Kimball Thriller (The Jess Kimball Thrillers Series Book 6) Read online

  FATAL EDGE

  A JESS KIMBALL THRILLER

  DIANE CAPRI

  Presented by:

  AugustBooks

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  Praise for

  New York Times and

  USA Today Bestselling Author

  Diane Capri

  “Full of thrills and tension, but smart and human, too.

  Kim Otto is a great, great character. I love her.”

  Lee Child, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of Jack Reacher Thrillers

  “[A] welcome surprise….[W]orks from the first page to ‘The End’.”

  Larry King

  “Swift pacing and ongoing suspense are always present…[L]ikable protagonist who uses her political connections for a good cause…Readers should eagerly anticipate the next [book].”

  Top Pick, Romantic Times

  “…offers tense legal drama with courtroom overtones, twisty plot, and loads of Florida atmosphere. Recommended.”

  Library Journal

  “[A] fast-paced legal thriller…energetic prose…an appealing heroine…clever and capable supporting cast…[that will] keep readers waiting for the next [book].”

  Publishers Weekly

  “Expertise shines on every page.”

  Margaret Maron, Edgar, Anthony, Agatha, and Macavity Award-Winning MWA Past President

  Also by DIANE CAPRI

  (Click each title to buy or download a sample)

  CLICK HERE for a complete list of Diane Capri Books on Amazon

  The Jess Kimball Thrillers:

  Fatal Game

  Fatal Edge

  Fatal Fall

  Fatal Error

  Fatal Demand

  Fatal Distraction

  Fatal Enemy

  The Hunt for Jack Reacher Series:

  Deep Cover Jack

  Jack and Joe

  Jack in the Green

  Get Back Jack

  Don’t Know Jack

  Jack in a Box

  Jack and Kill

  The Hunt for Justice Series:

  True Justice (Judge Willa Carson)

  Fair Justice (Judge Willa Carson)

  False Justice (Judge Willa Carson)

  Cold Justice (Judge Willa Carson)

  Wasted Justice (Judge Willa Carson)

  Secret Justice (Judge Willa Carson)

  Twisted Justice (Judge Willa Carson)

  Due Justice (Judge Willa Carson)

  Mistaken Justice

  Raw Justice

  False Truth

  The Heir Hunter Series:

  Blood Trails

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  Have you read all of Diane Capri’s books? Maybe it’s time to give them a try!

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  Fatal Edge is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are 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.

  Copyright © 2017 Diane Capri

  All Rights Reserved

  Published by: AugustBooks

  Visit the author websites:

  DianeCapri.com

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  eISBN: 978-1-940768-75-5

  Original Cover Design: Cory Clubb

  Digital Formatting: Author E.M.S.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Reviews

  Books by Diane Capri

  Copyright

  FATAL EDGE

  Cast of Characters

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  More from Diane Capri

  About the Author

  FATAL EDGE

  BY

  DIANE CAPRI

  Presented By:

  AugustBooks

  CAST OF CHARACTERS

  Jessica Kimball

  Mandy Donovan

  Trent Brennan

  Carl Asher

  Jim Kubiak

  CHAPTER ONE

  Trent tugged his coat more tightly around him as he walked through the bitter cold toward the building that housed Taboo Magazine’s offices in downtown Denver. He kept his head down and made his way along the sidewalk through the frigid winter wind. On the way, he planned his approach.

  Mandy Donovan had a journalism degree, and she worked for Taboo’s Jess Kimball as the relentless reporter’s assistant, but she wanted to stretch her skills. If he could talk Mandy into going away with him for the weekend, they could combine business with pleasure.

  Trent was smitten with Mandy the first time he saw her. But now, after a few weeks of dating, he felt like the luckiest man alive. Not only was Mandy gorgeous, she also had a straightforward personality that Trent found refreshingly delightful. He was plain-spoken himself, so he appreciated the trait in others.

  He hoped Mandy felt the same way about him. She’d definitely be an asset on this new case he’d just picked up. By the time he reached the building and shoved the door open, his eyes were stinging from the cold, and he almost missed the cell phone vibrating in his pocket.

  “Trent Brennan Investigations,” he said without looking at the caller ID. He stamped the snow from his boots on the mat.

  “You took the case yesterday, and I’ve heard nothing from you yet. For the fee we’re paying you, Brennan, we expect fast results,” Francine Lloyd sniffed into the phone with ever-present disdain. “I’ll require constant updates, so make sure you keep your phone handy.”

