Dead to Me (A Kelsey Hawk FBI Suspense Thriller—Book Three)

By Kate Bold

Tough and brilliant FBI special agent 30-year-old Kelsey Hawk is relocated to the desolate and unforgiving landscape of small town North Dakota, to which she’d vowed to never return, when, along the remote and endless highways, hitchhikers are turning up dead—and Kelsey may be the last hope to save the next one in time….

“This is an excellent book… When you start reading, be sure you don’t have to wake up early!”
—Reader review for The Killing Game
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DEAD TO ME is book #3 in a new series by #1 bestselling mystery and suspense author Kate Bold, whose bestseller NOT ME (a free download) has received over 1,500 five star ratings and reviews.

When she was just a child, Kelsey’s entire family was murdered, leaving her, the sole survivor, to grow up in the foster system. A rising star in the FBI, Kelsey set her ambitions on being assigned to a field office in the big city, away from the ghosts of her past. But when she’s reassigned to a small town in North Dakota, she can’t help but remember all the tragedy she fought so hard to leave behind.

Can she stop this killer in time?

A page-turning and harrowing crime thriller featuring a brilliant and tortured FBI agent, the KELSEY HAWK series is a riveting mystery, packed with non-stop action, suspense, twists and turns, revelations, and driven by a breakneck pace that will keep you flipping pages late into the night. Fans of Rachel Caine, Teresa Driscoll, and Robert Dugoni are sure to fall in love.

Future books in the series are now available.

“This book moved very fast and every page was exciting. Plenty of dialogue, you absolutely love the characters, and you were rooting for the good guy throughout the whole story… I look forward to reading the next in the series.”
—Reader review for The Killing Game
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“Kate did an amazing job on this book and I was hooked from the first chapter!”
—Reader review for The Killing Game
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“I really enjoyed this book. The characters were authentic, and I see the bad guys as something we hear about daily on the news... Looking forward to book 2.”
—Reader review for The Killing Game
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“This was a really good book. The main characters were real, flawed and human. The story went along quickly and wasn't mired in too many unnecessary details. I really enjoyed it.”
—Reader review for The Killing Game
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“Alexa Chase is headstrong, impatient, but most of all brave with a capital B. She never, repeat never, backs down until the bad guys are put where they belong. Clearly five stars!”
—Reader review for The Killing Game
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“Captivating and riveting serial murder with a twist of the macabre… Very well done.”
—Reader review for The Killing Game
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“WOW what a great read! Talk about a diabolical killer! Really enjoyed this book. Looking forward to reading others by this author as well.”
—Reader review for The Killing Game
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“Page turner for sure. Great characters and relationships. I got into the middle of this story and couldn’t put it down. Looking forward to more from Kate Bold.”
—Reader review for The Killing Game
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“Hard to put down. It has an excellent plot and has the right amount of suspense. I really enjoyed this book.”
—Reader review for The Killing Game
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“Extremely well written, and well worth buying and reading. I can't wait to read book two!”
—Reader review for The Killing Game
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• Language: English
• Publisher: Kate Bold
• Release date: Jan 31, 2024
• ISBN: 9781094383361

Book preview

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D E A D

T O

M E

(A Kelsey Hawk Mystery—Book 3)

K a t e   B o l d

Kate Bold

Bestselling author Kate Bold is author of the ALEXA CHASE SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising six books (and counting); the ASHLEY HOPE SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising six books (and counting); the CAMILLE GRACE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising eight books (and counting); the HARLEY COLE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising eleven books (and counting); the KAYLIE BROOKS PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising five books (and counting); the EVE HOPE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising seven books (and counting); the DYLAN FIRST FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising five books (and counting);  the LAUREN LAMB FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising five books (and counting); the KELSEY HAWK MYSTERY series, comprising five books (and counting); and the NORA PRICE MYSTERY series, comprising five books (and counting).

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

Copyright © 2023 by Kate Bold. 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 massik0553, used under license from Shutterstock.com.

BOOKS BY KATE BOLD

NORA PRICE MYSTERY

CAN’T RUN (Book #1)

CAN’T HIDE (Book #2)

CAN’T ESCAPE (Book #3)

CAN’T SLEEP (Book #4)

CAN’T FORGET (Book #5)

KELSEY HAWK MYSTERY

DEAD INSIDE (Book #1)

DEAD RECKONING (Book #2)

DEAD TO ME (Book #3)

DEAD SILENCE (Book #4)

DEAD TO DAWN (Book #5)

ALEXA CHASE SUSPENSE THRILLER

THE KILLING GAME (Book #1)

THE KILLING TIDE (Book #2)

THE KILLING HOUR (Book #3)

THE KILLING POINT (Book #4)

THE KILLING FOG (Book #5)

THE KILLING PLACE (Book #6)

ASHLEY HOPE SUSPENSE THRILLER

LET ME GO (Book #1)

LET ME OUT (Book #2)

LET ME LIVE (Book #3)

LET ME BREATHE (Book #4)

LET ME FORGET (Book #5)

LET ME ESCAPE (Book #6)

CAMILLE GRACE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

NOT ME (Book #1)

