Want You Dead, page 1
Praise for Steve Frech
‘I absolutely LOVED this book … An unputdownable page-turner of a read’
‘This book just pulls you right in … I couldn’t put it down!’
‘One of the best thrillers I’ve read this year’
‘So gripping I just could not stop reading’
‘Like riding a roller coaster … Should be on everyone’s reading list’
‘I burned through this’
‘I was hooked from page one’
About the Author
STEVE FRECH lives in Los Angeles. In addition to writing, he produces and hosts the Random Awesomeness podcast, an improv-comedy quiz show that has been performed at Upright Citizens Brigade, The Improv, iO West, and Nerdist.
Also by Steve Frech
Dark Hollows
Nightingale House
Deadly Games
The Detective Somerset Series
Secrets to the Grave
Want You Dead
STEVE FRECH
HQ
An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF
www.harpercollins.co.uk
HarperCollinsPublishers
1st Floor, Watermarque Building, Ringsend Road
Dublin 4, Ireland
First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2022
Copyright © Steve Frech 2022
Steve Frech asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.
E-book Edition © June 2022 ISBN: 9780008471040
Version: 2022-04-26
Table of Contents
Cover
Praise for Steve Frech
About the Author
Also by Steve Frech
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
“Go back inside …
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Acknowledgements
Dear Reader …
Keep Reading …
About the Publisher
Thank you, Janice Hearon
“Go back inside, kids! Quickly! Get back inside!”
There was chaos and confusion as people stormed back into the kitchen, away from the horror lying under the pirate piñata in the backyard. Parents swept their children into their arms and held their faces to their chests so they couldn’t see.
Jessica witnessed the shock in one father’s face as he carried his daughter back down the hall while whispering, “Oh God … oh God … oh God …”
Chapter 1
“What is it?”
Jessica Hammond turned in the passenger seat of the Tesla to see her eight-year-old daughter, Daniella, staring at the gift-wrapped box sitting next to her.
“It’s a remote-controlled car, sweetheart.”
“Oh.” Daniella turned back to the window. The passing trees cast momentary shadows as they drove.
Just looking at the present gave Jessica a sense of confidence and superiority. The other presents Dougie would receive at this party would be wrapped in thin paper with gaudy prints that had been purchased years ago at Target or Walmart and then thrown into the back of a closet with the rest of the Christmas wrapping paper.
That was not how Jessica Hammond operated.
This remote-controlled car had been wrapped in cream-toned paper that had the feel of soft parchment and tied with a red velvet bow with gold trim. If Jessica was being honest, the wrapping paper had probably cost more than a lot of the other presents that would be at the party. It only made sense. The remote-controlled car would easily be the most expensive gift, as well.
“How long are we staying at this thing?” her husband, James, asked as he navigated a corner.
James was in his early fifties. He was filling out at the waist but was still undeniably handsome with a strong chin, deep-brown eyes, and a full head of graying hair. The women at the Kensington Country Club openly called him a “silver fox.”
“A couple of hours.”
James rolled his eyes.
“Don’t do that,” Jessica said. “It’s important for Kristi and Nick.”
Dougie Sanders’s birthday had actually been four months ago, but he had been undergoing another round of chemo at the time. Kristi, Dougie’s mother and Jessica’s friend, had said that they probably should have postponed his birthday party, again, but they wanted to give Dougie something positive after the months of suffering he had endured. He had been diagnosed with leukemia years ago, and it had been a constant game of whack-a-mole—remission, resurgence, remission, resurgence—but it was finally over. Kristi gave everyone updates at the company functions. Jessica received more updates than most. Kristi Sanders had been one of James’s first employees in his company, CashFlo, which designed payment systems for online retailers, and over the years, she and Jessica had become friends.
“You know that Harold’s going to be at this thing, too, right?” Jessica asked.
“Yeah,” James replied with a heavy sigh.
She studied the lines in her husband’s face, knowing he was already plotting their escape, but she wasn’t so eager.
Most of the people at the party worked for her husband, and while they were all friendly, Jessica never missed a chance to show off. The Hammonds would have the nicest car there. They would be giving the nicest present in the nicest wrapping paper. Jessica had grown up poor, and she enjoyed demonstrating that she was now at the top of the food chain.
