Girl Without a Trace (A Tara Strong Mystery—Book 3)

By Rylie Dark

When a B&B owner in a small mountain town is found dead, suspects abound, and it falls to Deputy Sheriff Tara Strong to crack the case. But when another victim shows up, Tara soon realizes this case is far more complex—and shocking—than it seems, and time is running short before this killer strikes again.

“A brilliant book. I couldn’t put it down and I never guessed who the murderer was!”
—Reader review for Only Murder
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GIRL WITHOUT A TRACE is book #3 in a new series by #1 bestselling and critically acclaimed mystery and suspense author Rylie Dark, whose books have received over 2,000 five-star reviews and ratings.

Tara Strong has risen to become her county’s Deputy Sheriff through her bravery and her brilliant capacity to enter a killer’s minds. Small-town life in the mountains, centered around their picturesque lake, should be idyllic. But Tara has already seen enough to know that there is a dark side to everything, that small towns hide secrets, that everyone has something in their past—and that a killer may just be lurking right next door.

Tara remains haunted by her own past, by her missing sister, by her guilt over the unsolved case. She must battle the demons of her own past, while trying to get ahead in a male-dominated police force.

Can Tara keep it together long enough to catch a killer?

A cat-and-mouse thriller with harrowing twists and turns and filled with heart-pounding suspense, the TARA STRONG mystery series offers a fresh twist on the genre as it introduces two brilliant protagonists who will make you fall in love and keep you turning pages late into the night.

Books #4 and #5—GIRL WITHOUT A NAME and GIRL WITHOUT A PRAYER—are also available.

“I loved this thriller, read it in one sitting. Lots of twists and turns and I didn’t guess the
culprit at all… Already pre-ordered the second!”
—Reader review for Only Murder
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“This book takes off with a bang… An excellent read, and I'm looking forward to the next book!”
—Reader review for SEE HER RUN
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“Fantastic book! It was hard to put down. I can’t wait to see what happens next!”
—Reader review for SEE HER RUN
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“The twists and turns kept coming. Can't wait to read the next book!”
—Reader review for SEE HER RUN
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“A must-read if you enjoy action-packed stories with good plots!”
—Reader review for SEE HER RUN
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“I really like this author and this series starts with a bang. It will keep you turning the pages till the end of the book and wanting more.”
—Reader review for SEE HER RUN
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I can't say enough about this author! How about ‘out of this world’! This author is going to go far!”
—Reader review for ONLY MURDER
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I really enjoyed this book… The characters were alive, and the twists and turns were great. It will keep you reading till the end and leave you wanting more.”
—Reader review for NO WAY OUT
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“This is an author that I highly recommend. Her books will have you begging for more.”
—Reader review for NO WAY OUT
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rylie Dark
• Release date: May 16, 2023
• ISBN: 9781094380230

Book preview

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G I R L  W I T H O U T  A  T R A C E

(A Tara Strong Mystery—Book 3)

R y l i e   D a r k

Rylie Dark

Bestselling author Rylie Dark is author of the SADIE PRICE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising six books (and counting); of the CARLY SEE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising six books (and counting); of the MIA NORTH FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising six books (and counting); of the MORGAN STARK FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising five books (and counting); of the HAILEY ROCK FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising five books (and counting); of the TARA STRONG MYSTERY series, comprising five books (and counting); and of the ALEX QUINN SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising five books (and counting).

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

Copyright © 2023 by Rylie Dark. 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 Mattia Dierickx, used under license from Shutterstock.com.

BOOKS BY RYLIE DARK

ALEX QUINN SUSPENSE THRILLER

FIRST, MURDER (Book #1)

SECOND, DEATH (Book #2)

THIRD, ENVY (Book #3)

FOURTH, LUST (Book #4)

FIFTH, WRATH (Book #5)

TARA STRONG MYSTERY

GIRL WITHOUT A CHANCE (Book #1)

GIRL WITHOUT A HOME (Book #2)

GIRL WITHOUT A TRACE (Book #3)

GIRL WITHOUT A NAME (Book #4)

GIRL WITHOUT A PRAYER (Book #5)

HAILEY ROCK FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

BEHIND YOU (Book #1)

BESIDE YOU (Book #2)

AFTER YOU (Book #3)

WATCHING YOU (Book #4)

JUDGING YOU (Book #5)

SADIE PRICE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

ONLY MURDER (Book #1)

ONLY RAGE (Book #2)

ONLY HIS (Book #3)

ONLY ONCE (Book #4)

ONLY SPITE (Book #5)

ONLY MADNESS (Book #6)

MIA NORTH FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

SEE HER RUN (Book #1)

SEE HER HIDE (Book #2)

SEE HER SCREAM (Book #3)

SEE HER VANISH (Book #4)