NOT NOW (Book #2)

NOT WELL (Book #3)

NOT HER (Book #4)

NOT NORMAL (Book #5)

NOT AGAIN (Book #6)

NOT SAFE (Book #7)

NOT TODAY (Book #8)

HARLEY COLE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

NOWHERE SAFE (Book #1)

NOWHERE LEFT (Book #2)

NOWHERE TO RUN (Book #3)

NOWHERE LIKE THIS (Book #4)

NOWHERE GIRL (Book #5)

NOWHERE TO HIDE (Book #6)

NOWHERE CERTAIN (Book #7)

NOWHERE PURE (Book #8)

NOWHERE SOUND (Book #9)

NOWHERE SANE (Book #10)

NOWHERE TRUE (Book #11)

KAYLIE BROOKS PYSCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE THRILLER

LAST BREATH (Book #1)

LAST CHANCE (Book #2)

LAST WISH (Book #3)

LAST SHOT (Book #4)

LAST MISTAKE (Book #5)

EVE HOPE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

IN HIS BLOOD (Book #1)

IN HIS SIGHTS (Book #2)

IN HIS REACH (Book #3)

IN HIS MIND (Book #4)

IN HIS WAY (Book #5)

IN HIS THOUGHTS (Book #6)

IN HIS DREAMS (Book #7)

DYLAN FIRST FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

OUT OF REACH (Book #1)

OUT OF TOUCH (Book #2)

OUT OF TIME (Book #3)

OUT OF BOUNDS (Book #4)

OUT OF LUCK (Book #5)

LAUREN LAMB FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER

SOMETHING KNOCKING (Book #1)

SOMETHING CALLING (Book #2)

SOMETHING WRONG (Book 3)

SOMETHING DARK (Book #4)

SOMETHING TO HIDE (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

EPILOGUE

PROLOGUE

No, no, no, no, no! Amanda screamed into the dark night.

Spring was on its way, but the nights were still bitter and chilling. She turned the key again, and the car spluttered but didn’t start. She moaned in frustration and slapped her hand against the steering wheel. It wasn’t the darkness or desolation that scared her, but the cold. Daylight would come in seven hours, and the roads would become busy, and someone would stop to help or give her a ride. She couldn’t wait that long. With the car not starting, she couldn’t crank the heat. She might be safe inside from predators, animal or human, but she was not safe from the cold.

Amanda popped the hood, and before getting out of the truck, she patted her left pants pocket—the knife was still there. She’d never had to use it, but it was always better to be safe rather than sorry. She’d heard stories about animals being out near dusk and dawn, and while it was pitch black outside, she was sure there was some wildlife about.

When she opened the door, the interior light came on, providing some comfort. She went around to the front of the vehicle and pulled up the metal hood, sticking the metal rod in place to hold it up. She used the flashlight on her phone to take a look at the engine.

She had no idea what she was looking for.

Amanda burst out laughing.

What was I expecting? A big button saying, ‘Push me to start the engine if you ever break down?’

The lights coming from the distance were a little unnerving now that she was out of her vehicle, and there were no other lights for miles around, so she got back into her car and locked the door. Always better to be safe than sorry.

The large vehicle slowed when it got closer and then pulled up alongside her. It was a large red truck, just the cab with no trailer hooked to the back. The passenger side window was rolled down, and a young man leaned over so he could see out and down toward her. He shouted something.

Amanda couldn’t hear, so she rolled down her window a crack and raised her eyebrows a little, trying not to look nervous or scared.

Are you alright? the trucker asked.

Um, yeah. I mean, no. Amanda shook her head nervously.

What happened? You out of gas! the trucker called.

I don’t know. The engine just cut out, and I don’t know how to restart it. I don’t have roadside assistance, and I called my boyfriend, but he’s not answering.

No worries. I’ll take a look—I have a battery tester in the cab with me.

There’s really no— Amanda didn’t get to finish.

He disappeared from view, and a brighter light came on in the cab as the door was opened. He walked around the front of the vehicle and flashed her a welcoming smile. Thank goodness he wasn’t old and creepy. She had once hitchhiked across the Southern States in her late teens, and the number of truckers who expected something from her just because they gave her a lift…

That’s what they used to tell her. The young man stepped away from the engine but kept his distance from the driver's window, obviously sensing her apprehension.

Yeah, the battery is fried. When was the last time you had it looked at? he asked.

I… I don’t know. I don’t deal with that sort of thing.

The bad news is you are not going anywhere anytime soon. The other bad news is that I can give you a ride to town if that is where you are headed, but you are going to have to ride with me. I’m awful at small talk.

Amanda let herself laugh, but she still didn’t want to get out of her vehicle.

Hey, no pressure the young trucker said. I can call someone for you, or if you want to wait for someone else to come along, I get it. The offer is there if you want to accept it.

Amanda didn’t know what to say. She looked back up at the truck, deciding whether it was a good idea or not—she still had her knife for protection.

You a fan of the Bulldogs? she asked, spotting the football sticker on the passenger window.

Not a fan, but I follow them. I know a few folks who went to the school, and I always check the score. They’re doing well this season. Go Bulldogs, right!

