Deadly Gratitude Read online

  DEADLY

  GRATITUDE

  LORI DONNESTER

  Surrogate Press

  Copyright ©2017 Lori Donnester

  www.LoriDonnester.com

  All rights reserved.

  Published by Surrogate Press LLC, an imprint of Faceted Press. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the author.

  Published in the United States by

  Surrogate Press™

  SurrogatePress.com

  ISBN: 978-1-947459-22-9

  Book cover design by: Michelle Rayner, Cosmic Design

  Interior design by: Katie Mullaly, Surrogate Press®

  For my kids,

  “The Homework Mom” is still my favorite nickname.

  Love you.

  For my husband AKA my best friend,

  Love you, dear. You inject fun in my life!

  (But I still don’t want to ski from 8:30 in the morning

  until 4:30 in the afternoon.)

  And

  For Mom and Dad,

  Thanks for helping me find my hallelujah.

  Table of Contents

  Preface

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Epilogue

  Book Club Questions

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Note From the Author

  Preface

  Detective Don Layden pulled up to the cemetery as he had many times before, although tonight the crunching sound of the gravel beneath the tires was slightly muffled due to the inch or two of snow on the ground. He turned off the car, leaned his head back against the headrest and closed his eyes. His breathing slowed.

  Before long, the cold seeped into the car. Shaking himself, he grabbed the fresh bouquet of flowers and trudged to her headstone in the dark. He removed the dead bouquet that was already there and replaced it with new daisies. Uelle loved daises.

  He straightened up and folded his hands. “How are you, honey?” he sighed. “I’m tired. It was another long week, but Luke and I wrapped up the Brown case. The evidence is solid. I think he’ll go to jail for a long, long time.”

  He shrugged. “I don’t have too much planned for the weekend. The ski resorts are open. Maybe I’ll go up. But the snow levels are still low since it’s so early in the season. So maybe not. I’ll see how I feel in the morning.”

  He closed his eyes and dropped his head. His voice came out very close to a whisper. “What I’d really like to do tomorrow is lay in bed with you. Then get up and have coffee together and read the paper.” He took in a long breath and opened his eyes.

  Instead of the rose-colored headstone he’d chosen for her, scenes of the accident flashed before him. His blonde wife laughing next to him in the front seat. The driver running the red light. The screeching sound of metal as it twisted. Uelle’s final screams.

  Then nothing.

  He regained consciousness in the hospital, and it was then he found out she was gone.

  “I wish cell phones had never been invented, honey,” he whispered. Putting a hand over his eyes his voice shook as he added, “And you would still be here with me.”

  Don stood there for a long time, rubbing the headstone. The memories of his life before Uelle’s death ensnared him.

  Chapter One

  Before the morning light peeked above the mountains, Alicia Kendrick opened her eyes, pulled the blankets up to her chin, and snuggled under them for one more minute as she relished the warmth they provided on this last day of November in Colorado. Never needing much sleep, she rose early every day. Since today was Saturday and her husband was home from work, she wanted to make sure she got her last swim in before he put his foot down and insisted that her beloved heated outdoor pool, a gift from her parents, be closed down for the winter.

  Alicia slipped out of bed, taking care not to wake Adam. Last night was the surprise party for Adam’s fortieth birthday, and she smiled as her mind replayed the scenes of all their friends eating, drinking, laughing, and even dancing. Her scheme to get Adam out of the house before the party had worked. Her good friend Vicki asked him to come over to her place and assist her with some legal questions, and he had been away just long enough for everything to be ready. All the guests even found places to hide.

  Adam was genuinely shocked when he walked into the living room and thirty people sprang up yelling “Surprise!” He even jumped a few inches off the ground himself!

  Chuckling at the thought, she stepped toward her sleeping husband and stroked the blanket over him ever so lightly. He would be in bed until about seven, so she had some nice time alone right now.

  Leaning forward and frowning into the bathroom mirror, she touched the bags under her eyes. Then she shrugged and quickly gathered her blonde hair into a ponytail, pulled on her swimsuit, threw on her robe, and padded towards the stairs.

  Due to the party, her children, Jessica and James, spent the night with friends. Before moving past Jessica’s room, she stepped into it for a moment and fingered the shoes she’d bought as a surprise for her daughter.

  Jessica, a sophomore in high school, was going to the winter formal and was excited about it. She looked so beautiful in her new wine-colored dress, and these shoes would complete the outfit. With her long brown hair and her spicy cinnamon eyes, Alicia could hardly believe this perfection was her daughter. Jessica would be so surprised when she got home later today and saw the shoes lying on her bed. Alicia couldn’t wait to see her daughter’s face. A thrill of excitement ran down her spine and she hugged herself.

