Read When the Storm Breaks Online

Authors: Heather Lowell

When the Storm Breaks

When the Storm Breaks
Heather Lowell

A serial killer has one obsession . . .

Claire Lambert walked into a nightmare on a rainy night in Washington, D.C. Stumbling upon a killer in the midst of his latest bloody crime, she ran for her life -- but not before a head injury caused her to lose her memory, along with her purse and ID. Now a monster knows who Claire is . . . and where she lives.

Waking up in a hospital room the day after being attacked -- her mind stripped of all memory of what happened to her -- Claire can only listen with horror to the scenario Detective Sean Richter unfolds before her. A law officer fiercely dedicated to ending the wave of brutal killings that has struck the city, Sean knows that this brave and beautiful woman holds the key to stopping the murderer before he can strike again. Claire is the only victim who has seen the killer's face and lived -- which is why Sean needs her help and will risk everything to protect her . . .

And why a depraved, relentless animal is determined that Claire Lambert must die.

About the Author

Heather Lowell was born and raised in Southern California. She attended Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., where she began her love affair with foreign languages, international politics, and off-the-beaten-path travel. She's journeyed by bus, train, and boat throughout the developing world, meeting local people and practicing her language skills -- the occasional face-to-face encounter with livestock was an added bonus. While her "list of things to do before settling down" is still quite long, Heather has already crossed off hiking the Andes, going up the Amazon River, backpacking through Australia and New Zealand, SCUBA diving, bungee jumping, white-water rafting, caving, and jumping out of an airplane.

In the 1990s, Heather studied in Brazil, volunteered as an English teacher in Hungary, and earned a Master's degree in International Development. She briefly considered becoming a professional traveler before deciding that defaulting on her student loans wasn't a lofty career goal. Instead, she served her time in a cubicle as a project manager in Information Technology, where her life closely paralleled that of the comic strip Dilbert. When the tech bubble burst and the stock market plummeted, Heather took it as a sign that she should get out of the corporate world and follow her dream of writing. She hasn't looked back since that day.

Despite an adventurous past, Heather Lowell now considers herself to be a dedicated homebody -- with a car, mortgage, and dog to prove it. She currently lives in Arizona, where she is working on her next book.

HEATHER LOWELL
WHEN
THE
STORM
BREAKS

Contents

Dedication

Chapter 1

“What do you think, dear?” Peggy Gallagher looked over the…

Chapter 2

Several hours later watched the elevator doors swish closed on…

Chapter 3

Bitch.

