A Fatality in Spain, page 1
A
F A T A L I T Y
I N
S P A I N
(A Year in Europe—Book 4)
B L A K E P I E R C E
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 nineteen 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 thirteen books, of the EUROPEAN VOYAGE cozy mystery series, comprising six books (and counting); of the new LAURA FROST FBI suspense thriller, comprising four books (and counting); of the new ELLA DARK FBI suspense thriller, comprising six books (and counting); of the A YEAR IN EUROPE cozy mystery series, comprising nine books, of the AVA GOLD mystery series, comprising three books (and counting); and of the RACHEL GIFT 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.
Copyright © 2021 by Blake Pierce. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior permission of the author. This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Jacket image Copyright itsmejust, used under license from Shutterstock.com.
BOOKS BY BLAKE PIERCE
RACHEL GIFT MYSTERY SERIES
HER LAST WISH (Book #1)
HER LAST CHANCE (Book #2)
HER LAST HOPE (Book #3)
AVA GOLD MYSTERY SERIES
CITY OF PREY (Book #1)
CITY OF FEAR (Book #2)
CITY OF BONES (Book #3)
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)
SCANDAL IN LONDON (Book #5)
AN IMPOSTOR IN DUBLIN (Book #6)
SEDUCTION IN BORDEAUX (Book #7)
JEALOUSY IN SWITZERLAND (Book #8)
A DEBACLE IN PRAGUE (Book #9)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
BEFORE HE TAKES (Book #4)
BEFORE HE NEEDS (Book #5)
BEFORE HE FEELS (Book #6)
BEFORE HE SINS (Book #7)
BEFORE HE HUNTS (Book #8)
BEFORE HE PREYS (Book #9)
BEFORE HE LONGS (Book #10)
BEFORE HE LAPSES (Book #11)
BEFORE HE ENVIES (Book #12)
BEFORE HE STALKS (Book #13)
BEFORE HE HARMS (Book #14)
AVERY BLACK MYSTERY SERIES
CAUSE TO KILL (Book #1)
CAUSE TO RUN (Book #2)
CAUSE TO HIDE (Book #3)
CAUSE TO FEAR (Book #4)
CAUSE TO SAVE (Book #5)
CAUSE TO DREAD (Book #6)
KERI LOCKE MYSTERY SERIES
A TRACE OF DEATH (Book #1)
A TRACE OF MURDER (Book #2)
A TRACE OF VICE (Book #3)
A TRACE OF CRIME (Book #4)
A TRACE OF HOPE (Book #5)
CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
CHAPTER ONE
Diana St. James clutched the old Gaelic coin in her hand and looked at the words she’d written last in her itinerary book: On this trip, yo u must do something that scares you at least once a day.
What she was about to do in Barcelona? That definitely counted.
She’d been thinking about fate, about things that were just meant to be, since before the Eurorail train reached Zurich. Now, on her way to Barcelona, she couldn’t help wondering if something meant-to-be would be waiting for her in the train station.
After all, sometimes, the things that came easiest to her, the ones that just fell in her lap, wound up being the most precious. The most welcome. Just like Stephane, the beautiful exchange student she’d met, all those years ago, and the lost love of her life. It was like they were drawn to her, because they simply fit. They were the things that altered her life in the best of ways.
Touching the octagonal sides of the coin, she wondered if this was one of those things. She’d been ruing not following Stephane to Paris for twenty years.
So, if this was meant to be, it was her duty to see it through. No regrets. Not anymore.
Yawning, she peered out at the Spanish countryside, awash in moonlight. The dark outlines of mountains rose in the distance, black against the velvet blue sky. Occasionally, there was a light from a village, but the sparseness of them told her that Barcelona was still far away.
She looked at the messages she’d exchanged with Sean:
Sean: I’m waiting in the station for you.
Diana: Sorry! I think the train will be late. We were delayed in Zurich.
Sean: No worries. I’ll get a beer.
That had been over an hour ago. She could just imagine her handsome Irish friend, who she’d only met on two occasions, waiting for her. It seemed like such an imposition for someone she barely knew.
She typed in: I am so sorry. Still nowhere near Barcelona. Feel free to go back to your hotel. We can meet up tomorrow.
Since she couldn’t see much, she imagined Don Quixote charging at windmills, Sancho Panza at his side. Then she leaned her head against the window and closed her eyes.
It was nearly half past eight. There’d been the delay in Zurich, and then another delay at some town on the Spanish border, and now the train that was supposed to get to Barcelona by eight was still powering through Spain, on its way to the station. She’d had three cups of coffee, but she was still dragging. If she were back home in New York, she’d be in her pajamas right now, curling up on her sofa with a cup of tea and a good book, ready for bed.
Diana pulled her eyes open. That was one thing she’d learned during her time traveling solo through Europe—she had no one else to rely upon. No one to wake her if she fell asleep and missed her stop. And the last thing she wanted to do was wind up in some strange town on the Spanish coast, far away from her destination.
