Into the Dark (The Cincinnati Series Book 5) (Cincinnati 5) Read online

  Copyright © 2019 Karen Rose Books, Inc.

  The right of Karen Rose Books, Inc. to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by that company in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  Apart from any use permitted under UK copyright law, this publication may only be reproduced, stored, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, with prior permission in writing of the publishers or, in the case of reprographic production, in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency.

  First published in Great Britain in 2019 by Headline Publishing Group

  First published as an Ebook in Great Britain

  by Headline Publishing Group in 2019

  All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Cataloguing in Publication Data is available from the British Library

  Ebook conversion by Avon DataSet Ltd, Bidford-on-Avon, Warwickshire

  Cover photograph © Vanessa Skotnitsky/Arcangel Images (window © INDz/Shutterstock; smoke © Petrunine world studio/Shutterstock)

  eISBN: 978 1 4722 6567 8

  HEADLINE PUBLISHING GROUP

  An Hachette UK Company

  Carmelite House

  50 Victoria Embankment

  London EC4Y 0DZ

  www.headline.co.uk

  www.hachette.co.uk

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  About the Author

  Praise

  Also by Karen Rose

  About the Book

  Dedication

  Acknowledgements

  Author Letter

  Prologue

  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

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Karen Rose was introduced to suspense and horror at the tender age of eight when she accidentally read Poe’s The Pit and the Pendulum and was afraid to go to sleep for years. She now enjoys writing books that make other people afraid to go to sleep.

  Karen lives in Florida with her family, their cat, Bella, and two dogs, Loki and Freya. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, and her new hobby – knitting.

  To find out more about Karen Rose, check out her website www.karenrosebooks.com, follow her on Facebook @KarenRoseBooks, and on Twitter @KarenRoseBooks

  Praise

  ‘Intense, complex and unforgettable’ James Patterson

  ‘Karen Rose delivers the kind of high-wire suspense that keeps you riveted’ Lisa Gardner

  ‘Rose . . . effortlessly balances romance and crime . . . An excellent example of how far-reaching and varied romance can be’ New York Times

  ‘Fast and furious’ Sun

  ‘Takes off like a house afire. There’s action and chills galore in this nonstop thriller’ Tess Gerritsen

  ‘A pulse pounding tale that has it all’ Cosmopolitan

  ‘A blend of hard-edged police procedural and romance – engaging’ Irish Independent

  ‘Rose juggles a large cast, a huge body count and a complex plot with terrifying ease’ Publishers Weekly

  ‘A high-octane thrill ride that kept me on the edge of my seat and up far too late at night!’ Lisa Jackson

  Also by Karen Rose

  The Raleigh Series

  Have You Seen Her?

  The Chicago Series

  Don’t Tell

  I’m Watching You

  Nothing to Fear

  You Can’t Hide

  Count to Ten

  The Philadelphia/Atlanta Series

  Die For Me

  Scream For Me

  Kill For Me

  The Minneapolis Series

  I Can See You

  Silent Scream

  The Baltimore Series

  You Belong to Me

  No One Left to Tell

  Did You Miss Me?

  Watch Your Back

  Monster in the Closet

  Death is Not Enough

  The Cincinnati Series

  Closer Than You Think

  Alone in the Dark

  Every Dark Corner

  Edge of Darkness

  Into the Dark

  The Sacramento Series

  Say You’re Sorry

  Novellas available in ebook only

  Broken Silence

  Dirty Secrets

  About the Book

  Run. Don’t look back. Just run.

  When Michael Rowland saves his younger brother Joshua from the clutches of his stepfather, he runs for his life with his brother in his arms. From his hiding place he sees the man who has made their lives a misery taken away in the trunk of a stranger’s car, never to be seen again.

  Doctor Dani Novak has been keeping soccer coach Diesel Kennedy at arm’s length to protect him from her dark secrets. When they are brought together by the two young brothers who desperately need their help, it seems they might finally be able to leave their damaged pasts behind him.

  But as the only witness to the man who kidnapped and murdered his stepfather, Michael is in danger. As Diesel and Dani do all that they can to protect him, their own investigation into the murder uncovers a much darker web of secrets than they could have imagined.

  As more bodies start to appear it’s clear that this killer wants vengeance. And will wipe out anything that gets in his way . . .

  To Christine. I’m so glad I have you in my life.

  As always, to Martin. I love you.

  Acknowledgements

  Erica and Penny Singleton for telling me your story. Penny, I’m so happy that your beautiful heart continues to beat. Erica, we’re all blessed because you kept a clear head and knew just what to do. Wishing you both happiness and health. You already have love.

