Truth That Dawns: A Psychological Thriller (A Mynart Mystery Thriller Book 3) Read online

  TRUTH THAT DAWNS

  A MYNART MYSTERY THRILLER

  ADDISON MICHAEL

  2022 Pages & Pie Publishing

  Copyright © 2022 by Addison Michael

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  ISBN: 978-1-7359621-9-1

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Michael, Addison.

  Truth that dawns: a mynart mystery thriller / Addison Michael

  Cover Design by Art by Karri

  Editing by Tiffany Avery

  While set in real places, this novel is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and police agencies portrayed are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to established practices or similarity that may depict actual people, either alive or deceased, are entirely fictional and purely coincidental.

  www.addisonmichael.com

  For my mom

  Thanks for your unconditional love and support

  CONTENTS

  Prologue

  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

  Chapter 71

  Chapter 72

  Untitled

  About the Author

  Also by Addison Michael

  PROLOGUE

  Krysta Mynart put on an extra layer of mascara and hummed happily to herself. Tonight was the night. She would finally be free. The one person who could set everything right was meeting her after work. She could go back home again.

  Her stomach was in nervous, excited butterflies.

  “Calm down, Krysta,” she mumbled to herself. “It’s just Ray.”

  But she knew she was lying to herself. She’d always had a crush on Ray Lennon. She had loved her husband, Jason. He was her soulmate. But she would have had to be dead to not acknowledge Ray’s chiseled good looks, his deep, intense green eyes, and his athletic physique.

  Back then, there was something so sad and haunted about Ray. His wife was dying. Sweet, beautiful Allison had cancer and everyone knew she would not make it much longer. When Ray did come to visit her and Jason, he always acted like he needed to go home. He was so afraid he would lose Allison while he was gone so he never stayed gone for long.

  With the one exception—the night Allison died. It had been a rare occasion when Ray stayed at her and Jason’s house a while, had a few beers, and even laughed a little. It had been like the old days when Allison was well and the four of them would stay up until all hours of the night playing cards, drinking, and laughing. Those nights were magical. They were but a distant, forgotten memory.

  But that night when Ray stayed was not magical. It ended in tragedy for Ray. He had drank too much and stayed the night at Krysta and Jason’s house. Meanwhile, Allison was slowly dying at home alone. The next morning when Ray went home hungover, Allison was dead.

  Ray never told her, but Krysta always thought he blamed himself for Allison’s death. He was different after his wife died. He was dark and moody. He became even more brooding and mysterious, which for Krysta, only added to his appeal.

  Krysta sighed. Oh, Lord, the crush she had on that man. Which was not at all the way she felt about Matt Cline.

  Her thoughts went to Matt Cline, the man who called himself her boyfriend. Sweet man, that one, but he wasn’t for her. Not permanently. True, she ended up at his place when her shifts where over. But it was more of a fling than a forever. She remembered the disappointment in his voice when she last talked to him.

  “Will I see you tomorrow night?” he’d asked.

  “Not tomorrow…” she had replied with no real explanation.

  At least Krysta thought she answered his question. Maybe she had shrugged instead. She couldn’t remember exactly. Nothing she could do about it now.

  Instead, a clear bottle caught her attention, taking her mind off Matt. Vodka had become her drink of choice. She started drinking it once she got out of bed every day, but if she was honest with herself, that was usually around one in the afternoon, so she convinced herself it was socially acceptable. Besides, she needed the vodka to gain the courage to work in that nasty tavern of a bar all night. The money outweighed all the things she hated about working there. Which was everything else.

  She heard a sound out in the kitchen. She peeked her head out expecting to see Paige. No one was there. Krysta went back to fussing with her appearance. Ever since Paige had returned home from college, she’d been acting weird. She seemed sullen and angry. Krysta didn’t begin to know why. Paige had just gotten a degree, something Krysta always secretly wished she would have done. But she had chosen a job making a decent income to support her daughter who was coming off as a little unappreciative these days.

  Krysta shot another glass of vodka. It burned going down in the way she had come to love. She was finally ready. She thought she looked pretty. Her ombre hair was trendy, thank God, since she couldn’t afford to get it done that often. Her green eyes were framed nicely with black eyeliner and several coats of mascara. She looked younger than her age. She was thin. Thinner than a lot of women she worked with and saw at the grocery store.

