All for Her

By McKenna Nichols

Detective Ty Brookfield is trying to find a killer responsible for two vicious murders in less than a week. At the second murder scene, he finds a business card giving him a possible lead. Following the name on the card will introduce him to the one person who can lead him to the murderer and the one person who he can’t help but fall in love with.
Lexy Monroe lives a busy life running a thriving restaurant and organizing charity events. She tells herself she will take a vacation from it all soon and start looking for someone to share her life with. Little does know she know; the past she thought was over, will be coming back to haunt her. Has she found true love with the man who will stop at nothing to save her from becoming the next victim?

• Language: English
• Publisher: McKenna Nichols
• Release date: Sep 19, 2012
• ISBN: 9781301218851

McKenna Nichols

McKenna Nichols was born in Pennsylvania, 1981. Currently McKenna lives in Nevada with her family. She loves to read and started writing to bring her overactive imagination to life. Currently McKenna Nichols has one book available, but she is working on a second one.

Book preview

All for Her

By: McKenna Nichols

Dedication:

This book is dedicated to my wonderful husband for standing by me no matter what.

I would also like to thank everyone who helped along the way.

All for Her

By:

McKenna Nichols

Copyright March 2012

Smashwords Edition

License Notes

All Rights Reserved

All rights reserved as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior permission of McKenna Nichols.

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy.

Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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

First eBook Edition: 2012

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Chapter 1

How long has she been in the water? Detective Ty Brookfield glanced up at his partner, Detective Max Jones, who had walked up on him while he was looking at the body.

The medical examiner thinks maybe three or four days. Her throat was cut and one of her eyes is missing. It’s possible a fish got to her, but it looks like a knife was used to get it out so I think it’s safe to say the perp, who killed her, also took her eye.

Ty felt as disgusted as Max looked. This was the second murder this week and both victims had been mutilated beyond recognition. Ty had seen his share of murders, but the two this week were two of the most gruesome ones he had been assigned to.

They’re going to do the autopsy in the morning so you can go home if you want. I can finish up here. Max’s wife didn’t like when he was called out late so Ty usually took any calls coming in during the night.

That’s okay. Cynthia’s out of town visiting her parents so I’m a free man for a few days.

The young woman’s body had been spotted on Shem Creek by a fisherman who had cast his line too far. He told Ty and Max he had gotten the line stuck in the bushes and instead of cutting the line, he reeled himself to the shore to see if he could untangle it, but discovered the decaying remains of a young woman instead. If the fisherman hadn’t found the body, there’s no telling when she would have been found. There were restaurants and bars along Shem Creek, but the body was further down the deserted bank hidden in the thick brush.

Do you think it’s her? Monday, a young woman named Amber Fitzgerald was reported missing. Her parents called to file the report claiming Amber’s ex-boyfriend was into drugs and they believed he had abducted her. So far Ty and Max hadn’t been able to find the ex-boyfriend to question him.

The victim looks to be the same height and weight and the timing would be right.

Has the ex been located yet?

Not yet. Do you think the boyfriend did it or do you think she was killed by the same perp who killed the other one?

Another young woman’s body, Rachael Smith, was found Sunday on the Isle of Palms. Two teenagers were walking on the beach and when they went under the pier, they found the girl’s remains. Rachael had been shopping at Town Center the day before with friends when she disappeared. Her friends said she had gone to the bathroom and never returned.

If the ex-boyfriend did do it, then he killed Rachael Smith too. Both of their throats were sliced the same way and Rachael’s finger was missing. This one’s missing her eye. My guess, the killer is taking a body part from each victim as souvenirs.

I really hate this job sometimes. Ty couldn’t agree with Max more. He loved what he did for a living, but cases like these were always hard to deal with. An innocent person dying was one thing Ty knew he would never be able to get used to.

Ty walked along the bank, careful not to step on any evidence along the way. He shined his flashlight on the ground looking for anything that might help them catch the person responsible for these horrific crimes. So far, they had very little evidence to go off of from either of the crime scenes. The killer was extremely careful not to leave any trace of himself behind.

