Never Again (A May Moore Suspense Thriller—Book 6)

By Blake Pierce

From #1 bestselling mystery and suspense author Blake Pierce comes a gripping new series: May Moore, 29, an average Midwestern woman and deputy sheriff, has always lived in the shadow of her older, brilliant FBI agent sister. Yet the sisters are united by the cold case of their missing younger sister—and when a new serial killer strikes in May’s quiet, Minnesota lakeside town, it is May’s turn to prove herself, to try to outshine her sister and the FBI, and, in this action-packed thriller, to outwit and hunt down a diabolical killer before he strikes again.

“A masterpiece of thriller and mystery.”
—Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)

After a local manhunt for a missing woman, a pack of cadaver dogs lead police to the source.

But when the dogs unearth body after body, May soon realizes she has stumbled upon a burial mound—and is up against a serial killer for more deadly than anyone could have imagined.

With time running out, can May find him—before he finds her first?

A page-turning and harrowing crime thriller featuring a brilliant and tortured Deputy Sheriff, the MAY MOORE series is a riveting mystery, packed with non-stop action, suspense, jaw-dropping twists, and driven by a breakneck pace that will keep you flipping pages late into the night.

Future books in the series will be available soon!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Blake Pierce
• Release date: Aug 30, 2022
• ISBN: 9781094376707

Book preview

cover.jpg

N E V E R

A G A I N

(A May Moore Suspense Thriller—Book Six)

B L A K E   P I E R C E

Blake Pierce

Blake Pierce is the USA Today bestselling author of the RILEY PAGE mystery series, which includes seventeen books. Blake Pierce is also the author of the MACKENZIE WHITE mystery series, comprising fourteen books; of the AVERY BLACK mystery series, comprising six books; of the KERI LOCKE mystery series, comprising five books; of the MAKING OF RILEY PAIGE mystery series, comprising six books; of the KATE WISE mystery series, comprising seven books; of the CHLOE FINE psychological suspense mystery, comprising six books; of the JESSE HUNT psychological suspense thriller series, comprising twenty-four books; of the AU PAIR psychological suspense thriller series, comprising three books; of the ZOE PRIME mystery series, comprising six books; of the ADELE SHARP mystery series, comprising sixteen books, of the EUROPEAN VOYAGE cozy mystery series, comprising four books; of the new LAURA FROST FBI suspense thriller, comprising nine books (and counting); of the new ELLA DARK FBI suspense thriller, comprising eleven books (and counting); of the A YEAR IN EUROPE cozy mystery series, comprising nine books, of the AVA GOLD mystery series, comprising six books (and counting); of the RACHEL GIFT mystery series, comprising six books (and counting); of the VALERIE LAW mystery series, comprising nine books (and counting); of the PAIGE KING mystery series, comprising six books (and counting); of the MAY MOORE mystery series, comprising six books (and counting); of the CORA SHIELDS mystery series, comprising three books (and counting); and of the NICKY LYONS mystery series, comprising three books (and counting).

An avid reader and lifelong fan of the mystery and thriller genres, Blake loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.blakepierceauthor.com to learn more and stay in touch.

img1.png

Copyright © 2022 by Blake Pierce. All rights reserved. Except 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 the author. 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 return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Jacket image Copyright Gregory A. Pozhvanov under license from Shutterstock.com.

BOOKS BY BLAKE PIERCE

NICKY LYONS MYSTERY SERIES

ALL MINE (Book #1)

ALL HIS (Book #2)

ALL HE SEES (Book #3)

CORA SHIELDS MYSTERY SERIES

UNDONE (Book #1)

UNWANTED (Book #2)

UNHINGED (Book #3)

MAY MOORE SUSPENSE THRILLER

NEVER RUN (Book #1)

NEVER TELL (Book #2)

NEVER LIVE (Book #3)

NEVER HIDE (Book #4)

NEVER FORGIVE (Book #5)

NEVER AGAIN (Book #6)

PAIGE KING MYSTERY SERIES

THE GIRL HE PINED (Book #1)

THE GIRL HE CHOSE (Book #2)

THE GIRL HE TOOK (Book #3)

THE GIRL HE WISHED (Book #4)

THE GIRL HE CROWNED (Book #5)

THE GIRL HE WATCHED (Book #6)

VALERIE LAW MYSTERY SERIES

NO MERCY (Book #1)

NO PITY (Book #2)

NO FEAR (Book #3)

NO SLEEP (Book #4)