  “Ray, I’m a good catch,” she said as she grabbed a lip gloss and rubbed the wand over her lips. She wondered who she was trying to convince, him or herself?

  She headed for the kitchen and made herself a sandwich. She knocked on Paige’s bedroom door and said, “Goodbye, darling, I’m headed out.” At least she thought she told her “goodbye.”

  By the time Krysta pulled into the bar, she had comforted herself by replaying the words she was convinced she’d exchanged with Paige.

  “Goodbye, mom. You look pretty. Have a good night at work.” Paige had said that, hadn’t she? She struggled to remember if Paige had opened the door and said those words or if she’d said goodbye through the closed door.

  Krysta shrugged and decided to move forward thinking about what was to come tonight. It was such a quick and easy drive from the apartment to the bar, she had memorized it and could drive it in her sleep.

  She stopped the car once she arrived and sat still for a minute, dreading walking into this place one more night. Maybe tonight would be different. Maybe Ray would whisk her away to Missouri and she would never have to work again. Why not? Paige was old enough to fend for herself. Besides, Paige had that cute boyfriend of hers as well. What was his name? Sam? Scott? Well, it didn’t matter what his name was as long as he made her happy.

  The shift flew by. When the manager came around to cut a server from the shift, Krysta quickly volunteered. She noticed the way the manager’s eyebrows rose. Krysta never left early. Krysta also noticed the way her co-worker, Ashley Trieggar, narrowed her eyes. Krysta shrugged unapologetically. Ashley left early all the time. How that gal supported herself, Krysta would never know. Krysta and Ashley pretended to be friends, but Krysta knew the truth. They weren’t friends. Ashley was a backstabbing bitch. Krysta just chose to keep her enemies close.

  Krysta tried to stay casual. She focused on the last words her manager was saying. She even nodded but her mind was already imagining her date with Ray. She wondered what he looked like after all these years.

  “I’ll take a vodka martini,” Krysta had told Ashley before she sat down to wait for Ray.

  Ashley gave her a dirty look. “You’re clocked out, right? I can’t ser
ve you if you’re still working.”

  “Of course, I’m off work. You were right there when Nick cut me from shift.” Krysta shrugged. “He’s the boss.”

  Krysta was so nervous when she finally sat at a table to wait for Ray. She had a little bit of time before they planned to meet but it was nice to sit and calm her nerves.

  She kept a close eye on the front door as she waited. Then she saw him. Her heart fluttered. Was it possible that he was even more handsome than he had been so many years ago? He was tall like she had remembered him. His dark hair had some salt and pepper grays mixed in. It made him look distinguished. His green eyes immediately locked with hers and he walked a slow, casual pace. She could swear he was more muscular and defined than he had been when she knew him.

  When he reached the table, he leaned forward and kissed her cheek in greeting. His cologne smelled musky and woodsy. Krysta smiled and asked him to have a seat.

  Ray had no more than sat down when the front door to the bar burst open, and Matt Cline exploded into the room. Matt paused for a minute and looked around the room before he spotted them. The other patrons watched his angry movements.

  Krysta’s eyes widened in shock. Matt was a bigger, heavier-set guy and she’d never seen him move across the room that fast.

  “How dare you!” Matt yelled at her. Then he started saying god-awful things about commitment. “You’re my girl and you’re off whoring around? Who’s this?” he asked, pointing at Ray.

  “I’m Ray,” Ray said as he put his hand out. “Ray Lennon.”

  Matt glared at him, refusing to shake his hand.

  Krysta wasn’t Matt’s girl. Was she? She sat puzzling about that for a moment when suddenly she felt herself yanked up out of her seat.

  “Ouch!” Krysta protested, feeling annoyed. Matt had her by her arm and he was hauling her out of the bar. Before Krysta could respond, he opened the passenger side door to his Honda CRV and pushed her inside. Anger and embarrassment took turns with Krysta’s emotions. How many people who worked with her had witnessed that scene? She immediately tried to open the door. It wouldn’t open. Was it child-locked?

  Matt sat heavily in the car.

  “You let me out of this car!” she yelled. “I don’t want to go with you!” Krysta punched his shoulder repeatedly. She rolled down the window and screamed at the top of her lungs. No one responded.

  Matt ignored her antics as he drove away from the bar.

  Krysta tried to climb out the window. Matt grabbed her belt loop and shoved her back down. He took control of the windows so she couldn’t roll the window back down.