  Alicia then passed by James’s room and stepped in to straighten out a poster of the Denver Nuggets basketball team she’d bought and left on his bed. The fourth grader was a big fan, and if Jessica had new shoes then he needed to at least have a new poster, didn’t he?

  Finally, Alicia ran downstairs, making no noise on the thick beige carpet. As she approached the first floor, Alicia’s brows furrowed in puzzlement. Where was Sunshine? The family’s golden retriever was usually at the bo
ttom of the stairs wagging her tail in a happy hello. As Alicia turned the corner, she noticed Sunshine standing guard at the sliding glass door that opened to the back yard, murmuring a low growl.

  “Sunshine, what’s the matter, girl? Did someone feed you something last night that hurt your tummy? Do you want to go outside?”

  At the sound of Alicia’s voice, Sunshine looked up and wagged her tail in greeting before returning to her scrutiny of the backyard.

  “Hmmm,” Alicia rubbed the dog’s soft, golden fur and bent down to look into those big, brown eyes. “You’re a sweet girl, aren’t you?” She patted her pet’s head and opened the door. Sunshine dashed outside, disappearing into a small grove of aspens in the northwest corner of the fenced yard.

  After flipping the switch to flood the back yard in light, Alicia was about to step outside herself when she glanced over at the Christmas tree in the great room. The ornaments sparkled, reflecting the lights from the kitchen. Alicia smiled and darted over to plug in the tree’s lights. She stepped back and sighed with contentment as she folded her arms and looked at the tree. “So glad I put you up for the party,” she murmured to herself. For a few moments, the familiar feeling of that special Christmas happiness blanketed her. Then she slid on her clogs, stepped outside, pushed the button to move the pool’s cover, and was greeted with the familiar scent of chlorine as the shield rolled back with a quiet whirring noise.

  Colorado’s Indian summer was only recently over and a couple of inches of snow remained from the first snowfall of the season. But more of that fluffy white stuff was in the forecast. Soon all of Denver would be covered in it, and the ski season would be in full swing.

  The water lapped quietly against the sides of the pool as ghostly white steam rose up from the heated water, creating a surreal scene. Alicia rubbed her hands together, threw off her robe and dove into the pool. She was immediately oblivious to her surroundings as she concentrated on her strokes and the feeling of ecstasy that always accompanied her as she pulled her slim body gracefully through the water.

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  A few feet away in the aspen grove, an intruder petted Sunshine as she ate the meat he brought for her. She looked up and wagged her tail at him, but then she dropped her head and staggered. A violent seizure threw her to the ground. Her lips pulled back exposing her teeth and her eyes rolled back into her head. She choked. Foam came out of her mouth as she writhed on the snow-covered grass. Then, she lay still. The intruder smiled. It was working just as planned.

  His footsteps crunched on the snow as he approached the edge of the trees, his eyes fixed intently on the early winter swimmer. The time invested in learning Alicia’s habits had paid off. The most opportune moment was now here. His heart beat against his chest and his breath came out in little white puffs as it hit the cold morning air. When he observed the party from a distance last night, he was concerned that it might change her morning routine. Luckily, it had not. He watched her for a brief period and listened to the small splashing noises the water made as she repeatedly swam across the pool, expertly flip-turned, and then made her way back again.

  Slowly, he ran a finger along the blade of the axe. An outdoor light flickered on the gleaming metal. The intruder gazed at it, mesmerized as he turned the axe this way and that to catch the light. Quit wasting time. Get on with it. His lips pressed into a thin line and his gloved hands tightened around the axe handle. His breath created small clouds of steam, like miniature mirrors of the fog coming off the pool. His heart pounded harder with anticipation. It was time. He stepped away from the grove of aspens and inched closer to the swimmer.

  As Alicia completed yet another flip-turn, he glanced up at the bedroom windows. There was no sign of any movement. As usual, Alicia was the only member of the Kendrick family up this early. The intruder crept out of the aspens. He stepped to the edge of the pool, raised the axe over his head, and spread his feet apart positioning himself so that it would only take one swing.

  She approached. The axe sliced through the air and hit its mark, destroying Alicia’s skull.

  At first it felt like cutting a melon. But then the blood gushed out of her head. Definitely human. He groped for her in the water and raised her up enough to wrap a beaded chain around her neck and pull it tightly, sneering as he left his trademark. He put the chain back into his pocket as he dropped her lifeless form into the water. Alicia’s body floated woodenly in the pool. Ha! See what happens when you ignore me! He watched her blood flow into the pool...and smiled.

