Category: Action/Thriller Publisher: Up At Midnight
ISBN-10: 0990958949
Type: Fiction
Pages: 400
Copyright: Oct. 2015
ISBN-13: 9780990958949
Savannah's nemesis is back and hunting her again.
Five years ago Jeffrey Holland went to prison for torturing and killing nine women. One woman – Number Ten – escaped then later testified at his trial. Behind bars he has plotted and planned his revenge until a legal technicality frees him to walk the streets. Now he can claim his most elusive and valued prize. Number Ten. For five years Savannah and her family have lived in peace. She’s happy in her job and marriage and dotes on both her beautiful little girls. While working part-time at Georgia’s bakery, she’s developed friendships with customers and enjoys helping her sister. Life is good – no, life is great. Jeffrey Holland is the last person on her mind. Her pain and suffering at the cabin, her testimony at his trial, his conviction and his vow to kill her are distant memories until they come face to face again. Savannah tries to protect not only her family but herself against a man she knows wants her dead. What she doesn’t realize is Jeffrey carefully devised a plan that involves them all, including her husband, sister and both her daughters. Jeffrey proves he’s still smart and cunning but no less ruthless when he takes her daughter and makes an offer no mother can refuse. Will Savannah win the ultimate fight for her life or will Jeffrey finally claim Number Ten?
Excerpt
Pie In The Sky started out as a whim. An idea between two friends, Georgia and fellow church member Jacob Evans. They tossed around the idea of opening a bake shop after several church bake sales raked in double what was estimated. People clamored for Georgia’s goods with a couple of members virtually losing their religion to snag three of her pies. After the dust settled, Georgia promised to make the extra pies for the good of their Baptist mission and Jacob and Georgia shook hands on their new venture together – Pie In The Sky.
They chose a location populated by other eateries and found a quaint little store fitting their needs. It sat nestled in a row of restaurants (between a barbecue joint and a hamburger place) frequented by employees of nearby businesses and plenty of hungry tourists. While Jacob handled the arrangements for equipment, Georgia tackled the finishing touches regarding décor, furnishings and the menu.
She decided on a vintage theme with a black and white striped awning with “Pie In The Sky” printed across the front. For color she placed ceramic urns filled with bright colored flowers flanking each side of the door. She chose beige for the walls and tan colored floor tiles for a warm atmosphere and for contrast, black tables and chairs.
When Pie In The Sky opened, the two entrepreneurs found themselves shorthanded on funds and help so Savannah volunteered to work on her days off when possible. Soon the bakery brought in enough money to hire regular employees but Savannah continued pitching in on Saturdays when she wasn’t scheduled to work. She brought Lily (sometimes both girls) because her daughter’s charm far outweighed her own and as a result the register collected more sales.
Savannah and the girls arrived at nine thirty. They’d stay for the usual three hours then go home for her to begin chores around the house. Helping out at the Pie in The Sky during some free time provided her and Georgia more quality time together. Plus four year-old Lily and two year-old Anna loved spending time with Aunt Georgia.
Savannah placed a fresh peach pie in the display between the pineapple cream cheese and apple crumb pies. God blessed her sister with a creative soul. Georgia penned successful mystery novels since the age of twenty, plus she could cook or bake any chef to shame. Once a person tasted her talents, more times than not they’d become regular patrons of the store. The primarily Southern menu ran the gamut from apple bourbon pie to cherry cheesecake, toasted coconut banana and sweet potato pie. Georgia prepared different pies on different days except for the best sellers which she always kept on hand.
The antique bell over the door jingled, announcing more customers. Savannah looked at the clock on the wall. Eleven thirty on the dot. Savannah smiled with knowledge of who their new customer might be. Every Saturday at that time Mr. Peter Thompson, a kind, elderly gentleman treated himself to a big slice of Georgia’s peach pie, complete with a dollop of vanilla ice cream on the side. With it he ordered a cup of black coffee with a “drop” of cream “to lighten his mood.”
She glanced around the corner to see Mr. Thompson, hunched over his walking cane, shuffling to his regular perch by the plate glass window. He’d brought his brother that day she noticed. Bob Thompson lived in Murrayville, a city ninety miles north of Atlanta. When he visited his older brother, he made it a point to join his brother for a slice of pie – almost always on a Saturday.
At first Savannah felt nervous around Bob, even out of place since Bob was deaf and only communicated via sign language. Peter waved it off, saying it was easy to learn, that all she needed to know was the signs for chess pie, coffee and ice cold milk. Over the months, however, she picked up more than those words. She learned how to converse with Bob in a decent fashion, albeit a few flubs on her part.
Peter shrugged from his tan sweater. He wore khakis and a burgundy pullover – dressy for an outing at a simple bake shop but Peter Thompson never skimped on his appearance. The man in this early eighties arrived dressed sharp, freshly shaven and smelling of Old Spice, the latter reminding Savannah of her father.
Bob was the hippie of the two. A veritable Woodstock refugee who believed in comfortable jeans, faded Grateful Dead t-shirts and the legalization of marijuana because “it would end more wars than nukes.” Today Bob slouched in with jeans ragging at the cuffs, a Jimi Hendrix t-shirt stretched across his ample chest and his toes peeking out of his sandals.
Savannah retied her black apron with pink Pie In The Sky emblem, telling Georgia, “The two Mr. Thompsons are here.”
Georgia chuckled as she weaved latticework atop a cherry pie, “I’d swear Peter’s got a crush on you. Always on Saturday when he knows you’re here and if you notice, he gets brusque with Bob when he comes along.”
She rolled her eyes, “You’ve got a vivid imagination. He’s just lonely and he likes the girls.”
Georgia shrugged, unconvinced, “Whatever you say. There’s a fresh peach pie on the counter and I made another chess pie in case Bob came with him.”
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