“I wanted to check in and see how you’re doing. I just heard about the divorce from Tom and I wanted to offer any support you might need,” she said, her voice softening slightly.
I stared at her, unsure of how to react. I mean I appreciated the gesture, but I didn’t know if I wanted to share my personal life with my new boss just yet. “Thank you, Chief. I’m doing okay.”
“Are you sure?” she pressed. “I know divorce can be tough. And I’ve been there, believe me.”
I looked at her in surprise. I had no idea she had been through a divorce herself. “I didn’t know that, Chief.”
She shrugged. “It’s not something I usually talk about. But I wanted you to know that you’re not alone. If you ever need someone to talk to, I’m here.”
I smiled faintly, and she placed a hand on my shoulder. I wasn’t used to this kind of approach from my boss. This was definitely a first. “Thank you, Chief. That means a lot.”
She nodded and removed her hand. “Now, I’m not just here for a social visit. I need you to come with me. I know it’s Saturday and you’re on your day off. But this is important.”
I nodded with an exhale. I had a feeling that there would be more. I could tell by the look in her eyes. Something had happened. Something that required my attention. Chiefs didn’t come to your house because of your personal life. They didn’t show up due to a petty theft or domestic issue. This had to be something bad.
The Chief gave me a stern look. “We got a body. On the beach.”
I looked at my watch. It was eleven o’clock, and the kids would be fine without me for a few hours. I could get my mom to come over if needed. Being nine, fourteen, and sixteen, they were old enough to be alone on a Saturday afternoon.
“All right. Let me get properly dressed, and I will be right there.”
* * *
HEAR MORE FROM WILLOW
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BOOKS BY WILLOW ROSE
Detective Billie Ann Wilde series
A LETTER FROM WILLOW
Dear Reader,
I want to say a huge thank you for choosing to read Don’t Let Her Go. If you enjoyed it and want to keep up to date with all my latest releases, just sign up at the following link. Your email address will never be shared, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
I hope you loved Don’t Let Her Go and if you did, I would be very grateful if you could write a review. I’d love to hear what you think, and it makes such a difference helping new readers to discover one of my books for the first time. This book felt very personal to write. I recently went through a divorce due to the fact that I realized I am gay. It has taken me many years to be able to speak about it openly and admit it to myself and my surroundings. But now I am. So, in many ways, Billie Ann’s story is also my story. Realizing that I was hiding an important part of myself, the journey into finding out what this means and then telling the world my truth, has been one of the toughest yet most rewarding things I have ever done in my life. Everything just makes sense to me now. And for the first time I can recognize myself when I look in the mirror. It feels right and it feels good. I am me now. Fully me. And I have been met with nothing but support from my family and friends, luckily.
The story of Kitty Durham was actually inspired by a real story that I came upon. And I knew I had to write about the kidnapping of Jaycee Dugard, who was taken by her kidnappers while walking to the school bus one morning. She wasn’t found till eighteen years later, after having two children with her kidnapper and living in a shed in their backyard. The kidnapper’s wife also played a big role in the abduction, and she was later convicted for her part in it, along with him. It’s an ugly story, but deeply fascinating. You can read more about it here.
As always, I want to thank you for all your support and for reading my books. I love hearing from my readers—you can get in touch on my Facebook page, through Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, my website, or email me at madamewillowrose@gmail.com. You can also follow me on BookBub or Amazon.
Finally, I want to shout out a huge thank you to my wonderful editor, Jennifer Hunt, for believing in me and helping me to develop this series.
Take care,
Willow
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Published by Bookouture in 2024
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The story follows a young woman who finds herself in a desperate situation involving a missing person or a dangerous threat, leading her to confront her darkest fears.