NO QUARTER (Book #5)

NO CHANCE (Book #6)

NO REFUGE (Book #7)

NO GRACE (Book #8)

NO ESCAPE (Book #9)

RACHEL GIFT MYSTERY SERIES

HER LAST WISH (Book #1)

HER LAST CHANCE (Book #2)

HER LAST HOPE (Book #3)

HER LAST FEAR (Book #4)

HER LAST CHOICE (Book #5)

HER LAST BREATH (Book #6)

HER LAST MISTAKE (Book #7)

HER LAST DESIRE (Book #8)

AVA GOLD MYSTERY SERIES

CITY OF PREY (Book #1)

CITY OF FEAR (Book #2)

CITY OF BONES (Book #3)

CITY OF GHOSTS (Book #4)

CITY OF DEATH (Book #5)

CITY OF VICE (Book #6)

A YEAR IN EUROPE

A MURDER IN PARIS (Book #1)

DEATH IN FLORENCE (Book #2)

VENGEANCE IN VIENNA (Book #3)

A FATALITY IN SPAIN (Book #4)

ELLA DARK FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

GIRL, ALONE (Book #1)

GIRL, TAKEN (Book #2)

GIRL, HUNTED (Book #3)

GIRL, SILENCED (Book #4)

GIRL, VANISHED (Book 5)

GIRL ERASED (Book #6)

GIRL, FORSAKEN (Book #7)

GIRL, TRAPPED (Book #8)

GIRL, EXPENDABLE (Book #9)

GIRL, ESCAPED (Book #10)

GIRL, HIS (Book #11)

LAURA FROST FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

ALREADY GONE (Book #1)

ALREADY SEEN (Book #2)

ALREADY TRAPPED (Book #3)

ALREADY MISSING (Book #4)

ALREADY DEAD (Book #5)

ALREADY TAKEN (Book #6)

ALREADY CHOSEN (Book #7)

ALREADY LOST (Book #8)

ALREADY HIS (Book #9)

EUROPEAN VOYAGE COZY MYSTERY SERIES

MURDER (AND BAKLAVA) (Book #1)

DEATH (AND APPLE STRUDEL) (Book #2)

CRIME (AND LAGER) (Book #3)

MISFORTUNE (AND GOUDA) (Book #4)

CALAMITY (AND A DANISH) (Book #5)

MAYHEM (AND HERRING) (Book #6)

ADELE SHARP MYSTERY SERIES

LEFT TO DIE (Book #1)

LEFT TO RUN (Book #2)

LEFT TO HIDE (Book #3)

LEFT TO KILL (Book #4)

LEFT TO MURDER (Book #5)

LEFT TO ENVY (Book #6)

LEFT TO LAPSE (Book #7)

LEFT TO VANISH (Book #8)

LEFT TO HUNT (Book #9)

LEFT TO FEAR (Book #10)

LEFT TO PREY (Book #11)

LEFT TO LURE (Book #12)

LEFT TO CRAVE (Book #13)

LEFT TO LOATHE (Book #14)

LEFT TO HARM (Book #15)

LEFT TO RUIN (Book #16)

THE AU PAIR SERIES

ALMOST GONE (Book#1)

ALMOST LOST (Book #2)

ALMOST DEAD (Book #3)

ZOE PRIME MYSTERY SERIES

FACE OF DEATH (Book#1)

FACE OF MURDER (Book #2)

FACE OF FEAR (Book #3)

FACE OF MADNESS (Book #4)

FACE OF FURY (Book #5)

FACE OF DARKNESS (Book #6)

A JESSIE HUNT PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE SERIES

THE PERFECT WIFE (Book #1)

THE PERFECT BLOCK (Book #2)

THE PERFECT HOUSE (Book #3)

THE PERFECT SMILE (Book #4)

THE PERFECT LIE (Book #5)

THE PERFECT LOOK (Book #6)

THE PERFECT AFFAIR (Book #7)

THE PERFECT ALIBI (Book #8)

THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR (Book #9)

THE PERFECT DISGUISE (Book #10)

THE PERFECT SECRET (Book #11)

THE PERFECT FAÇADE (Book #12)

THE PERFECT IMPRESSION (Book #13)

THE PERFECT DECEIT (Book #14)

THE PERFECT MISTRESS (Book #15)

THE PERFECT IMAGE (Book #16)

THE PERFECT VEIL (Book #17)

THE PERFECT INDISCRETION (Book #18)

THE PERFECT RUMOR (Book #19)