  The call was disconnected before he even had a chance to reply and Trent shot his phone a glare and tucked it back into his pocket. “Sure thing, your highness,” he mumbled under his breath.

  He gave himself a quick attitude adjustment. This was a potentially lucrative job. It certainly promised to pay more than anything else he’d taken on since he opened his own firm. The kind of publicity and referrals the Lloyds could give him if the case went well simply couldn’t be bought.

  But neither could he. If Mrs. Llo
yd thought pressuring him would get her an unethical supply of false evidence to support her son’s innocence, she’d find herself sadly disappointed. Integrity was the only thing he had to sell, and he’d never get his new business off the ground if he abandoned his own rules.

  He stepped away from the bitter cold drafting through the revolving door and deeper into the warm lobby, making his way to the elevators. Taboo’s offices were near the top of the building. He left the elevator and grinned when he caught sight of Mandy. She was hunkered down at a small conference room table with her hands wrapped around a giant steaming mug. Coffee, probably. She drank it hot, black, and all day long.

  “Please tell me you have more coffee,” he murmured, folding his gloved hands together in mock prayer.

  Mandy’s face went pink with pleasure, and she stood, pressing a warm kiss to his icy cheek. “I didn’t expect you until lunch time. Come with me.”

  He followed her to the coffee station where he filled a large paper cup with plenty of java juice and tried to stop shivering.

  “I’m so sorry to interrupt.” He flashed an apologetic smile.

  She shook her head and waved him off. “I just finished up a phone call with Jess. She’s out on a story.”

  “Isn’t she always? Jess Kimball has got to be the hardest working reporter in the magazine biz.” The coffee was doing its job, and he warmed up enough to unbutton his coat.

  “Does she have a new lead on her missing boy?” He liked Jess a lot. He appreciated her no-nonsense attitude and the way she took on the justice system every day. Not to mention her unwavering commitment to finding her missing son. Growing up as a latch-key kid with a mother who had done the bare minimum and then kicked him out at age eighteen, Trent couldn’t help but admire the hell out of Jess Kimball.

  A cloud settled over Mandy’s pretty face as she shook her head. “Not that I know of. She has a whole team of investigators searching every new lead that comes up. But after all these years…”

  “If she needs another P.I. on the team, I’m ready, willing, and able.” His teeth had stopped chattering, finally.

  “I’ll let her know.” Mandy led the way to the conference room, and Trent followed.

  He said, “I was hoping to get her take on my new case, though. Will Jess be back in town soon?”

  “She’ll be happy to help if she can, I’m sure.” Mandy loved working on cases with Jess. Her job was to do a lot of the digging Jess needed, and she was good at it. “What kind of case is it?”

  “Missing person at this point, but they’re not sure whether it was a kidnapping, a runaway, or a murder.” Trent tossed his coat on a chair and sat across from her.

  Mandy’s eyes went sharp as she scanned Trent’s face for answers. “A missing child?”

  “No, no.” He shook his head quickly. “A young woman. She and her fiancé were at a ski lodge in Black Pines, Wyoming, about a month ago. He says they went to bed that night and when he woke up, she was gone and their room door was ajar. She hasn’t been seen since.” He paused to take a sip of the piping hot brew and groaned. “Thanks, I needed that.”

  Mandy gave him a distracted smile. “No problem. Did her family hire you to try to find her or…?”

  This was where things might get a little tricky.

  “Actually, no. I got a call from DeRamo, Stein, and Fletcher.”

  “The big blue chip law firm on 17th Street?” Mandy asked, her tone almost as chilly as Trent’s cheeks.

  “That’s the one,” he replied lightly. “They represent the fiancé, Alex Lloyd.”

  Mandy’s eyes widened. “Alex Lloyd, Jr.? Heir to the Lloyd’s Oil & Gas fortune?”

  “The one and only.” Trent nodded and sipped the coffee again. “He’s being squeezed hard, both by the cops and the woman’s family. The Lloyds feel like enough is enough. Their business is suffering from the negative publicity, and they want an independent investigator to go out to shake loose the truth. Maybe come up with an alternative theory to the one the cops are clinging to.”

  “Which is?” Mandy frowned.