Go Bulldogs, Amanda chanted, pumping her fist and giggling through her nervous smile. Yeah, what the heck. If you are heading to town, that’s where I’m going.

Alright, well, jump in, he said.

Amanda grabbed her keys as the tucker unlatched the metal hood and dropped it back into place. He went back around to the driver’s side and got in. Amanda waited until the door was opened from the inside before she grabbed the handle to pull herself up to the step and into the cab. The seat was much more comfortable than the one in her car.

Buckle in, the trucker said, because we are going ever so slowly to get up to top speed, and I wouldn’t want you getting hurt.

Amanda giggled again.

You from town? the trucker asked.

Yeah, born and raised. How about you?

I got out of there as quickly as I could, the trucker replied. It wasn’t the place for me. I like to come back every so often and check in with some of the guys, but it doesn’t happen all that often.

Your work must take you all over the country, Amanda said. Where’s the coolest place you have been?

Do you know what? I know a place not far from here, but I’m not going to give away my secrets, or the place would be swarmed, and I prefer to enjoy it in peace and quiet. If you ever want to get out of town, I can take you there sometime. It’s to die for.

Amanda didn’t like the way he said it. She took out her phone and tried her boyfriend again. There was no answer.

Hey, Amanda said, pretending her boyfriend was on the other end. Yeah, I’m on my way back now… yeah, just outside of town, but I’ll be back soon… what was that? A trucker took pity on me and gave me a ride…. okay, I’ll talk to you soon.

Amanda feigned hanging up. He’s such a worrier.

Hmm, the man grunted.

She didn’t say anything after that. They were close to town, so the ordeal would be over soon—not that it was an ordeal, but he was a little creepy.

When he crossed over the rail tracks, he didn’t start to slow. She didn’t know much about trucks, but she always started to slow her car for the turnoff, and it would take much longer to stop the truck.

I think the turnoff is coming up, Amanda uttered.

Not a word from the trucker.

The fear rose in Amanda’s throat, and she tried to calm her breathing as she had been taught in her self-defense classes. When he blew past the turnoff, she knew she had to act—her life depended on it.

Amanda reached down for her knife, but before her hand could get there, a point was prodded into her side. It pushed the fabric into the skin between her ribs but didn’t pierce through yet. It was sharp, and the point caused her to gasp. She looked down to see a glinting black blade, much larger than the one she carried.

Are we going to have any problems here, Amanda?

She hadn’t told him her name.

N-no, she stuttered.

Do you want to talk to your boyfriend again, or are we done with make-believe?

I spoke to him. He’ll be worried, she stuttered.

I want you to carefully pull the knife from your left pocket and drop it to the floor beneath your feet. Make one wrong move, and I will slide my knife into you, Amanda.

Amanda tried not to cry.

Stay calm, stay calm, stay calm!

She repeated the mantra, trying to keep her composure and wait for a chance to escape. She did what he told her, taking the knife and dropping it to the floor. She thought about flicking it open and attacking him but did not trust herself to be quick enough. She dropped it where she could see it, memorizing its location.

Good, the trucker said. I think we are going to get on fine. The Bulldogs are nowhere near as good as when you were at school, were they? Class of 2015, right?

Amanda tried to make sense of what was happening, but she remained silent.

I think I’m going to take you to my special place right now. The trucker pressed down on the gas, gently increasing their speed. There’s going to be no one around to disturb us.

CHAPTER ONE

Kelsey walked atop the compacted snow. Spring was coming, and that meant the temperature fluctuated toward milder temperatures during the day and freezing temperatures at night. The ice melted, spread, and froze again, creating mini ice rinks on almost every flat surface. The state was doing its best to sand and grit the roads, so accidents were limited, but the sidewalks were harder to maintain. Kelsey stared at the grey beneath her feet as she stepped gingerly, choosing her spot each time.

She didn’t want to wipe out. Not when she was about to meet with the man who could change the direction of her entire life. She had not gotten far into the investigation of her family’s death, not that she had opened an official investigation, and she hoped that Harvey Waters was the key to unlocking it.

The only question was what he might unlock. From the files Kelsey had gone over and the few people she had spoken to, there was nothing to suggest this was more than a home invasion gone wrong.

Nothing except the feeling in her gut.

Kelsey had been there that night. She had woken and walked through the house when the killer had still been inside. They could have come for her and killed her, but they chose not to. Or they were disturbed by something and made a run for it. Everything had been too neat: nothing was disturbed, and the killings were clean. As clean as they could be when three people were stabbed to death as they slept.

She could not remember their faces from that fateful night, but she could remember the blood patterns on the bedsheets.

Harvey had called her two weeks ago to arrange the meeting, and he had sounded more spooked than ever. Kelsey knew something was up with the case, and he had all but confirmed that. Either he knew who had killed them or knew the information that had been suppressed in the investigation. He was one of the lead detectives investigating the murders of her parents and younger sister. Now, she was about to meet with him and discover the truth.

It’s never that simple.

It could go wrong in a million ways. Maybe he was behind it and toying with her; those behind it