Chapter 4

Officer Reggie Garfield had responded to calls at the Suds…

Chapter 5

Detective Sean Richter swore luridly when his pager went off…

Chapter 6

Sean’s instincts were screaming all the way to George Washington…

Chapter 7

An insistent hand briskly shook Claire’s shoulder. “Ms. Lambert? Claire?…

Chapter 8

Claire emerged from a sleep so deep she hadn’t moved…

Chapter 9

The chunky heels on Olivia Goodhue’s loafers clicked loudly in…

Chapter 10

“Do you have your car?” Sean asked Aidan as they…

Chapter 11

“A brutal murder has sent shock waves through a quiet D.C.…

Chapter 12

Olivia searched up and down Claire’s street, looking for a…

Chapter 13

The man sat behind the wheel of his two-door BMW,…

Chapter 14

Captain Michaels hadn’t been impressed with Sean’s theory that the…

Chapter 15

The doctors Sean had hoped to talk to weren’t available…

Chapter 16

Sean dragged a grumpy Aidan through the revolving doors of…

Chapter 17

Sean grunted with the effort of blocking the baskedball. He…

Chapter 18

Claire was relieved when Olivia finally went back to work…

Chapter 19

Claire Stalked into the building that held Camelot’t offices. She…

Chapter 20

“We’re so relieved that you weren’t seriously hurt, Claire. What…

Chapter 21

The man sat outside the gourmet coffee shop on Wisconsin…

Chapter 22

Sean and Aidan sat at a scarred table in the…

Chapter 23

As soon as Claire closed the door in Sean’s face,…

Chapter 24

Sean made it in three mintues flat because he didn’t…

Chapter 25

Aidan locked the door as the last of the evidence…

Chapter 26

“I still don’t think is a good idea.” Olivia’s voice…

Chapter 27

Sean walked through the doors to the police station late…

Chapter 28

Claire made a sound of annoyance as she set her…

Chapter 29

The man settled more comfortably into his folding chair and…

Chapter 30

The tension Afton’s office at Camelot was so obvious that…

Chapter 31

Safely hidden behind the darkened glass of a café window…

Chapter 32

“It’s about time,” Captain Michaels said when Sean and Aidan

Chapter 33

Claire looked impatiently out the window of the cab. The…

Chapter 34

“So tonight’s the big date, huh?” Olivia asked. She was…

Chapter 35

Sean had won the coin toss, meaning he would follow…

Chapter 36

Less than twenty-four hours after her last date, Claire found…

Chapter 37

Claire stepped out into the muggy night air and turned…

Chapter 38

The man braked at a dimly lit stop sign…

Chapter 39

Claire walked into Afton’s office Sunday evening and was…

Chapter 40

Billy Green, a congressional staffer from Dubuque, lowa, was…

Chapter 41

Claire sat next to Afton in the offices of Camelot.

Chapter 42

“Thanks for coming in on such notice,” Sean said, holding…

Chapter 43

Aidan and Sean left the conference room and Dr. Morton…

Chapter 44

“Why would three otherwise sane women pay outrageous prices to…

Chapter 45

Claire sipped her mineral water and decided that even modern,…

Chapter 46

“It’s called a turn signal moron,” Claire said aloud to…

Chapter 47

Sean woke when the rain stopped. The windows of his…

Chapter 48

Claire awoke feeling tired, grumpy, and distinctly sore in certain…

Chapter 49

Sean tried to put Claire out of his mind. It…

Chapter 50

Claire stepped into her high heels and triedly rolled her…

Chapter 51

The man frowned as Marie Claire’s cab pulled away from…

Chapter 52

Sean and Aidan sat at their desks reviewing the status…

Chapter 53

Claire stood in front of the bathroom mirror and ran…

Chapter 54

Sean and Aidan were two blocks from Afton’s house when…

Chapter 55

Sean went outside to where Aidan was making notes on…

Chapter 56

Sean impatiently paced the suite’s living room. He’d already told…

Chapter 57

The man stepped out of his apartment to pick up…

Chapter 58

Claire woke to a bright, sunny room and the unfamiliar…

Chapter 59

Aidan was seated at his desk, but he jumped up…

Chapter 60

The man sat in his apartment dining room and carefully…

Chapter 61

“Your noon appointment is here” Afton’s receptioist said.

Chapter 62

Aidan was in the kitchen of the safe house, reviewing…

Chapter 63

The man walked confidently through the lobby of the shabby…

Chapter 64

Sean stepped into the offices of Camelot and tried not…

Chapter 65

Afton paced around the conference table, stopping occassionally to sift…

Chapter 66

The man sat quietly behind a lilac bush, waiting for…

Chapter 67

Sean pounced on his cell phone when it rang. “Aidan?”…

Chapter 68

“Gin,” Olivia said. She laid down her winning hand and…

Chapter 69

Olivia waited in a dark corner of the attic until…

Chapter 70

Aidan drove recklessly down the narrow suburban streets—dispatch hadn’t…

Chapter 71

Sean held the cell phone in his hands, trying not…

Chapter 72

Claire sat in the passenger seat of the killer’s car…

Chapter 73

“Where is Diaz? Is he able to answer any questions?”…

Chapter 74

Wilkes looked in the rearview mirror, then in both side…

Chapter 75

Sean forced himself to slow down as he neared the…

Chapter 76

Claire’s brilliant idea to go into the school didn’t seem…

Chapter 77

“I’m notnormally a needle fan,” Claire said to Sean,…

About the Author

Copyright

About the Publisher

Dedication

To my parents,

for knowing when to catch me,

and when to let me fly.

