Fleeing From Sin

Fleeing From SinTouch of Evil - Book Six Kennedy LayneKennedy Layne Publishing, Inc. Copyright © 2023 by Kennedy Layne Cover Designer: Sweet ’N Spicy Designs ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental. DedicationJeffrey — Cinnamon coffee for the win!Cole — I'll make a coffee drinker out of you yet! Contents About the Book 1. Chapter One 2. Chapter Two 3. Chapter Three 4. Chapter Four 5. Chapter Five 6. Chapter Six 7. Chapter Seven 8. Chapter Eight 9. Chapter Nine 10. Chapter Ten 11. Chapter Eleven 12. Chapter Twelve 13. Chapter Thirteen 14. Chapter Fourteen 15. Chapter Fifteen 16. Chapter Sixteen 17. Chapter Seventeen 18. Chapter Eighteen 19. Chapter Nineteen 20. Chapter Twenty 21. Chapter Twenty-One 22. Chapter Twenty-Two 23. Chapter Twenty-Three 24. Chapter Twenty-Four 25. Chapter Twenty-Five 26. Chapter Twenty-Six 27. Chapter Twenty-Seven 28. Chapter Twenty-Eight 29. Chapter Twenty-Nine 30. Chapter Thirty 31. Chapter Thirty-One 32. Chapter Thirty-Two 33. Chapter Thirty-Three Other Books By Kennedy Layne About the Author About the Book From obsession to death, this pulse-pounding thriller within the Touch of Evil Series by USA Today Bestselling Author Kennedy Layne will leave you looking over your shoulder… Former FBI consultant Brooklyn Sloane is about to walk into her favorite café wanting nothing more than her usual morning caramel macchiato when she notices a bloody handprint on the window. Anyone else would have instructed the barista to call the police, picked up her favorite beverage off the counter, and then walked the rest of the way to the office. Brook isn't just anyone, though. She recognizes the signature of a serial killer who used to haunt the city over three years ago before he abruptly disappeared into the restless wind. He had been known to stalk his victims for weeks before abducting and killing them. Their bodies had never been found, but he'd made sure that their loved ones knew of their demise with a single, bloody handprint...at the very place that they had gone missing. Brook has one objective—draft a profile to find the killer before he strikes again. But as the team dives deeper into the case and into the lives of the previous victims, a twist in the investigation finally reveals itself. The killer has been dead ever since the previous killings had stopped. Are they chasing a copycat killer or something far worse? Chapter One Brooklyn Walsh February 2007 Thursday — 11:26amTHE NOISE LEVEL OF the high school gymnasium had died down since most of the students had either returned to their next class or gone to lunch. Most of the freshmen and sophomores were currently in class, whereas the juniors and seniors were enjoying their midday meal in the cafeteria. It used to be where the seniors were permitted to leave school grounds to eat, but the administration had put a stop to that a few years ago. The only students allowed to exit the building now during school hours were those with internships at authorized local businesses. Morton High School was currently hosting Career Day, so numerous tables and chairs had been brought into the gym. It was a chance for the students to talk to professionals in specific sectors to get a feel for what the future might hold for them. There were also some college and university representatives on hand, along with all branches of military recruiters. Many students wanted to experience life out in the real world prior to pursuing a higher education, and the recruiters were available for those seeking an alternate path. Since Caterpillar and Nestlé both had facilities in Illinois, each of those corporations had been given two tables each to speak with the students interested in working for their companies. The smaller businesses were positioned on the righthand side near the bleachers. The different occupations ranged from accountants to lawyers to law enforcement. Even the hospital in Peoria had sent a nurse and a lab technician, while one of the local veterinarians had shown up personally as a favor to Principal Frawley.“Brook, are you coming?” Sally asked over her shoulder as she walked down the hallway. She came to a stop after witnessing Brook standing in front of the open doors of the gymnasium. Sally was dressed in her favorite pair of strategically ripped jeans and a pink sweater that her mother had given her for Christmas. She’d even made sure to wear the matching lip gloss that she’d purchased at the mall last weekend. “Today is the day. Remember?”Nate was going to ask Sally to the prom. Everyone knew that Nate had gotten the other members of the football team to help him make a huge banner. It had almost certainly already been taped to the cafeteria wall. Brook was really happy for her best friend, but it wasn’t as if today was going to be some monumental occasion for the couple. Nate and Sally had been dating steadily for the past year, so it was pretty much a given that the two of them were going to attend prom together.Brook had other things on her mind, not that Sally was interested in her friends lately. She didn’t understand that there were more important things than prom, and today was probably the only time that Brook could speak to the one person who had all the answers. “You go ahead,” Brook replied with an encouraging smile, not wanting Sally to know the truth. “I promised Principal Frawley that I would speak with the representative from U of I.”“Are you serious right now?” Sally asked in disbelief. She set her hand on her hip in frustration. “Nate is going to ask me to prom in front of everyone. You can’t miss that, Brook.”“I have