Loves Redemption by Kimberly Terry (best novels to read in english .TXT) 📗

than a beautiful woman receiving an anonymous gift

from a secret admirer. She works with a lot of people with whom she’s helped a great deal

throughout her career. Maybe even one of her students or volunteers, who knows? I’m not sure what one has to do with the other.” Lieutenant Hernandez injected, clearly disagreeing with Agent Montgomery’s assessment.

“The serial killer will sometimes encounter a person who they idolize or think extremely

highly of. For whatever reason they’ll put this person on a pedestal. Unfortunately, if this person performs some wrongdoing in the killer’s eye they can then ‘fall from grace’ so to speak.” The agent informed them in a low tone with his eyes closed and head back against the wall.

“What could cause this ‘fall from grace?’” Mark felt an urgency to know the answer. He

didn’t like the way it sounded, his fear for Maya escalating.

Nicolai opened his eyes and looked at Mark as he answered his question, his silver gaze

direct and unflinching. “Anything. Nothing. It’s all subjective, and according to the whims of the offender.”

CHAPTER 39

“Dalia, what are you talking about?” Maya laughingly asked her friend as she opened the

door from the garage that led directly into her portion of the mansion.

“Sesute, it is nothing to be ashamed of. That is what love and good lovemaking is

supposed to do to a woman. It is the way you should look. Like a petal on a beautiful rose

completely opened, I mean unfolded,” she told her young friend tongue-in-cheek as she preceded her into the kitchen.

As Maya turned on the light, Dalia’s husky laugh dwindled to a stop, and was replaced

with a horrified gasp.

Maya was walking directly behind Dalia and stumbled into her when she stopped, after

taking a few steps into the room. Moving around her, Maya felt as though she’d been kicked in the stomach as she surveyed the scene in front of her. Slowly, she walked around Dalia taking the site in.

Drawers and cabinet’s gaped open, the items inside spilled out onto the floor and along

the counter tops. Nearly every surface of her kitchen was cluttered with cans, food, papers, and dishes. In shock, Maya turned large frightened eyes toward Dalia.

After her initial horrified reaction, Dalia grabbed Maya by the hand. “Come on, Maya,

we must leave this place. They may still be in here. Come, let us go.”

Without waiting for her assent, Dalia half dragged Maya out of the kitchen. Swift and

silent, she closed the door, and took the keys from Maya’s nerveless fingers. She hustled her quickly into the passenger seat of her car, before going around to the driver’s side.

“Dalia I can’t believe what I saw. Who would do something like that?” Maya asked as

she came out of her state of shock as they sped away from her burglarized home.

“I do not know, Maya, but I did not want to take the chance to stay in there in case they

were still in our home.” Dalia took Maya’s small clammy hand in hers and gripped it tightly, before she let it go, and placed shaking hands back on the steering wheel. “I think we had better call the police and wait on them before we go back.”

“Dalia, I don’t understand....” Maya choked out, still in shock.

“We will be okay, Sesute. We will call the police,” Dalia assured her as she turned into a convenience shop before she pulled out her cell phone and placed the call to the police. After she’d completed the call she turned back to Maya.

“It is going to be okay, Maya, I have given them the address, and they have said they are

on their way. They have this number to call when they arrive. Are you alright little one?”

“I’ll be okay. Could I use your phone please so I can call, Mark?” She asked, doubting

her ability to rummage through her oversized bag and find her small phone.

With shaky fingers, Maya dialed the precinct, and when she got Mark’s voice mail, left a

message for him to call her. She placed a second call to his cell phone and also received his voice mail. After leaving the second message, she sat back in the seat and leaned her head back against the backrest.

“He’s not answering.”

“Everything will be fine, you will see.” Dalia was in the process of saying when her cell

phone rang.

She picked up the phone and spoke for a few moments before she ended the call. “That

was the police. They are at the house and say it is okay for us to return. The burglars have already left.”

When they drove back to the house, both women noticed several of their neighbors were

outside, no doubt wondering why two police cruisers were parked in Maya’s driveway. They

parked and walked to the front door where two of the officers waited on her porch.

The young black female officer greeted first Maya and then Dalia. “Good evening ladies,

I’m Officer Greeley and this is my partner Officer Kelley with the SAPD.”

Both officers displayed their badges for the women to see. “It seems as though you’ve

had a break in. Which one of you ladies is Dr. Maya Richardson?” The young officer asked,

referring to the name she’d written in her small black notebook.

“I’m Dr. Richardson Officer.” Maya stepped forward to shake the woman’s hand. “This

is my friend and assistant Dalia Draugulis. Ms. Draugulis also lives here, in one of the three units.”

“Yes we noticed the house was sectioned into three separate living quarters. We haven’t

gone into the closed sections and there was no forced entry so it’s doubtful the intruder went any further than your living quarters Dr. Richardson. Ma’am if you and Ms. Draugulis would follow us we can go inside and take a look around. Be aware the intruder hasn’t been very kind in his search through your home ma’am.” The officer warned her.

The young officer warned her, however nothing could prepare Maya for the