And always believing

that the latter was possible.

Washington, D.C.

July

Friday evening

“Southern Belle, thirty, seeks prince to carry her off to his castle and take care of her forever.”

“W
hat do you think, dear?” Peggy Gallagher looked over the table at her new client.

Claire Lambert shifted in her chair, struggling for a response that wouldn’t offend Peggy. She turned to her friend Afton for assistance, since she had been the one to talk her into joining a dating service in the first place.

“Doesn’t that caption sound like something to grab a man’s attention, Marie Claire?” Peggy pressed.

Deciding Afton wasn’t going to help, Claire thought about her options. She might have been tired after a long day—a long week, really—but not tired enough to let that gem get by her untouched. Joining the Gallaghers’ dating service was humiliating enough, but having a blurb like the one Peggy had suggested appear next to her picture would be pathetic.

Besides, she hated being called Marie Claire.

Claire worked hard to look serious. “I was thinking more along the lines of ‘
Businesswoman, thirty, has castle, seeks prince to help with upkeep and provide occasional foot massage
.’”

Claire’s deadpan expression was angelic. She had spent her formative years tormenting the nuns at Our Heavenly Savior Catholic Girls School in New Orleans, so getting Peggy’s back up was easy.

Peggy drew herself up straight in her chair, inhaling through her flared nostrils, while across the table, her daughter and business partner covered laughter with a cough. Afton Gallagher truly enjoyed seeing someone make her mother pucker up—it happened so rarely.

“Mom, why don’t you make sure the computer is set up for Claire to view the eligible candidates. She and I can work on her bio later,” Afton said, careful to not meet Claire’s gaze.

Peggy surveyed them both for a long moment. “All right. But really, Marie Claire, you should put more thought into developing the caption to go with your picture in the catalogue. It’s the first impression the male candidates will have of you, and you certainly don’t want to come across as too flip. Or assertive. Men don’t care for that in a young lady.”

Peggy pushed back from the table, straightened her skirt with a practiced move, and went out the door of the conference room. Claire looked closely at her departing figure, trying to see if Peggy was, indeed, wearing nylons and a slip in the sweltering heat of a Washington, D.C. summer.

Claire looked up and caught Afton rolling her eyes.
They shared a moment of silent humor over Peggy’s stodgy approach to both fashion and romance in the twenty-first century.

Then Claire straightened in her chair, turning dancing black eyes to Afton. “Hey, I left out the part about ‘providing foot massages in exchange for the occasional blow job.’”

Afton laughed out loud. It was just like Claire to say something outrageous and make her forget that it was after nine on a Friday evening, and she had been working without a break for the last seven days. She’d had to stay late tonight to accommodate Claire’s busy schedule, but she didn’t mind doing her friend this favor. Besides, it had been Afton’s nagging that had convinced Claire to give the dating service a try in the first place. The least she could do was offer moral support.

“I’m suddenly not sure about signing up for a dating service,” Claire said once she’d stopped laughing. “It seems so, I don’t know, sad. Needy.” That was one word she would never use to describe herself. She hated being in a situation where that particular shoe might fit.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Afton said quickly, not wanting Claire to back out now that she had finally dragged her in. “We went over this before. You’re paying for a service—special friend’s price, I might add—just like getting your carpets cleaned or your car washed. We’re providing you with something you don’t have time to do yourself. It’s as simple as that.”

“Maybe, but I never had to fill out my preferences for eyes, hair, and build on the carpet cleaner or car wash guy before.” Claire’s eyes were serious, yet she gave a half smile. Afton had become a very close friend in the past six
months because Claire admired intelligence, guts, and determination. She didn’t want to wimp out and waste everyone’s time. “Oh, never mind. Let’s go look at our selection of eligible studs in the catalogue before I lose my nerve completely.”

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