Read an excerpt from Shattered Silence by Marta Perry
/
A woman on the run seeks sanctuary in a peaceful Pennsylvania Dutch community—and finds a protector in the most unlikely of men…
One moment Rachel Hartline is secure in her career and community. The next, she’s in the wrong place at the wrong time—watching her ex-husband commit a crime that puts her in unfathomable danger. Fear and hurt send her home to an Amish farm and the family she’s always trusted. But a private investigator is close behind—and he may be a threat to her in more ways than one…
Cold, calculating Clint Mordan isn’t convinced Rachel is as innocent in her ex-husband’s schemes as she claims, but when her ex’s enemies target Rachel, Clint is driven to keep her safe. Maybe the terror in her beautiful eyes and the target on her back aren’t an act. But as his feelings toward her deepen, Clint realizes he’s the only one who can keep Rachel alive in a game where only the killer knows the stakes.
Excerpt
Rachel shook his hand off, her green eyes stormy. “You—you probably did this yourself.”
“I didn’t.” He hung on to whatever patience he possessed. “If I had, would I be telling you to call the police?”
The logic seemed to get through to her. A little of the anger left her face, leaving it strained. “No, I suppose not.” She paused, and he could almost see her weighing the options. “I’d better see if anything is missing. There have been a couple of recent break-ins in the area.”
She turned away from him, obviously intending to do this on her own.
“The police—” he began again, and he could almost hear his partner’s voice in his mind. People use our agency because they don’t want to call in the police.
“I said I want to see if anything’s missing first. There’s no point in filing a report until I know that.”
“Not by yourself,” he said, stepping past her into the living room. “It’s not safe. And if this has anything to do with the current situation…”
He didn’t believe in coincidences. But if the search of Rachel’s house was connected with her husband’s disappearance, he’d better proceed carefully. Attwood wouldn’t be happy to have police in the middle of his problem, to say nothing of Clint's partner’s reaction.
He moved carefully across the living room, assessing the scene automatically. Who had been here? Someone from Attwood’s, impatient already with the pace of their investigation? Or someone else, like maybe the person who’d bought Paul Hartline’s loyalty?
That presented a fresh set of complications on its own. If true, that must mean that the information hadn’t been turned over to the buyer yet. There maystill be time to prevent that from happening, but only if he and Logan found the man first.
He’d have to talk it over with Logan, but he had to deal with this now. “Stay there, please. Let me make sure no one is in here before you come in.”
She hesitated, obviously reluctant, and then nodded.
“How many rooms?”
“Just the living room, kitchen, sunroom and the two bedrooms. No basement, and the attic is just an attic.”
Nodding, he moved into the kitchen. Small, sunny, cheerful. An expression of Rachel’s personality? Someone had obviously had a thorough look around. He opened the closet door carefully, to find only a broom, a mop and cleaning supplies.
Moving on, he went through each of the other rooms. The house was small and compact, and there weren’t many places for an intruder to hide. He—whoever he was—had probably struck while Rachel was at school.
Returning to the living room, he nodded at her. “It’s all clear. You can come in now.” He studied her face as she did, watching for anything out of the ordinary. But all he saw was stunned bewilderment.
Buy on Amazon | Barnes and Noble
About the Author
Marta Perry realized she wanted to be a writer at age eight, when she read her first Nancy Drew novel. A lifetime spent in rural Pennsylvania and her own Pennsylvania Dutch roots led Marta to the books she writes now about the Amish. When she’s not writing, Marta is active in the life of her church and enjoys traveling and spending time with her three children and six beautiful grandchildren.
