The perfect couple, p.1
The Perfect Couple, page 1
t h e p e r f e c t
c o u p l e
(a jessie hunt psychological suspense—book 20)
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 fifteen 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 three books (and counting); and of the PAIGE KING 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.
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 sergiophoto, used under license from Shutterstock.com.
BOOKS BY BLAKE PIERCE
PAIGE KING MYSTERY SERIES
THE GIRL HE PINED (Book #1)
THE GIRL HE CHOSE (Book #2)
THE GIRL HE TOOK (Book #3)
VALERIE LAW MYSTERY SERIES
NO MERCY (Book #1)
NO PITY (Book #2)
NO FEAR (Book #3
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)
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)
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
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
Even for Suzie, the house was daunting.
As an interior decorator to some of the wealthiest, most powerful people in Los Angeles, it took a lot for Suzie Pearlman to feel intimidated by a home. But this place was something else. After she parked her car across the street and made her way up the long path to the front door, she tried to make sense of how a home like this was in this neighborhood.
Unlike many of the communities she operated in, like Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Santa Monica, and Manhattan Beach, which was just a few miles south of here, El Segundo wasn’t necessarily known for its mansions.
Like Santa Monica and Manhattan Beach, it was a coastal community, but its reputation was far less ostentatious. In fact, much of the southern section of town was comprised of an industrial zone, with warehouses, shipping centers, and of course, the massive refinery housing the municipality’s largest employer, Metron Oil.
That’s why she was here. Just last year, Roger Whitmore, a partner at Daniels, Kramer, Malone & Whitmore and senior outside counsel to one of one of the largest oil and gas companies in the world, had decided to move from his Beverly Hills home and relocate “among the people,” living closer to the middle-class folks who worked for his firm’s biggest client.
Suzie rang the doorbell and waited, looking around at the nearby homes, many of which might also be classified as mansions, but none of which were as impressive as the half-block long, four story domicile that looked more like a boutique hotel than an actual home. It was situated on a cliff, with a clear view of Dockweiler Beach and the Pacific Ocean, less than a quarter mile west.
After a good minute without an answer, she rang the bell again. It might take a while to get to the door in a house as big as this. She had initially balked at accepting the meeting with Patricia Whitmore. That is, until she discovered who the woman was married to and checked out some photos of their place. Including their two children, only four people lived in the 5200 square foot property with seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms. There was a lot of potential decorating to be done.
Suzie, realizing it had been another full minute without a response, was about to ring the bell a third time when the door opened, revealing a pretty, young blonde woman with ivory skin. Her curly hair, which had obviously been hurriedly brushed, was all over the place and there was sleep in her eyes. She was wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt.
“May I help you?” she asked in an accent that Suzie guessed was Irish.
“Yes. My name is Suzanne Pearlman. I have a 9 a.m. appointment with Mrs. Whitmore to discuss some design ideas for the house.”
“Oh, right,” the girl replied, her eyes suddenly brightening. “You’re the decorator. Trish mentioned you’d be coming by. Come on in.”
She opened the door wide and waved toward a large room beyond the foyer.
“I’m Shannon,” she said, her burr more pronounced than earlier, “the Whitmores’ au pair. I apologize for my appearance. There’s no school today and the kids are at a sleepover, so I took advantage of the opportunity to sleep in a bit. I suspect Trish is doing the same. If you want to make yourself comfortable, I’ll go get her.”
“Sure,” Suzie replied. “Do you mind directing me to the kitchen? That was the room that Mrs. Whitmore said she wanted to prioritize first. It would be nice to get a sense of it before she comes along.”
“Not a problem,” Shannon said, pointing past the living room to a darkened room in the distance. “Can you find your own way from here?”
“Of course,” Suzie said, annoyed at the question. She could find her way around any house, no matter how big. That was what she did.
“Right then,” Shannon said, seemingly oblivious to her misstep, “settle in. Be back in a bit.”
With that, she headed toward the stairs. Suzie wondered how many flights she’d have to take to get the Whitmores’ bedroom. When Shannon was gone, she started toward the kitchen. Without the girl around, she noticed just how silent the house was. She walked along the carpeted living room floor, which muffled her footsteps.
As she approached the kitchen, she got an unsettled feeling, as if she was being watched. There was no logical reason for it. The home was open and sunny, but something felt off to her. She was just about to enter the kitchen when she caught sight of herself in a mirror on the wall.
She sighed. At forty-two, she was doing her best to keep up appearances, but the years of scrambling for, and then servicing, difficult clients were starting to weigh her down. She was reaching the point where she might have to consider more drastic measures than weekly facials to keep the lines on her face from becoming more pronounced. Her regularly-dyed, brown hair was looking brittle. Her eyes were slightly red, irritated by her contacts on this gusty, early March day. And her thrice-weekly workouts at the gym with her personal trainer were barely keeping the cellulite at bay. She felt exhausted just thinking about it all.
Suzie forcibly ripped her eyes away from the mirror and returned her attention to the kitchen. As she entered, the feeling that she wasn’t alone quickly returned. Somewhere in the house she could hear a clock ticking loudly. In the distance, someone had just started up a lawnmower.
She looked around for the light switch and flicked it on, revealing a massive kitchen with a center island as large as a compact car. There were two double ovens and a giant, Sub-Zero refrigerator. The stove had eight electric burners. All the appliances were modern and the setup was impeccably tasteful. If she was honest, Suzie didn’t think the place needed much work at all.
She got out her small notebook to take a few notes when the clammy sensation that there was someone else nearby overcame her again. She was tempted to return to the foyer and wait for Shannon to bring Trish Whitmore downstairs, but she shook off the discomfort and began writing ideas down.
That’s when she heard the dripping sound. She checked the sink but nothing was coming from the faucet. She glanced over her shoulder, suddenly fearing that someone was behind her, their sweat trickling onto the floor. But there was no one there.
She put the notebook back in her pocket and carefully moved around the island, her eyes darting everywhere. She had no logical reason to be so jumpy and yet, she couldn’t stop herself from eyeing the knife rack on the counter. She briefly considered grabbing one for self-defense.
When she rounded the island to the other side the kitchen, she realized what had been making the dripping sound. For a full second before she reacted, she was able to silently process what she saw.
On the floor in front of her was a woman, though Suzie couldn’t determine that from her face, which was mangled beyond identification. Instead it was the long hair and sports bra that gave it away. What was left of the woman’s face had been pulverized into a globby mess of blood, bone, and skin. Her skull was cracked open at the forehead. The dripping Suzie had heard was droplets of blood falling regularly from the woman’s right earlobe to the kitchen floor. Next to her head, was a long-handled meat tenderizer. Suzie began to scream.
She wasn’t sure when Shannon the au pair arrived, but at some point she was conscious of the girl standing beside her. She too was screaming. That was the last thing Suzie remembered before passing out.
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