The flashlight beam caught a dark object at the very edge of the bank. I think I found something. Can you hand me a pair of gloves?

Max caught up with him and handed him a pair of latex gloves. Ty put them on and bent down to pick up the object he had seen. Once he had it in his hands, he realized it was a woman’s wallet. He opened it up to find it empty except for a driver’s license.

What is it?

The vic’s wallet. Credit cards and money are missing, but the victim’s driver’s license is in here.

Fitzgerald?

Yeah. It’s like the killer wanted us to know who she was right away.

It’s a game to him. Was there anything at the other crime scene that seemed odd or didn’t look like it belonged?

Other than a mutilated woman’s body? Not that I recall. I’ll look at the notes back at the station in case I’m forgetting anything.

We should take another trip out to the crime scene in case we missed anything.

"Only problem is the body was found close to the water. High tide could have taken any evidence there might have been out to sea.

It’s worth a shot.

Ty was about to close the wallet when he saw another piece of paper sticking in one of the slots. Wait a second, there’s something else in here.

Anything that could help catch this guy?

Not sure yet. Ty pulled out the paper which turned out to be a business card. Ever heard of Lexy Monroe?

The name sounds familiar for some reason. You think she could have done this?

I doubt she’s our killer. Who leaves their business card after taking everything else from the wallet right after they’ve killed someone? If this guy is playing a game with us, he might be telling us who he is going after next. After we meet with the captain in the morning, let’s try to locate her.

Lexy could not remember the last time she had a good night’s sleep. Her body was aching from the sheer exhaustion of her busy life. The restaurant was getting busier every day and they had been booked full with reservations this evening even on a normally quiet Thursday night.

Besides the restaurant, her fundraiser for the local children’s hospital was next week and the last minute preparations were pulling her in a thousand different directions. She was also supposed to be a judge at the annual Taste of Charleston, held at Boone Hall Plantation in Mt. Pleasant, the day after her fundraiser. When was she going to stop agreeing to help out with events when her schedule was already jam packed?

Pulling into her driveway, Lexy began to relax. No matter how busy or long her days were, she could always find comfort and relaxation when she got home. Her house was located in Mt. Pleasant and it was less than ten minutes from the beach. She could be to the restaurant in twenty if the traffic wasn’t bad. Mt Pleasant had grown tremendously in the past few years and the traffic seemed to increase more every day, but Lexy had lived her whole life in this town and she could not imagine living anywhere else.

Lexy’s house was two stories with a two car garage and a large front yard. Directly behind her property was a small pond. She had gone through a lot in the last few years and her house reminded her of everything she had overcame and accomplished in her life.

About two years ago, Lexy was in a car accident and she had received a large sum of money from the driver’s family who had hit her. She used part of the money to start her restaurant and the rest funded all of the charities and fundraisers she worked on. Her restaurant had been a success from the beginning and six months ago, Lexy bought her first house.

Unlocking her front door, Lexy walked inside sighing in relief she because was finally home. She walked into her office on the left which sat behind a pair of stained glass French doors. She set her briefcase and purse on the desk before heading to the kitchen. Her house was much larger than she needed, but when she had been searching for houses, Lexy had fallen in love with this one the minute she walked through the front door.

When you walked into the house, the office was on the left and a dining room on the right. There was a staircase between the two leading to the second story. Past the staircase was a large living room and to the right of it was the gourmet kitchen she had always dreamed of having. In the living room, there was a door leading to a screened in porch out back. Sometimes, Lexy would sit on the porch overlooking the pond, enjoying the peaceful southern nights.

Lexy grabbed a glass of water before heading upstairs to bed. There were three bedrooms on the second floor and hers was the one behind two double doors to the left of the stairs. The other two were across the hallway; one which had been turned into a guest bedroom and the other one had all of her exercise equipment in it. There was another room at the opposite end of the hallway built over the garage. There she had put a pool table, dart board and a couch so when friends came over, they had a place to hang out. Lexy could not imagine another house making her feel as comfortable as this one.

