The roller coaster was now moving at speed as it climbed up and up on the track. There was no way Valerie could get a clear shot. But she had to save the girl one way or another.

  She refused to look down as her heart raced, and she vaulted over one of the carts as it moved up and up towards the peak of a large drop.

  “Hal! She’s not the nurse!”

  “I’ll kill her!” Hal said.

  As the coaster reached the top of the hill, preparing to drop down at insane speeds, Valerie watching in horror as Hal pushed the woman in the coat to the side.

  Her body rattled off one of the sides of the cart.

  Valerie reached out and grabbed her hand.

  The woman dangled over a deathly drop.

  Hal seethed and lunged forward with his knife.

  All Valerie could do was kick out with her leg, catching him in the stomach. In that dazed moment, she pulled the woman into the cart.

  “Hold on!” Valerie screamed as the cart careened down the track.

  It dipped and swerved as the three passengers were knocked from side to side.

  Valerie wrapped her arm around one of the safety bars as the momentum of the carts nearly flung her out onto the concrete below.

  People screamed from down there, looking like tiny ants crying out at what was happening above.

  The coaster reached a straight, and things stabilized momentarily.

  Hal lunged forward with his knife at Valerie, but she caught his hand.

  Hal tumbled on top of her.

  Valerie had flashes of Michael Wainwright trying to choke the life from her.

  She pushed the knife against the metal of the cart, and then dug her hand into her pocket. As Hal pulled the knife up ready to pierce Valerie’s chest with it, Valerie pulled out the photograph of Hal’s mother.

  “What would your mother think of her son, the murderer?” she screamed.

  Hal stopped. His eyes filled with tears, and his hand lowered for a moment.

  Valerie wasn’t taking any other chances, she leaped up and pinned him to the floor of the cart.

  The coaster suddenly stopped and the jolted to a halt. Valerie looked up to see Will and Charlie standing to the side. She was safely on the ground, and Valerie had single handedly caught the killer before he could murder again.

  EPILOGUE

  Valerie smiled at Tom’s dad from across the table. What a time it had been, but she was making things right. It was like a reset. She sipped her wine and turned to Hannah, Tom’s mom.

  “This is delicious, Hannah,” she said.

  “My pleasure, Dear,” Hannah replied.

  Tom squeezed Valerie’s hand underneath the table.

  The case was finished. Hal Borchardt was in custody and was going to undergo complete psychiatric evaluation. Valerie had no doubt he’d be put away for life, most probably in a maximum security psychiatric prison.

  She felt sorry for him in a way. He wasn’t completely responsible for his actions, but innocent people needed to be protected from killers, whether they were in control or not.

  Though Valerie wished she could have saved all of Hal Borchardt’s victims, she was pleased to know that his last intended victim, the woman he had taken to the amusement park, was going to make a full recovery.

  This made her feel it was all worthwhile. That and stopping Hal from killing any number of other women

  Charlie and Will had flown back to Quantico. They were all getting some downtime. Valerie smiled at the thought of Charlie getting to spend time with his kids.

  Then she thought for a moment that she strangely didn’t know much about Will’s private life at all.

  “You okay?” Tom said from beside her, the candles on the table glinting in his eyes.

  “I am,” Valerie said. “I am so sorry for running out on you all the last time I was here.”

  “That’s all right,” Tom’s dad said. “I read about the killer you caught in the papers. That was some work.”

  “It was,” she said.

  “When I read about the type of work you do,” Hannah continued Mark’s words. “It made sense why you were so tense. It can’t be easy dealing with those sorts of things.

  “It isn’t,” Valerie said. “But I want to be truthful.”

  There was silence for a moment.

  “The reason I freaked out the last time,” Valerie explained. “Was because of my past. And I’d like to let you know what that was. I’m done hiding things from people anymore.”

  Tom squeezed Valerie’s hand again in support.

  She took a deep breath, looked at Tom’s parents and said: “Let me tell you about my parents.”

  *

  The orderly opened the door and gestured for Valerie to go in. Part of her didn’t want to, but if those last few days had taught her anything, it was that mental health issues had to be dealt with head-on.

  She didn’t want to end up like her sister and mother, and so she had to confront her past to make a better future.

  She was going to deal with her own issues until she had some answers from her mother.

  Gwen sat on her bed, her hands tied as Valerie entered. She was scratching her left knee, Valerie could see that she had bled there.

  “Mom,” she said. “Please don’t do that. Do you want me to get the nurse?”

  Gwen pulled her patient robe down over the cuts, and looked up at the ceiling, wide-eyed.

  Every time she saw her mom and the condition she was in, it was like a shot to her heart.

  But today, there was one question on her mind. One that had to be answered.

  “Mom,” Valerie said softly. “What happened to my dad?”

  Gwen stared at the ceiling and let out a horrid laugh.

  “Which one?”

  Valerie was confused.