SEE HER GONE (Book #5)

SEE HER DEAD (Book #6)

CARLY SEE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

NO WAY OUT (Book #1)

NO WAY BACK (Book #2)

NO WAY HOME (Book #3)

NO WAY LEFT (Book #4)

NO WAY UP (Book #5)

NO WAY TO DIE (Book #6)

MORGAN STARK FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

TOO LATE (Book #1)

TOO CLOSE (Book #2)

TOO FAR GONE (Book #3)

TOO LOST (Book #4)

TOO BROKEN (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

PROLOGUE

Ian stretched and opened the curtains, taking a moment to let the golden light illuminate the fact that he wasn’t at home. No, he was in a beautifully appointed guest room where he’d slept on wonderfully soft pillows, with a warm and cozy comforter thrown over himself.

What a beautiful day, he murmured, watching the sunlight streaming across a gorgeous view of the lake with mountains in the distance. He’d woken up on his own, without an alarm blaring in his ear, and he felt well-rested and calm.

It was breakfast time downstairs, and he didn’t want to miss it – the breakfasts were one of the highlights of staying in bed-and-breakfasts, as he knew well from long experience.

Ian tweaked his bowtie as he stepped outside of his room, making sure it was on straight. There weren’t any other temporary guests, or so he had been informed last night, but he wanted to make a good impression on his hostess. There was a chance, too, that he might bump into one of her regular lodgers.

He walked down the stairs, listening keenly for the sound of dishes clattering or food packets opening from downstairs, but there was nothing – not even gentle music piped in from hidden speakers to lighten the mood. Ian remembered the location of the breakfast room from his quick tour the night before, and he made his way there, glancing to either side for a glimpse of his host.

She wasn’t behind the front desk, or anywhere in the breakfast room – but she had laid out a great spread on the table, and Ian sat down to help himself with gusto. Fresh and still slightly warm croissants in a basket, with butter and various preserves in small jars; freshly squeezed orange juice and almost a full pot of coffee, various individually-sized packets of cereals set out on the side table, with a pitcher of milk, apples, oranges, and bananas in a fruit bowl, and, next to an old-fashioned pale yellow toaster there was a whole loaf of bread to which guests were invited to help themselves by a small printed sign.

Ian chewed on his croissant happily, waiting for a slice of toast to pop out and selecting a ripe-looking banana. Yes, this was the kind of spread that you expected in a quality B&B. He looked out of the window and drifted away with the view. There was hardly anyone around; with kids back at school or college, most vacationers avoided this late week in September. It was quiet out on the lake this morning, the very breeze itself seeming hushed, like the world was holding its breath.

For what, he wondered?

Ian finished his last bite and dusted off his hands, looking around. It was a little strange that the host hadn’t appeared; she had been so friendly last night. The friendliness was part of the service, too, wasn’t it? He’d expected a lively regalement of the things one could see and do by the lake this morning, as well as perhaps some scheduled activities that he could take part in.

Ian patted his mouth with a napkin and then dropped it on the table, disappointed. Perhaps she didn’t want to put in so much effort, since she only had one new guest today. If that was the case, he would be almost offended.

Perhaps he needed to seek her out himself.

Where would she be? He stood and poked his head into the kitchen, but it was empty; there were things left out on the counters which had obviously been used to put the breakfast spread together, but no sign of anyone there using them. The front desk was still deserted.

Ian glanced up the stairs, wondering. He was going to have to check out soon, and she was nowhere to be seen. Was she, perhaps, still asleep? He didn’t know which room she stayed in.

A little peek at the guest book wouldn’t hurt, would it? She would probably have one of the rooms permanently blocked out. Or perhaps he could see if one of the numbered room keys was missing and go in search of her there.

Ian stepped behind the front desk, glancing around to make sure he wasn’t being watched and –

He screamed, a short, shrill little scream that made him jump back, gasping for breath.

H-hello? he tried, but deep inside, he already knew.

The host was not going to answer him.

The stain of blood, already darkening as it dried, in the carpet around her body told him she was never going to serve another customer again.

She was dead.

CHAPTER ONE

Tara moved her hands on the steering wheel. Guess we’ll turn in, she said, as the car moved slowly towards the sheriff’s office, the mountain looming larger in her windshield.

Glenn cleared his throat. Guess so, he agreed. There wasn’t much more to say, really. The patrol was over. They could sit behind their desks for a while until it was their turn to patrol again – unless something came in over the radio.

Tara was almost begging for something to come in over the radio.

Not anything major, of course. She didn’t want anyone hurt or seriously affected. Maybe one of their minor callouts, like a lonely older person who just wanted company and pretended they’d seen something in their backyard. Those were often tedious, but at least there was usually some form of free cake.

At least there would be another person between her and Glenn who could try to make conversation.