THE PERFECT COUPLE (Book #20)

THE PERFECT MURDER (Book #21)

THE PERFECT HUSBAND (Book #22)

THE PERFECT SCANDAL (Book #23)

THE PERFECT MASK (Book #24)

CHLOE FINE PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE SERIES

NEXT DOOR (Book #1)

A NEIGHBOR’S LIE (Book #2)

CUL DE SAC (Book #3)

SILENT NEIGHBOR (Book #4)

HOMECOMING (Book #5)

TINTED WINDOWS (Book #6)

KATE WISE MYSTERY SERIES

IF SHE KNEW (Book #1)

IF SHE SAW (Book #2)

IF SHE RAN (Book #3)

IF SHE HID (Book #4)

IF SHE FLED (Book #5)

IF SHE FEARED (Book #6)

IF SHE HEARD (Book #7)

THE MAKING OF RILEY PAIGE SERIES

WATCHING (Book #1)

WAITING (Book #2)

LURING (Book #3)

TAKING (Book #4)

STALKING (Book #5)

KILLING (Book #6)

RILEY PAIGE MYSTERY SERIES

ONCE GONE (Book #1)

ONCE TAKEN (Book #2)

ONCE CRAVED (Book #3)

ONCE LURED (Book #4)

ONCE HUNTED (Book #5)

ONCE PINED (Book #6)

ONCE FORSAKEN (Book #7)

ONCE COLD (Book #8)

ONCE STALKED (Book #9)

ONCE LOST (Book #10)

ONCE BURIED (Book #11)

ONCE BOUND (Book #12)

ONCE TRAPPED (Book #13)

ONCE DORMANT (Book #14)

ONCE SHUNNED (Book #15)

ONCE MISSED (Book #16)

ONCE CHOSEN (Book #17)

MACKENZIE WHITE MYSTERY SERIES

BEFORE HE KILLS (Book #1)

BEFORE HE SEES (Book #2)

BEFORE HE COVETS (Book #3)

BEFORE HE TAKES (Book #4)

BEFORE HE NEEDS (Book #5)

BEFORE HE FEELS (Book #6)

BEFORE HE SINS (Book #7)

BEFORE HE HUNTS (Book #8)

BEFORE HE PREYS (Book #9)

BEFORE HE LONGS (Book #10)

BEFORE HE LAPSES (Book #11)

BEFORE HE ENVIES (Book #12)

BEFORE HE STALKS (Book #13)

BEFORE HE HARMS (Book #14)

AVERY BLACK MYSTERY SERIES

CAUSE TO KILL (Book #1)

CAUSE TO RUN (Book #2)

CAUSE TO HIDE (Book #3)

CAUSE TO FEAR (Book #4)

CAUSE TO SAVE (Book #5)

CAUSE TO DREAD (Book #6)

KERI LOCKE MYSTERY SERIES

A TRACE OF DEATH (Book #1)

A TRACE OF MURDER (Book #2)

A TRACE OF VICE (Book #3)

A TRACE OF CRIME (Book #4)

A TRACE OF HOPE (Book #5)

CONTENTS

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

CHAPTER THIRTY

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

CHAPTER THIRTY TWO

EPILOGUE

PROLOGUE

Come on, Indiana. K-9 officer Rolf Coombes clapped his hands as the golden Labrador sprang out of the police truck, tail wagging. A dog with a high work ethic and energy level, Indiana was looking forward to his task, even though most people would find it gory at best, blood-chilling at worst.

Rolf fastened the dog's leash onto the harness, and walked over to the small group of people that stood on the grassy hill a few yards from the road.

On this bright, late summer day, the peaceful environment with the views of Indian Lake nearby and the forest across the fields, seemed at odds with the purpose of their mission, Rolf thought. This small town of Lakeside surely was one of the most scenic places in Tamarack County.

It seemed a pity that they were here for such a serious, in fact, heartbreaking job. They were here to try and track down any trace of a missing person, a twenty-two-year-old woman from Lakeside, Lily Gregory, who'd been gone for more than two weeks.

And now, after all other scenarios had been explored, her family had to face the grim possibility that she'd been the victim of foul play.

Rolf walked over to join the group of other people, which included two police officers from Lakeside, two volunteer civilians from the same community, and Mr. Gregory, the father of the missing woman.

Thank you for coming out here. Rolf thought Mr. Gregory looked pale and stressed, as if he hadn't slept nearly enough in the past two weeks.

