Not normal, p.16
Not Normal, page 16
“There’s good stuff?”
Doug shrugged and sipped from a beer that had been sitting to his right. If she hadn’t been on pain killers, she may have thought about ordering one as well. She had an uneasy feeling about what Doug might have found.
“I did some digging on this guy, on this Will Lucia. And I do hate to tell you that he’s not the guy in the picture you sent. The guy in the video and the guy in the picture are different.”
“How do you know?”
“I’ll send you everything I have—digitally of course, because Good Lord, no paper trails please—but I found that very same picture on a defunct photo site. One of those old photo-storing services that used to be around, like Photobucket or whatever. That sent me to a very old blog post which I had to have an internet-guru I know help me with because it was an unpublished post. But it had been posted by a guy named Bentley Lucia.”
“Bentley . . .”
“Will’s younger brother. Younger by two years.”
“But how do you know if—”
“Hold on. Let me finish. The blog post I saw with the picture was very brief. And it identified the location of the picture as being taken at a fair that had come through Nacogdoches, Texas. I ran a search for anyone named Nanette Grace living in Nacogdoches and got nothing. Of course, that could mean nothing if she was married or something. Or . . . and please forgive me for saying this, but it seems to me that if she was trying to stay in hiding, she may be going by an alias, anyway.”
“So, what about Bentley Lucia.”
“Well, first of all, he looked exactly like his brother. They aren’t twins from what I could find, but they might as well be. But, more importantly, as of at least two weeks ago, a Mr. Bentley Lucia holds a permanent residence in the city of Nacogdoches.”
Camille let this all sink in. She had no problem understanding why Bentley might tell people that he was his brother if he was involved with a woman that was trying to escape her past. But honestly none of it made any sense. Why would Nanette visit with a man that was lying about who he was? What did Bentley Lucia know about Nanette that would want him to hide his true identity? And why throw his brother under the bus in such a way?
“Anything else?”
“I’m sorry, but no. I have Bentley Lucia’s address and the fact that he had been married in the past. He was divorced, though, and I don’t know if the timelines match up with what you’re looking for in regard to your sister.” He sipped from his beer again and said, “Sorry, kiddo.”
She was glad she had this new information, but it had presented her with more questions than answers. And though it made her hate herself quite a bit, she started to wonder if any of this was worth it. Nanette clearly did not want to see her. She’d come back to Upping to see Deanna and their father but had never reached out to her.
Why not?
While it would have been so easy to just forget about it and move on with her life, the agent in her would not allow it. She had to know. And with that determination, she started wondering how far it was to Nacogdoches.
“I know it’s not what you wanted to hear, Camille,” Doug said. “Let me buy you a drink. Make it worth your time to come out here.”
“No, thanks,” she said. “Sorry to have wasted your time with all of this.”
“You didn’t waste my time. You gave me something to do. Jesus, I’m on the verge of setting up a PI business. That’s how desperate I’ve been these days.”
Camille stood up from the table and walked to the other side to hug him. “Thanks, Doug. And call me tomorrow when you’re in the Quarter. Maybe I’ll take you up on that drink then.”
“Count on it.”
She left the bar and headed out to the parking lot. As she slipped in behind the wheel, she took her phone from the center console. She did it with the thought of calling Deanna to see if she’d ever heard of a Bentley Lucia. But she didn’t think that would be a good idea because at this point, she had no idea who to believe when it came to Nanette.
So instead, she scrolled to Palmer’s number. She needed someone to vent to . . . and though Palmer knew very little about the true details of her sister’s case, she found herself just wanting to be with him. Ever since she’d invited him to stay with her nine days ago, their relationship had remained professional, but with that lurking tension on the brink of exploding between them. But really, it was more than just that tension. She knew Palmer was an exceptional agent. He probably already knew she was dealing with personal matters but was remaining respectful and not prying. If she continued to dive in deeper with him and things heated up, he may ask her what was going on. And she wasn’t ready for that yet—especially not with Palmer.
It was all of those reasons that caused her to scroll away from Palmer’s name. She went to Zack’s instead and pressed Call without thinking. He answered on the second ring, and for reasons she wasn’t quite sure of, Camille felt herself on the verge of spilling a few tears when she said, “Any chance you feel like making a drive to New Orleans tonight?”
“That depends,” Zack said on the other end, clearly delighted. “Will a certain gorgeous FBI agent be occupying my time?”
“No, just me.”