Opening the doors to her bedroom, Lexy looked around the room. She purchased a king size bed last month, not because she had anyone to share it with, but she needed to fill her large bedroom with something. Her walk-in closet was huge and since she enjoyed shopping, she had plenty of room to put everything. There was a fireplace on the far wall so Lexy bought an overstuffed chair and ottoman to sit beside it. Usually, she would sit there and read for a little bit before going to bed. Not tonight though. Tonight she was going to get some well-deserved sleep. She yawned and walked into her bathroom to wash her face.

Her bathroom was larger than her last apartment; maybe not quite that large, but to Lexy the bathroom was huge. There was a granite shower with a frosted glass enclosure and a jetted spa tub to the right of it. Two sinks lined one of the decorative tiled walls and the toilet was in its own room. As she walked back into the bedroom, Lexy noticed it was already three in the morning.

She finished getting ready for bed and climbed beneath the covers. Pushing all thoughts out of her head, she fell asleep within minutes. Everything she had to do could wait until tomorrow. Tomorrow she would begin another hectic day, but tonight she was going to try to get the rest she desperately needed.

All of the lights in the house were turned off. Lexy must be sleeping. He knew she was home since her car was in the driveway. He wanted nothing more than to go to her now and take her into his arms. It was too soon and he knew he would have to wait. He had more to do before he could get her and make her his. Everything had to be perfect and she had to know how much he loved her and what he was willing to do for her.

The love he had for her grew more every day. He knew she would feel the same way about him. If not right away, he knew eventually she would. If not, he would make sure she couldn’t be with anyone else. Her not returning his love was not an option. He had been planning this for a long time and now the time had finally come to make his move.

It won’t be long my love. Soon we will be together and you will love me for everything I have done for you. Sweet dreams Lexy. I’ll see you soon. He placed a box in her mailbox before getting back into his car. Looking around, he did not see anyone peering through their windows so he was sure no one had seen him. No one would be getting in his way and if they did, he would make sure they were taken care of. Nothing would keep him from the woman he has loved for so many years.

Chapter 2

Lexy looked over at the clock and saw it was only five-thirty. Two and a half lousy hours; so much for sleeping in for once.

Realizing she was talking to an empty room, Lexy groaned and decided to get up despite the early time. She knew she would not be able to fall back asleep no matter how long she laid there. Maybe she should get a dog; at least then she would have someone to talk to, but she knew her long hours would keep her away from the house and it wouldn’t be fair for a dog to be home alone all day. Like most of her ideas, Lexy quickly dismissed that one.

Lexy grabbed a pair of shorts and a tank top to change into and worked out for the next hour. When she was done, she went downstairs to start a pot of coffee. While the coffee brewed, Lexy went back upstairs and took a long refreshing shower. She brushed her teeth and spent about ten minutes looking for an outfit to wear. She eventually decided on a skirt and top that showed off her lean body.

Looking in the mirror, Lexy noticed she had lost weight again. Staring at her reflection, she tried to remember the last time she had eaten. All of her running around these days had her mind going a thousand different directions and there were days she would miss a meal or two due to meetings and busy times at the restaurant. Realizing she hadn’t eaten since lunch yesterday, she all of a sudden felt extremely hungry. Lexy knew she needed to take better care of herself. She owned a restaurant and she still managed to forget to eat.

Things would calm down soon and Lexy could begin to focus on herself again. After next week, she didn’t have any more events lined up for at least two months. She would definitely be taking a vacation sometime during that time. She could have her sister-in law watch over the restaurant for a few days so that she could rest in a tropical location. Just thinking about a vacation relieved some of her built up stress.

Lexy decided on making some hard boiled eggs for breakfast. Not exactly the full meal she should be eating, but despite her hunger it was the only thing appealing to her at the moment. She poured herself a cup of coffee and put a pot of water with two eggs in it on the stove to begin boiling. While she waited, Lexy decided to grab her mail from the mailbox. It had been a few days since she checked it and since she had everything for the restaurant sent to the house, it was probably jammed full.

Sure enough, the mailbox was filled to the top. Lexy decided she would give the postman a gift certificate to the restaurant for having to