But that was only partly the reason she didn’t share in her husband’s desire to make their stay at the party brief. She had spent so much time in front of the mirror back at their home, getting ready, choosing the blouse, and leaving an extra button open at the top. If anyone wondered, they would assume it was the August heat in Georgia.
And that ravishing shade of lipstick?
Let them wonder.
James hadn’t touched her in a while. Jessica was certain that he was fulfilling his needs elsewhere, maybe even going back to his ex-wife, and Jessica knew the only way to get under his skin was to go all out. She had never met anyone so jealous and insecure as James. On one hand, it drove him mad when other men looked at her. Ironically, it was that same jealousy and insecurity that would drive him mad if men didn’t look at her. This beauty was his, and he viewed it as an expression of the fact that James Hammond got whatever he wanted.
When she had realized the extent of his jealousy and insecurity, she’d tried to talk to him about it. Of course, he didn’t see himself as jealous or insecure, at all. That would imply that he had a weakness, but he did make it very clear: if she ever cheated on him, he would leave her in the cold. She tried to argue by bringing up his infidelities. He flatly denied them, which was almost comical, until he made the ultimatum that if she ever slept with another man, he would ruin her life.
She said she understood. The sex, which still happened from time to time, became less frequent, and then stopped all together. By then, Jessica had realized that she had grown accustomed to the house, the cars, the fashion, the food, and the social events, all while sticking to their arrangement, but recently, she had—
“Can I have a Moto-Tyke?” Dani suddenly chimed from the back seat.
“A what?” Jessica asked.
“A Moto-Tyke. Like Ashley has.”
Ashley Wembley was Dani’s friend from a few doors down and had recently received a Moto-Tyke from her parents. It was a miniature, motorized version of a white convertible.
“Sure, sweetie.”
“Can it be pink?”
“Of course,” Jessica answered.
Dani went back to looking out the window, a victorious smile on her face.
Jessica knew she spoiled Dani, and she didn’t care.
“There it is,” James said as a bouncy castle came into view.
The helium balloons tied to the mailbox gently bobbed in the faint breeze. Closer still, they could see the black-cloth-covered table on the lawn with a sign that read, “THE AMAZING PRESTO!” All of it was lorded over by the inflatable spires of the bouncy castle. The sides of the castle were bending and flexing from the kids inside.
James pulled the Tesla to the curb and threw it into park.
“Let’s get this over with,” he said, opening his door.
Jessica turned and pointed at the present. “Can you grab that for me, please?”
Dani obeyed.
“Now, remember,” Jessica said as they exited the car. “Dougie’s been through a lot, so you need to be super nice to him, okay?”
Dani nodded.
Jessica knew that Dani could do that if it meant the acquisition of a Moto-Tyke.
They walked across the front yard, through heavy, humid air—which was laced with the sounds of kids screaming and laughing in the castle, along with pleas from parents to be careful—to the open front door. The air-conditioning was fighting a losing battle against the heat that followed them down the hallway, past the living room, and into the kitchen. There, they found Dougie’s parents, Kristi and Nick. Kristi was putting the final sprinkles on a tray of ice cream sundaes in little plastic cups. Nick was standing by to put the tray in the freezer. They looked up as the Hammonds entered.
“Hey! You made it!” Kristi cried.
Jessica smiled. “Yep.”
Kristi quickly tapped a few sprinkles onto the last sundae. “Okay. We’re good.”
Nick picked up the tray. Kristi went to the freezer and opened the door, allowing Nick to slide the tray onto a shelf. She closed the door, breathed a sigh of relief, and stepped over to Jessica.
“Thank you so much for coming,” she said, embracing her.
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Jessica replied, returning the hug before turning to Nick. “Hi, Nick.”
“Hey.”
They hugged. As they pulled away, Jessica saw his eyes flit upward for a split second as James and Kristi awkwardly embraced.
Jessica mimicked his signal before turning back to Kristi.
“Quite the party you’ve got going,” Jessica said.
“Yeah,” Kristi concurred. “It’s a little crazy.”
“Where should I put this?” the momentarily forgotten Dani asked, still holding Dougie’s gift.
“Oh, here, let me show you,” Kristi said, leading her to the door to the backyard.