  “Your real dad or the one who pretended to be?” her mother turned and grinned at Valerie.

  “Mom… What do you mean?”

  “You think the man you remember was your father? Well he wasn’t!” Gwen fell back onto her bed and then started breathing heavily. “Now leave me alone.”

  “Mom, please.”

  “Go do some detective work, big shot FBI Agent… See if you can find him… 17 Sycamore Avenue…” she said cackling. “Maybe you’ll find him there… Now get out!”

  Gwen screamed loudly over and over, and no matter what Valerie tried to do to calm her, she had to leave with her questions unanswered.

  Valerie was stunned as she left the room.

  Was it true? Did Valerie not know who her real dad was? Her mind was ablaze with terrible possibilities. Most of all, one question now burned into her mind: Who was the man she had called father, and what had happened to him?

  All Valerie had to go on was the address her mom had given her: 17 Sycamore Avenue. It was time to go there and see how deep this rabbit hole truly was.

  NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER!

  NO SLEEP

  (A Valerie Law FBI Suspense Thriller—Book 4)

  From #1 bestselling mystery and suspense author Blake Pierce comes book #4 in a gripping new series: a string of murders in subways and homeless encampments bears all the mark of a killer escaped from a local mental hospital. When the FBI’s new unit targeting criminally-insane killers is assigned, Special Agent Valerie Law suspects this killer may not fit the profile—and may be more sinister than anyone expects.

  “A masterpiece of thriller and mystery.”

  —Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)

  NO SLEEP is book #4 in a new series by #1 bestselling mystery and suspense author Blake Pierce.

  A page-turning crime thriller featuring a brilliant and haunted new female protagonist, the VALERIE LAW mystery series is packed with suspense and driven by a breakneck pace that will keep you turning pages late into the night. Fans of Rachel Caine, Teresa Driscoll and Robert Dugoni are sure to fall in love.

  Books #5 and #6 in the series—NO QUARTER and NO CHANCE—are now also available.

  “An edge of your seat thriller in a new series that keeps you turning pages! ...So many twists, turns and red herrings… I can't wait to see what happens next.”

  —Reader review (Her Last Wish)

  “A strong, complex story about two FBI agents trying to stop a serial killer. If you want an author to capture your attention and have you guessing, yet trying to put the pieces together, Pierce is your author!”

  —Reader review (Her Last Wish)

  “A typical Blake Pierce twisting, turning, roller coaster ride suspense thriller. Will have you turning the pages to the last sentence of the last chapter!!!”

  —Reader review (City of Prey)

  “Right from the start we have an unusual protagonist that I haven't seen done in this genre before. The action is nonstop… A very atmospheric novel that will keep you turning pages well into the wee hours.”

  —Reader review (City of Prey)

  “Everything that I look for in a book… a great plot, interesting characters, and grabs your interest right away. The book moves along at a breakneck pace and stays that way until the end. Now on go I to book two!”

  —Reader review (Girl, Alone)

  “Exciting, heart pounding, edge of your seat book… a must read for mystery and suspense readers!”

  —Reader review (Girl, Alone)

  NO SLEEP

  (A Valerie Law FBI Suspense Thriller—Book 4)

  Did you know that I've written multiple novels in the mystery genre? If you haven't read all my series, click the image below to download a series starter!

  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 eight books (and counting); of the VALERIE LAW mystery series, comprising nine books (and counting); of the PAIGE KING mystery series, comprising six books (and counting); of the MAY MOORE mystery series, comprising six books (and counting); and the CORA SHIELDS 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.

  BOOKS BY BLAKE PIERCE

  CORA SHIELDS MYSTERY SERIES

  UNDONE (Book #1)

  UNWANTED (Book #2)

  UNHINGED (Book #3)

  MAY MOORE SUSPENSE THRILLER

  NEVER RUN (Book #1)

  NEVER TELL (Book #2)

  NEVER LIVE (Book #3)

  NEVER HIDE (Book #4)

  NEVER FORGIVE (Book #5)

  NEVER AGAIN (Book #6)

  PAIGE KING MYSTERY SERIES

  THE GIRL HE PINED (Book #1)

  THE GIRL HE CHOSE (Book #2)

  THE GIRL HE TOOK (Book #3)

  THE GIRL HE WISHED (Book #4)

  THE GIRL HE CROWNED (Book #5)

  THE GIRL HE WATCHED (Book #6)

  VALERIE LAW MYSTERY SERIES

  NO MERCY (Book #1)

  NO PITY (Book #2)

  NO FEAR (Book #3)

  NO SLEEP (Book #4)

  NO QUARTER (Book #5)

  NO CHANCE (Book #6)

  NO REFUGE (Book #7)

  NO GRACE (Book #8)

  NO ESCAPE (Book #9)

  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)

  HER LAST MISTAKE (Book #7)

  HER LAST DESIRE (Book #8)

  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)