I hope we can provide some answers, sir. I'm Officer Coombes and this is Indiana.

He wasn't going to give the cadaver dog's nickname, Indiana Bones. Not in front of the father of the missing woman. It would be insensitive.

Sometimes, you needed gallows humor to get through the hard job of identifying victims by having these highly trained dogs sniff out human remains in the area.

The Labrador sat obediently, tail wagging cheerfully. Indiana Bones loved to work, and lived to get results. Even if results meant finding old bones, dumped bodies, and the hint of rotting or decomposed flesh in the area, so subtle or deeply buried as to be invisible to the human nose.

Lily Gregory was definitely seen getting off a bus on the corner of Creek Road. The police officer pointed to the road, where Rolf could see a couple of vehicles driving through the summer haze. But she never made it home. We've searched the town, the woods. We even searched the old barns in the area. But no trace of Lily. What we've done so far hasn't worked.

Understood, sir, Rolf said.

So, now, we're wondering - was she murdered? And if so, could she have been dumped somewhere nearby? the officer asked.

Rolf nodded solemnly, seeing how Mr. Gregory paled at the thought, making a visible effort to hold himself together.

Indiana is one of our best and most hardworking dogs, he said. We're going to search the wider area and see if he picks up anything. We'll let you know the results as soon as we can, but it might take a while. He fixed his eyes on the father’s face, wanting him to know that he would do whatever it took to find answers for him.

The stressed looking man nodded. Thank you.

Okay, Indiana, let's go. Rolf turned and walked up the grassy slope, toward the trees.

Once there, he turned to the dog, unfastened the leash, and gave the command to search. The Labrador bounded off the grass and started to run, his long tail wagging enthusiastically.

Rolf knew that this was likely to take a while. The area between the bus stop and the farm where the Gregory family lived, which was demarcated on the map he had with him, spanned a couple of miles. The lake bordered the dirt road, and there were a couple of trails that cut through the nearby forest and on through the fields beyond.

It always seemed somehow dissonant to Rolf when he was asked to search such an idyllic area. But he knew that it was in these remote locations that bodies were dumped. Although he and Indiana did their fair share of work in old warehouses, in drains and construction sites and abandoned buildings, the truth of it was that when most people wanted to hide a body, they drove out of town.

He knew that Indiana was a thorough dog, who would cast around an area, picking up the scent, and would then check carefully before being ready to move on to the next. This dog would not miss a detail.

But, to his surprise, this time when he let Indiana go, the dog barely hesitated. Purposeful and focused, he set off at a run, veering away from the woods.

Concerned by this unusual behavior, Rolf jogged after him, watching as Indiana made his way unerringly along the narrow, winding path that led through a grassy field and into a low-lying meadow, one that Rolf had noticed from the road, because it was a riot of color.

The green meadow, with long, un-mowed grass, was filled with summer flowers, blooming in their pinks, whites, reds, and yellows.

He stopped abruptly, staring in surprise as Indiana Bones gave the signal that he had sniffed out remains.

The dog sat down and barked once.

Human remains? There? So close to the road? And picked up so fast?

The dog was trained to know the difference between human and animal corpses and never once had he made a mistake. But even so, Rolf felt surprised as he ran down to join him.

A body - dumped or buried in the meadow?

As he approached and looked more closely in the corner of the meadow, Rolf saw the ground looked churned up. The grass and flowers were growing over humps and bumps in the soil, but concealed among the blossoms, he saw traces of raw earth that made his spine prickle at what it signified. So this was a shallow grave, for sure, but more importantly, a recent one.

He felt a pang of apprehension. Just a couple of miles from the Gregory farmhouse, and clearly so freshly buried, it could well be that Indiana Bones had discovered their daughter's murder.

And then, to his astonishment, Indiana Bones stood up. He walked a few paces, nose to the ground.

Then he sat and barked again.

Rolf's eyes narrowed in astonishment. A second body? His dog was well trained to sniff out multiple corpses, but he’d never had the opportunity to put this particular skillset into practice before.

Had this killer used the site as a dumping ground previously?

Perplexed, he approached, and then his eyes widened as the dog did the same again. He moved a few more paces, this time to an area where the grass and flowers grew thickly, and there he stopped, sat, and barked once more.

You sure, boy? Rolf asked in a soft, disbelieving voice.

Arriving at the scene, now perspiring with anxiety, Rolf took in the details as the dog signaled yet again. The earth below was well hidden by the overgrowth of grass, the riot of summer flowers. But all the same, it