Her Last Breath: A Kate Burkholder Novel (36 page)

BOOK: Her Last Breath: A Kate Burkholder Novel

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“What if you’re wrong?” I ask. “What if by some fluke we haven’t conceived, they link Lapp’s death to me? Tomasetti, that could pose a problem for you, especially if we’re living together. It could put you in a precarious position. It could affect your career.”

He stops painting, lowers the roller to his side, and turns to stare at me, his expression perplexed. “You like to keep a guy on his toes, don’t you?”

“Sometimes it just works out that way.” I try to smile, but don’t quite manage. “I think it’s something you need to consider.”

“I’ve considered everything I need to consider.” He sets down the roller and crosses to me. He stops a scant foot away, so close I can feel the heat coming off him, discern the smells of aftershave and sawdust and man. “I’ve worked a lot of cases that hinged on DNA,” he says. “Even if the lab is able to extract DNA from the teeth, all that does is confirm the identity of the victim. They won’t be able to ascertain how or where he died. And there’s no evidence whatsoever that could lead them to you. You’re safe, Kate. It’s over. I promise.”

We stand frozen for the span of several heartbeats. Not touching. Barely breathing. The magnitude of what’s been said shaking the air between us.

“I know this isn’t an ideal set of circumstances. I mean, for us.” His voice is low and thick. “I don’t know where this will lead. But I love you, Kate. I want you in my life. I don’t know what else to say.”

I know this is one of those life-altering slices of time. A moment that will take me down a certain road. There’s no way for me to know if it’s the right direction or if I’ll slam into some dead end or freefall off a cliff. But everything inside me tells me to take that first step. Sometimes life is about taking chances, about putting yourself out there even when you don’t know what’s going to come back at you. John Tomasetti is a chance I want to take.

“No one’s ever said that to me before,” I tell him.

“So we’re breaking new ground.”

“In a lot of different ways.”

“I hope that’s okay.”

“Better than okay.”

Raising up on my tiptoes, I brush my mouth across his. “I don’t think you’re going to get much painting done tonight.”

“It’ll keep until morning,” he whispers.

ALSO BY LINDA CASTILLO

Sworn to Silence

Pray for Silence

Breaking Silence

Gone Missing

About the Author

Linda Castillo is the
New York Times
bestselling author of the Kate Burkholder novels, including
Sworn to Silence
and
Breaking Silence
, crime thrillers set in Amish country.
Sworn to Silence
was recently adapted into a Lifetime Original Movie titled
An Amish Murder
starring Neve Campbell as Kate Burkholder. Castillo is the recipient of numerous industry awards, including the Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence and the HOLT Medallion, and she received a nomination for the RITA. In addition to writing, Castillo’s other passion is horses, particularly her Appaloosa, George. She lives in Texas with her husband.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

HER LAST BREATH
. Copyright© 2013 by Linda Castillo. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.

www.minotaurbooks.com

Cover design by David Baldeosingh Rotstein

Digital composition by Steve Gardner/Pixelworks

ISBN 978-0-312-65857-1 (hardcover)

ISBN 978-1-250-03154-9 (e-book)

First Edition: June 2013

“Kathleen McInerney does an excellent job of portraying this diverse cast, especially the Amish, who she instills with a shy, quiet dignity, and she handles the Pennsylvania Dutch language with the ease of a native.…A compelling listen, well written, and expertly narrated.”

—Publishers Weekly on Pray for Silence