Before Her Last Breath

BEFORE HER LAST BREATH A SAM LAWSON MYSTERY BOOK 6 DAVID K. WILSON 1 Wednesday, 6:45 p.m. By the time she saw him, it was too late. She tried to fight back against the hulking man, but his massive arms wrapped tightly around her, pinning her back against his chest. Then, as she struggled to break free, she caught his reflection in a mirror. It was the face of a dead man. He had been killed in a shootout just a few hours earlier. Or at least that’s what she had been told. That’s why she had let down her guard. Why she had come home without a police escort. She had been preparing to take a shower and had stripped down to her underwear when he came out of nowhere and grabbed her from behind. She stared at his face to be sure. It was definitely him. She saw the menacing glare in his eyes. The sneering lip. Then she noticed the hypodermic needle in his free hand. She knew he had subdued his previous victims with a barely-less-than-lethal dose of ketamine before dragging them away. She began to fight back with all her strength. She tried kicking him. Elbowing him. Anything to throw him off his game. But he was too strong. A jolt of panic shot through her as she felt the sting of the needle pierce her neck. Maybe her fiancé would get home in time. Maybe he could stop this. Then another thought hit her. If he arrived too late, how would he know she was abducted? There was no real sign of a struggle. He’d have no reason to suspect foul play. He’d just think she had gone out with friends. By the time he realized something was wrong, it could be too late. As she felt her body grow limp and numb, she knew she only had seconds. She wildly flailed her arms, using her thumb to discreetly push her engagement ring off her finger. In the corner of her eye, she saw it roll to the corner of the bedroom. And then everything went black. 2 7:15 p.m. He bolted into the house, yelling her name. He’d been 3 7:20 p.m. Wilton Police Detective Joe Ramirez, along with a team of