  Krysta yelled even louder, attempting to take control of the situation. “I said, I don’t want to be with you! Let me out!” She attempted to open the door again but couldn’t. She screamed again out of sheer desperation. Then she started kicking the windshield.

  “Stop that!” Matt looked hurt and she could hear it in his voice, but he kept driving with determination. “We need to talk about what that was back there.”

  “No, you need to let me out of this car.” Krysta grabbed the wheel and the car swerved dangerously. The car in front of them made it impossible to see into the oncoming lane of traffic. A car driving in the opposite lane was coming straight at them. The car honked and swerved until Matt regained control of the steering wheel and maneuvered the car back in its correct lane.

  “Fine!” Matt hit the steering wheel with force. “Fine! I’ll let you out. I don’t plan to die today.” Matt tapped the breaks and found the next possible spot to pull off the highway and stop the car.

  He walked around the driver’s side door and opened it. He grabbed Krysta’s arm and tugged at her. “Get out of my car. I thought I’d come to that bar and fight for you. I thought I’d show you that I’m the one you want. I’m the stable one who loves you despite the mess and chaos of who you are. Do you think that man back there knows anything about you, Krysta? You always tell me you’re a good catch. But you’re not. I love you despite all of that. And if you can’t see that after all this time, I feel sorry for you!”

  “What are you doing?” Krysta whispered, suddenly afraid. She yanked her arm away. It was dark now, and she didn’t think they were near anything within walking distance.

  Matt grabbed her arm again and managed to pull her out of the car. She stumbled and ended up falling to her knees. Matt slammed the car door shut.

  “Matt, stop, you’re being ridiculous,” Krysta tried again in a fake calm voice. It was the voice she used to manipulate people. It usually worked.

  “You wanted me to pull over. You grabbed my steering wheel. You’re willing to kill us if I didn’t stop. So, fine. This is where I leave you, Krysta. Have a nice life.” Matt’s face was red from the anger he apparently felt. He got back in his car.

  Krysta jumped up and tried to open the car door. It was too late. Matt had already locked her out. She knocked on the window, trying to get him to change his mind. She was still holding onto the car door handle when Matt began pulling away. She lost her balance as the car yanked her and she fell face first to the ground, knocking the wind out of her.

  Krysta stayed on the ground, trying to get her breath back. She sat up but stayed seated, slumped on the ground in utter defeat and self-pity.

  Then Matt hit his breaks. Krysta watched, hoping he wasn’t really going to leave her here.

  Instead, Matt rolled down the window. Krysta’s silver cell phone came sailing out the window. She had to duck so it didn’t hit her head.

  “Wait!” she tried once more. “At least tell me where we are?”

  “I-40 in Little Rock,” he answered. “Why don’t you call that handsome new boyfriend of yours, you little whore!” Then he drove off.

  Krysta picked up her phone. She texted three people but only one responded.

  Krysta: Paige, come get me. Please. Some jerk left me on the side of the road on I-40—you know the shoulder where I pulled off the road when you got sick that one time when you were little?

  Paige: I’ll be right there.

  Only, that’s not who showed up. Krysta waited and waited. Still, Paige didn’t come. Would her own daughter really leave her out there all night? After what seemed like an hour, a silver Honda CRV pulled off the side of the road. Matt drove a Honda CRV. He must have come to his senses and come back for her. Only it wasn’t Matt.

  “You?” Krysta asked in surprise as Ashley Trieggar, her frenemy from the bar, got out of the car. “Thank you!”

  Ashley didn’t even respond. She just came at Krysta, catching her off guard. She pushed Krysta down and there was hate, actual hate, in her eyes. Then she was on top of Krysta with her whole weight pinning Krysta down. Her hands were around Krysta’s throat. Krysta tried to fight. Krysta had always been so good at getting away. But Ashley had gotten the jump on her.

  “This is for Alyssa. I know what you did, Krysta!” Ashley’s grip tightened around Krysta’s neck.

  Now Krysta couldn’t breathe. She felt so sleepy. She stopped fighting. She lay still and felt at peace. In fact, she felt like she was floating. She was! She was actually floating above the scene. She could see her own body laying lifeless on the ground.

  Krysta could see everything now from where she floated. Seconds after her attacker, Ashley, buckled herself in her car and drove away, she saw a dark blue Range Rover with Missouri plates pull off on the opposite side of the road.