Tara pulled into the parking lot and headed for her usual space, trying desperately to think of something to say. She hated this. It had never been awkward like this between them before. But ever since Glenn had admitted his feelings for her and she’d knocked him back, it was like he was afraid to say more than three words at a time. Maybe he thought she would read too much into them and get mad at him.

She didn’t know what was worse: pretending nothing had happened and just having things be awkward, or having it happen again and needing to let him down a second time.

Of course, a sneaky voice in the back of her head murmured, she didn’t necessarily have to turn him down a second time.

How’s your sister? Glenn asked suddenly as she put the car in park.

Tara glanced sideways at him. Jessy? She’s fine, she replied. Jessy Strong, sheriff of the neighboring Canto Rodado County, had come in to help out with their most recent big case a few weeks ago. It was probably natural for Glenn to ask after her now they’d actually met.

That’s cool, Glenn said.

Tara looked at him to try to figure out what he was asking her for – just to be polite, or something else? But Glenn wasn’t looking back at her. He was looking down at his cell phone, a light smile tracing over his face under his dark, curly hair. He glanced up when he felt her eyes on him and quickly tucked the phone back into his pocket, giving her a much more cursory smile and reaching to unbuckle his seatbelt.

Tara got out of the car too, struggling to find some kind of balance with this new Glenn. Not only was it awkward that neither of them wanted to address the elephant in the room, and not only was small talk suddenly somehow much more difficult to come by, but he was also distracted most of the time. Maybe he was just looking at his phone so he could pretend the awkward silences weren’t so big or so long.

Again, a traitorous voice in Tara’s brain reminded her that it didn’t need to be this way. That she could have the old Glenn back. All she had to do was tell him she’d changed her mind and she would give him a shot.

But then, her heart replied, what if she lost him because he put himself in harm’s way for her?

Like, really lost him? The kind that you couldn’t learn to small talk your way through? Even though she knew somehow that it wasn’t the most rational thought process in the world, she couldn’t help but flash back to all the times Glenn had put himself in danger for her. If he moved on, fell in love with someone else, then maybe he wouldn’t risk his life like that anymore. Maybe he would be safe. She’d already lost a sister – she couldn’t bear to see Glenn die because of her.

Or what if they tried a relationship and just found that they weren’t compatible anyway – and it ruined their friendship so utterly that they could never work together again? Glenn was one of the few people in the world Tara could trust to have her back. Could she really risk losing that?

I’ll let the next team know to head out, Tara said, making her way right towards the sheriff’s office instead of waiting for him. He was looking at his phone again, resting on the side of the patrol car and half-laughing at something on the screen. Judging by the way his fingers flew over it, some kind of message.

Nope, she wasn’t going to pry.

Tara pushed open the double doors at the front of the station and stepped inside, flashing a smile and a nod at Tracy, their exuberant receptionist. She was about to carry on walking down the hall to her desk, but Tracy put out an overdramatic arm – several large bangles rattling and crashing together as she did so – to stop her.

Tara! she exclaimed. Tracy was not good at using titles unless Sheriff Braddock was there to remind her. She slipped in and out of familiarity and the more appropriate formality all the time, but Tara didn’t care enough to call her out on it. So what if she called her by her first name? They’d known each other and worked together long enough to be on first-name terms. "Oh gosh, you want to rush in there now. We just got an urgent call. I’m sure the sheriff will want you in there right away!"

Tara raised an eyebrow and glanced behind her. Glenn was finally catching up. Thanks, she told Tracy, rushing forward – not bothering to tell the overexcited and wide-eyed older woman that the interruption had delayed her entrance to the office, not hastened it.

Once Tara passed through the other set of doors, the ones that led to all their desks, the atmosphere was immediately apparent. Sheriff Braddock was standing near the giant map of their county they had pinned up on the wall with his hands on his hips, looking at a red pushpin that had to be a new addition. Deputy Bryant, the most junior member of the team, looked frantic, dropping the receiver of his desk phone as Tara walked in and fumbling to grab it back up again. Even Deputies Kay and Walker, who were normally more unflappable, looked alarmed.

What’s going on? Tara asked the small, assembled group. The rest of the deputies, she knew, were either out patrolling other areas or must have been called out to other incidents already.

We’ve got a case, Sheriff Braddock said tensely, turning around to look at her. I was on the verge of radioing you, but Tracy said you were about to finish your patrol anyway. I need you to turn around and head right back out there.

Tara raised her eyebrows. She glanced over her shoulder – Glenn had caught up, and they exchanged a significant look. What’s the case?

Reports of a homicide at a B&B by the lake, Sheriff Braddock said. He tapped the red pushpin. The Cozy Cat Inn. I sent Deputy Stump to respond right away, but I need you to take lead on the investigation.

Tara nodded sharply. "Any more