“If you’ve got things to do, just tell us where it goes and we’ll take care of it,” Jessica said.
Nick held up a hand. “Please. It’ll get us out of this damn kitchen.”
Everyone followed Kristi out the door.
The backyard was a birthday wonderland. Several folding tables were adorned with balloons, colorful paper plates, and plastic cutlery, with another dedicated to presents. Jessica took secret satisfaction in being proven correct that their present would stand out against the others, and when Dougie opened it, it would stand out even more. The backyard was dotted with trees. One in the back corner had a piñata hanging from a branch. A wooden softball bat rested below it against the trunk of the tree.
“We’ll do the piñata and cake out here after the magician,” Kristi said.
“You two went all out,” James said.
“We wanted to give Dougie something special,” Nick said.
“Is that a pirate?” Dani asked, pointing at the piñata.
“Yeah,” Kristi answered. “Dougie read Treasure Island while doing his chemo and got really into pirates.”
Jessica quickly cycled through Dani’s recent accomplishments to see if there was any she could offer to match Dougie’s, but quickly realized that this was not the time for parental competitiveness. Besides, Kristi was a friend, and she knew how much this all meant to Kristi and Nick.
“We thought about doing a piñata for the grown-ups,” Nick added. “Let them work out some aggressions, and instead of candy, it would have been filled with little liquor bottles.”
“We really should have,” Kristi said with genuine regret.
“Mom?”
Everyone turned back toward the house. Dougie was standing at the open door to the kitchen. He was shockingly thin, and his hair was only just starting to grow back. His face was drawn, and his eyes sunken.
“There’s the birthday boy!” Jessica sang.
“You remember the Hammonds and their daughter, Dani, right?” Kristi asked.
“Hi,” Dougie said.
Jessica couldn’t tell if he actually remembered them. He had been over to their house and played with Dani, but that was a while ago and he had been through so much, she didn’t care if he remembered.
“Happy birthday,” Dani said, handing him the present.
The beautiful wrapping paper and bow had already caught his eye, and he gauged the weight of the present with his hands.
“Do not shake it,” Nick said. “Put it with the others, and we’ll open it after the magician and cake, okay?”
“Okay,” Dougie said, slightly dejected, and he put it on the table with the others.
“Did you need something, sweetie?” Kristi asked.
“Sarah Ferguson hurt herself in the castle.”
Kristi snapped into action. “How bad?”
“She hurt her ankle, but she’s not crying or nothing.”
“I told you that castle was a mistake,” Nick muttered.
Kristi shot him a look before returning to Dougie. “I’ll be out there in a second. Are you okay, sweetie?”
“I’m tired.”
“We’ll have you sit down and rest for a while.” Kristi turned to the Hammonds. “I’m going to go deal with this. If you need something to drink, there’s booze in the garage. I’ve told all the parents to help themselves and that kids aren’t allowed in there. It’s the adult safe space.”
“Brilliant,” James said without sarcasm.
“Enjoy yourselves,” Kristi added. “The magician will go on in a little bit, and we’ll get everyone out front.”
“I’ll help you,” Jessica offered. “Come on, Dani. You boys can look after yourselves, right?”
“I think we’ll manage,” Nick answered.
The women and two kids went back into the house. Once they had disappeared, James and Nick looked at one another.
“The garage?” Nick asked.
“The garage,” James confirmed.
Chapter 2
They made their way back inside, turned left out of the kitchen, and headed down the hall. Nick opened the door at the end of the hall, and they entered the garage.
Inside, a handful of dads were chatting, beers in hand. They looked over as Nick and James approached. Pleasantries were exchanged. A few of the employees of CashFlo suddenly appeared nervous to be drinking around their boss, but James gave them a smile to let them know all was well.
Nick led them to the fridge and opened it.
“Bud Light? Corona?”
“Corona’s great.”
Nick pulled out two bottles along with two lime wedges that had been pre-cut for the occasion. He used the wall-mounted opener to pry off the caps, pushed a lime wedge into each of the bottles, and handed one to James.
“Cheers,” Nick said.
“To Dougie,” James replied and tapped his bottle against Nick’s.
Nick smiled. “To Dougie.”