That made her miss her ex-husband, Evan. Not that he was much of a world-traveler—well, he hadn’t been until he’d met his young fiancé, Tilda, anyway. Maybe what she missed most was a male companion. Someone to see to her, make sure she was taken care of.
Someone to love her.
She groaned. If being with Evan had taught her anything, it was that love was nice, but it never existed on its own. It always came with complications. So many complications, it almost made a person wonder if it was worth the security of having someone to shake you awake at your stop.
That’s why, though her heart had fluttered girlishly when she’d gotten the invitation to meet Sean in Barcelona, she’d immediately tamped down any fantasies of moonlit walks and second weddings. It would be fun. Two friends, touring the town together. No expectations.
Then she looked down at her phone and saw a message from Sean: How can I go one more night without seeing you?
The flutters returned.
A moment later, he added to the message. I’ll meet you at the statue of the giant cat. Whenever you arrive, love, is fine by me.
She stared at the message, now willing the train to go faster. So if she got there at midnight, he’d still be waiting for her? The horror. She dreaded the thought of arriving in Spain, only to have to go right to bed. She wanted to explore. Suddenly, she felt wide awake.
Grabbing her phone, she looked up Giant Cat Barcelona. The last thing she wanted to do was get lost, at night, in a strange city. Sean was so nonchalant about these sights, because he’d seen it all before. He’d left his hometown of Ballygangargin a month ago, and had been tooling around Europe, ever since. All of these places were so new to Diana, who’d never been anywhere until a month ago.
The first thing that popped up was the statue of a great lion, at the base of the Christopher Columbus statue, in the city center. Her GPS told her it was only a fifteen-minute cab ride from Barcelona-Sants, the train station.
Giant cat? Cute, Sean. Very cute. But that was Irishmen, for you. They had such a unique outlook on things.
Eventually the single, distant lights became numerous, brighter, and closer, and the traffic on the streets increased. The small village homes gave way to tightly packed, modern high-rises, and the narrow dirt roads became paved thoroughfares. A moment later, the wheels of the train began to squeal to a halt.
Barcelona! She was finally here!
The bright lights inside the train blinked on, momentarily blinding her. Taking a moment to text Lily and Bea, her daughters, that she’d finally arrived, she listened to the garbled announcement of the arrival over the loudspeaker.
Then she pulled out a compact and checked her reflection. Her dishwater blonde hair was still neat and styled in a springy, swingy bob, and though some of her make-up had disappeared, her face didn’t carry the marks of the exhaustion she felt—no sagging, puffy undereye circles or deep wrinkles. She ran her berry-colored lipstick over her lips, blotted with a tissue, and smiled to make sure she had nothing on her teeth. Fifty-four, and not all that bad, Diana, she thought.
She grabbed her small travel bag and went through it. Passport? Check. Wallet? Check. Phone? Check. Itinerary? Check.
All the necessities. With those, she could go anywhere. She was ready.
She headed down the aisle, and out onto the concourse. Then she stood there, staring at the signs. I took a year of Spanish in grade school before I settled on French, she thought, looking both ways at all the people, heading purposefully toward their destination. But darned if I can remember a single word of it.
Sí.
There. That was a start.
It didn’t matter. She’d had the same worries in France, Italy, and Austria. She’d been absolutely terrified when she’d stepped off the plane at Charles de Gaulle. But she’d made her way. If she’d learned anything over the past couple of months, it was that she might get a little lost, veer off course, but eventually, things did work out.
The good thing about every train station she’d been to was that they operated on the understanding that people might not speak the language. This station was no exception—there was a sign that said TAXI, with a big arrow. Apparently, taxi was the same in most languages.
The taxi line wasn’t busy. Moments later, she was in a cab, heading toward the Mirador de Colón.
As she rode, she passed many things she’d like to see in daylight. The Placa de España, with its many majestic fountains and historic buildings. Two brick-façade towers stood like sentinels on either side of the street as they drove past, headed for the fountain. She wanted to find out what all the statues were for, but that would involve looking at her phone—and she didn’t want to miss a thing.
Plus, as she wiped her hands on the front of her slacks, she realized something else. They were clammy.
She was nervous about her “date” with Sean.
And rightly so. Though she wasn’t sure she could call it a date, really, how long had it been since she’d met up with another man, even for a casual get-together?
Too long, she thought. Far too long. I’m rusty.
Then she realized that all those places she’d wanted to explore? She’d imagined herself exploring them, with Sean. As she did, a little shiver shimmered through her.
Oh, Diana. I hope you’re not setting yourself up for disappointment.
The car made its way through rather light evening traffic, toward a blue oblivion. When Diana caught sight of a large cruise ship, floating ahead, she realized that they were close to the sea. Eventually, though, it stopped at a plaza, with a large spire. She had to crane her neck to see the statue of the person atop it. “ Colón?” she asked the driver, referring to the statue of Christopher Columbus.
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