  “That Alex Lloyd murdered his fiancé Rebecca after they had a fight because she caught him cheating, and then hid the body somewhere out in the wilderness.” He paused. “There’s been so much terrible weather there that dogs have been no help.”

  “It’s been a nasty winter everywhere, it seems. We’ve had more than our share of snow and record low temps here in Denver, too.” Mandy’s frown deepened, and she folded her hands on the table.

  “Right. Well, Rebecca’s family wants answers long before the spring thaw.” Trent took a deep breath and plunged ahead. “Needless to say, they’ve been pushing local law enforcement, making sure they’re working the case night and day. Between the family and the cops, somebody’s on top of Alex Lloyd twenty-four-seven.”

  “As they should be, if he’s guilty,” Mandy muttered.

  This was what he’d feared. Jess Kimball’s whole career had been built on supporting victim’s rights. She didn’t give a rat’s ass about the Alex Lloyds of the world if they were guilty. Stood to reason that Mandy would feel the same way.

  “Do you think she’s dead? And do you think he killed her?” Mandy asked. “Because if he killed her, Jess wouldn’t get involved in helping him prove otherwise. Taboo wouldn’t cover a case like that, either. It’s pure sensationalism.”

  Trent shrugged. “Can’t rule either of those things out. But just because he and his parents are entitled snobs doesn’t mean he’s a murderer. I need to approach it with an open mind. He’s entitled to the presumption of innocence, just like anybody else.”

  He didn’t add that the Lloyds offered to double his fee for “positive results.” That piece of information was irrelevant. His personal financial crisis didn’t mean Alex Lloyd was a murderer, either.

  “So why are you telling Taboo about this particular case?” Mandy never wasted time getting to the crux of things.

  “Well, I was hoping to get Jess involved. But since she’s not here, any chance you could come with me for the week?”

  “To a ski lodge in Wyoming?” Mandy’s big smile was a mega-watt wonder. He felt better about asking for the favor almost immediately.

  “Well, yes. I could really use a second set of ears and someone to help me with research and notes and whatnot. But also…” he trailed off and offered a comically lecherous gaze. “I thought we could spend a couple of extra days out there. Like a working vacation.”

  “Yes. Absolutely. I’m in.” Her face was alight with excitement. “But I’ll need to clear it with Jess.”

  “I’d love to have her come with us. She could bring a date, too. My client’s paying.”

  “Because they think Jess would feature the story in Taboo?” Mandy frowned again and he started to worry about permanent lines in her face.

  “Of course not, no one can promise that. But if she wanted to do it, I doubt the Lloyds’ would object.”

  “I’ll ask her. She doesn’t usually take much time off, but if there’s work involved, she’d consider it, maybe.” Mandy cocked her head as if she was thinking up an approach that her boss would not refuse. “When do we need to leave?”

  “Thursday. And I’ll have you back by the following Wednesday if that works for you?”

  “Just sit there and let me call her.” Mandy pushed a speed dial button and held the phone to her ear while she waited. When Jess answered, Mandy explained the situation. After that, she put the phone on the table and pushed the speaker phone button.

  “Trent, I gather the family is paying you a hefty sum for this. Does that include our expenses if we go?” The call was so clear that Jess might have been sitting in the room.

  “Absolutely. I’ve been told that money is no concern. They just want the man cleared and the case closed.”

  “They realize that we could be putting the final evidence against him into the hands of the police, I assume?” Jess said.

  Trent squirmed. He’d explaine
d that to the Lloyds, but he wasn’t sure they understood they’d signed up for the result, which could go either way. “I’ve advised them of all the potential consequences, yes. But I won’t tell you they’re going to like it if things turn out badly.”

  Silence on the open line lasted so long that Trent began to worry she’d hung up. Finally, Jess said, “I’ve got to finish up what I’m working on now. Mandy can get started without me. We’re used to working long distance. Mandy, send me all the information Trent has collected and then you two go ahead. I’ll get up to speed and join you in Wyoming if you still need me by the time I’m finished here. How’s that?”

  Trent gave Mandy a grudging smile and pushed his chair back from the table. “Sounds like a plan.”

  “Mandy, you know you can always call me if you need me,” Jess continued. “And if you get out there and things smell fishy, or they start pressuring you, just remember, you can’t put a price on our integrity. Stay in touch.”

  “You know I will, Jess,” Mandy said before she ended the call.

  “Does that mean I’m on her list now, you think?” Trent asked Mandy in a low voice.