When he laughed, she closed her eyes and sighed, wishing it were Palmer. But Palmer would make things very complicated. Right now, she just needed something simple.
When the call was over two minutes later, she pulled out of the lot and headed back home. She thought of two brothers that looked very much alike that, from what she could tell, had problems of their own. She thought of Nanette and wondered what sort of life she’d lived once she’d managed to escape Upping and their father.
And in that lonesome drive back home, Camille was able to accept the very daunting fact that until she got answers to those things, nothing would ever be simple.
NOW AVAILABLE!
NOT AGAIN
(A Camille Grace FBI Suspense Thriller—Book 6)
When victims of a new killer are found tied to mangroves along the Florida waterways, half-submerged, Camille Grace is summoned to decode this killer’s signature—and stop him before he strikes again.
“Phenomenal debut with a huge creep factor… So many twists and turns, you’ll have no idea who the next victim will be. If you love a thriller that will keep you awake well into the night, this book is for you.”
—Reader review for Let Me Go
NOT AGAIN is book #6 in a long-anticipated new series by #1 bestseller Kate Bold, whose bestseller NOT NOW (a free download) has received over 600 five star ratings and reviews.
A riveting psychological crime thriller full of mystery and suspense, the CAMILLE GRACE mystery series will make you fall in love with a brilliant new female protagonist. Packed with twists and turns, her story will keep you flipping pages late into the night.
Future books in the series are now available!
“This is an excellent book… When you start reading, be sure you don’t have to wake up early!”
—Reader review for The Killing Game
“I really enjoyed this book… It draws you in right away and keeps you turning the pages right up to the end. I am really anticipating the next book.”
—Reader review for Let Me Go
“WOW what a great read! Talk about a diabolical killer! Really enjoyed this book. Looking forward to reading others by this author as well.”
—Reader review for The Killing Game
“Excellent start to a new series… Get this book and read it, you will love it!”
—Reader review for Let Me Go
“Captivating and riveting serial murder with a twist of the macabre… Very well done.”
—Reader review for The Killing Game
“Good read with good plot, plenty of action, and great character development. A thriller that will keep you awake into the night.”
—Reader review for Let Me Go
NOT AGAIN
(A Camille Grace FBI Suspense Thriller—Book 6)
Kate Bold
Bestselling author Kate Bold is author of the ALEXA CHASE SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising six books (and counting); of the ASHLEY HOPE SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising six books (and counting); of the CAMILLE GRACE SUSPENSE THRILLER series, comprising eight books (and counting); of the HARLEY COLE SUSPENSE THRILLER, comprising seven books (and counting); and of the KAYLIE BROOKS SUSPENSE THRILLER, comprising five books (and counting).
An avid reader and lifelong fan of the mystery and thriller genres, Kate loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.kateboldauthor.com to learn more and stay in touch.
BOOKS BY KATE BOLD
ALEXA CHASE SUSPENSE THRILLER
THE KILLING GAME (Book #1)
THE KILLING TIDE (Book #2)
THE KILLING HOUR (Book #3)
THE KILLING POINT (Book #4)
THE KILLING FOG (Book #5)
THE KILLING PLACE (Book #6)
ASHLEY HOPE SUSPENSE THRILLER
LET ME GO (Book #1)
LET ME OUT (Book #2)
LET ME LIVE (Book #3)
LET ME BREATHE (Book #4)
LET ME FORGET (Book #5)
LET ME ESCAPE (Book #6)
CAMILLE GRACE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER
NOT ME (Book #1)
NOT NOW (Book #2)
NOT WELL (Book #3)
NOT HER (Book #4)
NOT NORMAL (Book #5)
NOT AGAIN (Book #6)
NOT SAFE (Book #7)
NOT TODAY (Book #8)
HARLEY COLE FBI SUSPENSE THRILLER
NOWHERE SAFE (Book #1)
NOWHERE LEFT (Book #2)
NOWHERE TO RUN (Book #3)
NOWHERE LIKE THIS (Book #4)
NOWHERE GIRL (Book #5)
NOWHERE TO HIDE (Book #6)
NOWHERE CERTAIN (Book #7)
KAYLIE BROOKS PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSPENSE
LAST BREATH (Book #1)
LAST CHANCE (Book #2)
LAST WISH (Book #3)
LAST SHOT (Book #4)
LAST MISTAKE (Book #5)
Kate Bold, Not Normal