  Chapter Two

  The lights beyond the large plate glass windows of Don’s workout room were still sparkling like a sea of jewels against the dark of the early morning, but he was oblivious to the beauty. He watched himself jump rope in the mirror, not noticing his sleek muscular build or his chocolate-colored hair now wet with perspiration. Instead he focused on his movements, probing for faults the way an exterminator searches for rats. As his sweat puddled onto the floor, the rope moved faster. The whirling sound of the jump rope as it sailed past his ears and slapped the mat on the floor almost made him miss the sound of his cell phone’s ring.

  He dropped the jump rope, picked up a towel, and wiped off his face before he answered. “Layden here.”

  He listened for a minute and let out a breath when he heard the details the caller recited. “Be right there.”

  He wasted no time in putting his workout equipment away. His six foot two inch frame was silhouetted against the windows of his downtown Denver penthouse as he strode to his bathroom. He quickly showered and shaved. Trouble clouded his granite eyes while his mind replayed the disturbing details from the call.

  Before exiting the bathroom, his gaze fell upon a framed photo of Uelle. Picking it up, he ran his fingers along her lips and closed his eyes. Then he kissed the photo and placed it back in its spot.

  After putting on a pressed charcoal gray suit and a navy blue tie, he walked out into his contemporary great room. Pausing in front of a birdcage, he greeted a small yellow cockatiel. The corners of his mouth turned up as he placed his hand inside the cage. The bird chirped and stepped onto his extended index finger. Don’s face relaxed as he stroked her with his other index finger. “Sorry Belle, gotta go. You have food and water to last all day so you’re good. I’ll clean your cage tonight. Sound okay? I may be a while, so stay comfortable, pretty lady.” Sighing, he placed Belle back in her cage.

  Don strapped on his gun, threw a winter jacket on over his suit coat, and left.

  Twenty minutes later he stood inside the Kendricks’ home. The homeowner, Adam, was wrapped in a towel that covered his wet, bloodied pajamas. He kept running his hands through his auburn hair, his periwinkle blue eyes not blinking. He appeared to be in a trance.

  Don walked up to Adam and introduced himself as they shook hands. “I’m sorry for your loss,” Don said. “Finding her like that must have been horrible.”

  “Yes.” Adam’s shoulders slumped and he sank down into a chair, the towel falling to the floor. He held his head in his hands. “Who would do this to Alicia? What am I going to do without her? How am I going to raise my children?” He rocked back and forth as he spoke.

  Near the chair, Don noticed some family pictures with what looked like a teenaged daughter and an elementary-aged son. “Are your children out of the house?” he asked.

  Adam nodded. “They’re sleeping over at their friends. Alicia threw a surprise birthday party for me last night. Just like always, she had everything planned to the ninth degree, including where the children would be safe.” Adam’s hands covered his face again. Don touched the grieving man’s shoulder, then walked around to take stock of the house, stopping to look out a window. The Kendrick home was in the downtown Denver neighborhood of Capitol Hill, situated near the top with a fantastic view of the city.

  Arms folded, Don turned back to survey the great room. The lux
urious leather furniture was accented with exotic accoutrements that had been collected from various cultures all over the world. There were also many family pictures, some of which were taken in tropical locations.

  Using a handkerchief, Don picked up a photo that was taken at sunset with an ocean background. A smiling, blue-eyed Alicia stood next to a grinning Adam. Also in the photo were two beaming children who looked like a perfect combination of their parents. A polished older couple was with them as well. The grandparents? Don stepped out of the way of a uniformed officer as he dusted for prints.

  He went upstairs to inspect the rest of the rooms. Spotting nothing unusual, he made his way out back to examine the scene. Before going over to the body, Don scanned the yard. His lips curled back from his teeth as he looked at the gore. Pool water should be clear, not clouded with blood. As Don studied it he felt his own blood run cold. He forced himself to glance away for a few seconds. Based on the violence, he assumed the killer was male.

  The yellow crime tape was already set up, offering a garish barrier in contrast to the surrounding fence. The forensic team used their tools to scrutinize a set of shoeprints in the wet ground. Alicia’s body had been laid along the side of the pool on a large white towel. Don walked over to Alicia and squatted next to her. She was in her early thirties, probably five feet nine and 120 pounds. She had the broad shoulders of someone who had grown up swimming. And now her lifeless eyes stared up out of her ruined head. Don shook himself and then noticed something else. “What are the markings on her neck, any idea?”

  “I haven’t figured that out yet,” the medical examiner, Meg Oliver, replied. Meg knelt down right next to Alicia. “But I do know that she was hit in the head first. The chain, beads, or whatever it was that was wrapped around her neck, happened after the blow. Maybe she was wearing some sort of a necklace and the killer took it by force.”