  Geoff Symon for all the forensic know-how. (Even though I sometimes have to rewrite scenes and re-plot clues because TV forensic shows have lied to me all these years.)

  Marc Conterato for the medical assistance in all things. Thank you for never being too busy to talk to me.

  My lovely Starfish for all the plotting.

  Sarah Hafer for your editing expertise.

  Caitlin Ellis for all the things you do to keep the biz (and me) running.

  Claire Zion, Jen Doyle, and Robin Rue for all your support.

  As always, all mistakes are my own.

  My dear reader
s,

  I hope you enjoy Into the Dark! This is a story of my heart in so many ways. The characters have become like friends and I hope it will be the same for you.

  Dani Novak and her brothers, Deacon and Greg, have Waardenburg syndrome, just as I do. I didn’t realize that I was subconsciously writing the syndrome into Deacon’s character until it was time to write his book, and then his white hair and unusual eyes suddenly made all the sense in the world!

  FYI, Waardenburg syndrome is a genetic condition that primarily impacts hearing and pigmentation (in hair, eyes, and skin). It is hereditary, with a worldwide incidence of about 1 in 40,000. It is carried by the women in my family, although in some families, it’s carried by the men.

  Dani Novak has dark hair with white streaks and she’s deaf in one ear, just like me. She has a blue and a brown eye, just like my aunt and uncle do. (My cousin’s eyes are bi-colored, similar to Deacon’s.) Dani’s brother Greg is completely deaf, like my own daughter.

  The use of sign language in Into the Dark is based upon my own experiences over the years. My husband and I began to study sign language when our younger daughter was only a few weeks old. We had so much to learn!

  Many authors will differentiate signed dialog and spoken/‘hearing’ dialog with italics or special punctuation, like «Hello». I chose to present the signed dialog and spoken dialog the same way. The characters are communicating, whether their words come from their hands or from their mouths.

  This is perhaps the biggest personal ‘aha!’ moment I had while learning to sign. Language and speech are not the same. Language is the communication of concepts and ideas. Speech is merely one method of communication.

  Here are some other things I learned that you’ll find useful as you read Into the Dark:

  •Sign language is not universal. American Sign Language (ASL) is much closer to French SL. British SL is so different from ASL that an American deaf person and a British deaf person would need an interpreter to communicate with each other.

  •ASL is not a subset or dialect of English. ASL is its own language, with its own syntax and grammatical structure, which is actually closer to Spanish with respect to subject/verb placement. ASL and English share some words, much like English and Spanish words are similar because of their Latin roots. There are many ASL signs that have no English equivalent, just as there are many phrases from other languages that don’t translate well.

  •There are many methods of visual communication. In our family, we relied on three: ASL, Signed Exact English (SEE), and Pidgin Signed English (PSE). As I said, ASL is its own language. SEE is useful when signing and speaking at the same time as it associates a sign with each of the English words. (It’s very useful when teaching someone to read English.) However, SEE is a bit cumbersome, so we usually used a combination, or Pidgin Signed English. PSE is a bit of ASL, a bit of SEE, and a bit of family/local sign. When Dani and Diesel sign to Michael and Greg in Into the Dark, they’re usually using PSE.

  •Not all parents of deaf children learn to sign. Studies show that over 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents. Less than 20% of those parents learn to sign, less than 10% with any fluency. Many people are shocked by this. I certainly was. There are a number of reasons for this statistic, however.

  •First and foremost, many doctors tell parents of a deaf child that if they use sign language at home, their child will never speak and will never be ‘normal’.

  •Doctors often urge the use of cochlear implants, a device that converts sound to digital pulses the brain can interpret. Importantly, CI is not a ‘cure’ for deafness. It is an aid, much like a wheelchair or a cane. When a CI user takes off their processor, they are still deaf and will then require alternate means of communication. CIs don’t always work, either, although success rates are high when implanted early. CIs are approved for implantation in children at least one year of age. Finally, CIs are very expensive, the surgery and device running anywhere from $30,000–$50,000. Many families simply can’t afford them. Note: there are still a number of cultural issues around the use of CIs within the Deaf community. It is a very personal decision.

  •Some parents don’t have the means or opportunity to take ASL classes (although anyone with an Internet connection can find instruction).

  •Some, like Michael’s mother in Into the Dark, simply don’t care to learn, or they only learn the ‘discipline’ signs: no, bad, stop, go, come, bed.

  •We adopted a combination approach, learning ASL/SEE and having our daughter implanted with a CI. We’ve always signed, though, starting when she was three weeks old because access to language is a basic human requirement from birth.

  •Not all deaf people speech-read or ‘read lips’. It’s a learned skill and some are better at it than others. Don’t assume a deaf person can speech-read.

  There are so many topics I didn’t even touch on in this book, the biggest of which is Deaf culture. That’s a book all in itself! If you’d like to learn more about these topics and others, I recommend the book For Hearing People Only: Answers to Some of the Most Commonly Asked Questions about the Deaf Community, its Culture, and “Deaf Reality” by Matthew Moore and Linda Levitan.

  All the best and thank you for reading Into the Dark.

  Karen

  Prologue

  Cincinnati, Ohio

  Saturday, 9 March, 1.30 A.M.

  Run. Don’t look back. Just run.

  Michael Rowland clutched Joshua tighter and gritted his teeth against the sharp rocks and twigs digging into his feet. And he ran as fast as he could.

  Blinking away tears, he focused on reaching the end of the driveway, at the bottom of the big hill.

  Get to the road.

  And then? He didn’t know. He’d figure it out when he got there.

  He’d figure it all out when he got there.

  Where is there?

  Shut up. Shut up and run.

  He fought the urge to look behind him. He wasn’t sure if he’d knocked Brewer out or not. Even if he had, the asshole could come to, and the minute he did, he’d be coming after them. Checking to see wouldn’t make a bit of difference. It would only slow them down and make it easier for Brewer to catch them.

  He’ll kill me, Michael thought. Of that he had no doubt. But he’d do worse to Joshua. Joshua, who was only five. So Michael kept running.

  He was approaching the cluster of trees that Joshua called ‘the forest’. At one time it had been an orchard. Now it was totally overgrown. Branches grew every which way and bramble bushes had nearly taken over.

  Damn bramble bushes. Michael’s feet were bleeding now. It doesn’t matter. He ignored the pain, welcoming the cover of the trees. Move. Move.

  He found another burst of speed, ducking under branches, grateful for the agility drills that his coach had made them do. Michael was fast – the fastest on the JV soccer team, even though he’d been the youngest. But he needed to run faster. Please let me be faster.

  The flickering light that marked the end of the driveway was closer now, barely visible through the trees. He’d run about halfway. Another quarter-mile to go.

  He felt the yank on his foot a millisecond before he was pitching forward into the darkness. Airborne.

  Joshua.

  Michael tilted his body at the last moment, hitting the ground on his shoulder. A burst of pain had him swallowing a grunt, the last-minute tilt giving him enough momentum to continue rolling to his back, then around to rest his elbows on the ground, his arms still clutching Joshua tightly.

  He dragged in a breath, blinking as he got his bearings. He hunched over Joshua, in case Brewer had been on their tail. But there were no kicks. No hits.

  Nothing.

  Michael lifted his head and looked around. No one was behind him. It hadn’t been Brewer grabbing his foot. Must have been a tree root.

&
nbsp; Maybe he had knocked Brewer out. The thought filled him with dark satisfaction.

  He glanced down at Joshua. Still asleep. Not dead. Just drugged. He wondered what had been in the syringe the bastard had been injecting him with. Michael said a small prayer of thanks for the extra soda he’d had before bed. If he hadn’t needed to pee, he wouldn’t have been awake to see Brewer plunging a needle into his brother’s arm.

  He frowned at Joshua’s peaceful little face. Should I take him to the hospital? He wasn’t even sure how. He’d have to figure that out too, once he’d gotten them away from Brewer’s house.

  He took another moment to watch his brother’s chest rise and fall. At least he’s not dead.

  When he’d staggered down the stairs, his sight blurry from the punch Brewer had thrown to the side of his head when he’d tried to grab the syringe, he’d seen Brewer carrying Joshua toward the front door. For a terrible minute, he’d thought Joshua was dead. He hadn’t been moving.

  Michael hadn’t hesitated to find out. Whatever Brewer had planned, it wasn’t good. Leaping from the third step onto Brewer’s back, he’d knocked the man down.

  Brewer had released Joshua long enough to punch Michael a second time, this time in the gut. Stumbling backward, Michael had grabbed the iron shovel from the fireplace and swung it with all his might. Brewer had been leaning down to pick up Joshua from the floor when Michael had hit him in the head with the shovel. Brewer had gone down on his knees and Michael had pushed him away from his little brother.

  Who had been breathing. Thank God.

  Then Michael had picked Joshua up and run.

  Wincing at the pain in his shoulder, Michael pushed to his knees, gently settling Joshua on the ground so that he could do a three-sixty search.

  So many times in his life he’d wished he could hear. Never so much as this moment. If Brewer was following, Michael wouldn’t be able to hear a twig breaking or the sound of labored breathing.

  Brewer could be hiding anywhere. Michael didn’t trust the bastard as far as he could throw him.

  Stop wasting time. Get to the road.