A Deadly Web

PRAISE FOR KAY HOOPER’S
BISHOP/SPECIAL CRIMES UNIT NOVELS

“Seethes and sizzles. A fast-paced, atmospheric tale that vibrates with tension, passion, and mystery. Readers will devour it.”

—Jayne Ann Krentz

“Kay Hooper . . . provide[s] a welcome chill on a hot summer’s day.”

—
Orlando Sentinel

“A stirring and evocative thriller.”

—
Palo Alto Daily News

“Filled with page-turning suspense.”

—
The Sunday Oklahoman

“A well-told, scary story.”

—
Toronto Sun

“It passed the ‘stay up late to finish it in one night’ test.”

—
The Denver Post

“Harrowing good fun . . . [Readers] will shiver and shudder.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“Fans will be captivated—at every turn . . . [Hooper’s] creative blend of the paranormal and suspense are truly distinctive.”

—
Suspense Magazine

“You won’t want to turn the lights out after reading this book!”

—
RT Book Reviews

“Hooper’s unerring story sense and ability to keep the pages flying can’t be denied.”

—
Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine

“Enjoyable . . . thought-provoking entertainment.”

—
Calgary Herald

“A full-force, page-turning, suspense-driven read . . . It had this reader anxiously gripping the pages.”

—
The Mystery Reader

TITLES BY KAY HOOPER

BISHOP / SPECIAL CRIMES UNIT NOVELS

Haven

Hostage

Haunted

THE BISHOP FILES

The First Prophet

A Deadly Web

THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP

Published by the Penguin Group

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A DEADLY WEB

A Jove Book / published by arrangement with the author

Copyright © 2015 by Kay Hooper.

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eBook ISBN: 978-1-101-58980-9

PUBLISHING HISTORY

Jove premium edition / April 2015

Cover design by Rita Frangie.

Cover photo © Romany WG / Trevillion Images.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

The Bishop Files

Report

March 12

To Whom It May Concern:

My understanding of the situation involving psychics has increased substantially since my last report, even though I still do not have proof that would stand up in court. As I last reported, I know psychics are being taken, vanishing without witnesses, while others at least appear to have died in accidents that left bodies all but destroyed. I suspect, but cannot prove, that at least some of those “victims” were in fact also abducted rather than murdered, the bodies left behind “identified” by falsified dental records and planted DNA.

“Bodies,” of course, implying that other innocent people are being deliberately murdered only to provide cover for what are true abductions. I suspect but cannot prove that these bodies are most often likely transients, people expected by local law enforcement to move on or disappear, with no family to know or care what happens to them, no one to file missing-person
reports. However, I also believe at least some bodies of supposed psychics were not transients; there have been too many “convenient” and unsolved deaths along the way for me to believe anything else.

That alone would most certainly be cause for grave concern, above and beyond the disappearance of psychics. An enemy ruthless enough to murder innocents for no other reason than to have a convenient body is an enemy who will stop at nothing. An enemy who has far too great an access to medical and investigative documents and files—and quite likely has allies or confidential informants inside law enforcement, possibly even inside government.

Aside from that elusive information, what both interests and troubles me is the fact that at least some psychics are simply abducted, vanishing without warning and without a trace. My only explanation for that is a growing understanding that until they are abducted, the psychics who merely disappear live very quiet and normal lives, attracting no attention to themselves, perhaps unwittingly making themselves targets simply because their disappearances raise few if any alarms. When they disappear, it seems to be or is reported by law enforcement to be a local family tragedy: runaway teenagers, unhappy wives, men overwhelmed by family responsibilities. Perhaps inexplicable but attracting little if any attention even from a news-hungry media when so much of seemingly greater importance is happening all over the globe.

Still, though I have learned more, the ultimate answer eludes me. I know some psychics are aware of a faceless enemy, that they fear being taken or killed, but I also know they seldom trust and never trust lightly, which makes it all the more difficult to even locate them, far less protect them effectively. I know that throughout my years-long search for psychics suited for law enforcement work, I have met and spoken to some who have since vanished without a trace.

I know there is some kind of organization or group of people fighting to help and protect psychics. They are nearly as secretive as their enemy, and with good cause. I have learned more about that group, and have managed not only to make contact with at least one “cell” of their organization, but even, I believe, to at least begin to win their trust. I do have some resources they lack, and long experience in locating and contacting psychics. I have value to them.

How much remains to be seen.

In this report, I offer the circumstances and results of my contact and interaction with the group, and of the events taking place at the time, events that for our purposes began in January of this year.

Respectfully submitted,

Noah Bishop, Unit Chief

Special Crimes Unit,
FBI

The roses will be beautiful this year . . .

. . . and he said to me, he said it was all my fault . . .

That poor child always has bruises, and I know, I just know what’s really going on in that house, but should I get involved?

No vacation this year. Lucky we don’t have to sell the house . . .

Should I call the cops again when I hear her scream? They didn’t do a thing last time, didn’t even go inside the house . . .

The carpet in the bedroom really should be replaced.

How will I feel when she turns up dead or disappears?

They’re coming.

How was I supposed to know he hated pets? What I get for letting friends fix me up, dammit.

Jesus, why don’t people know how to drive . . .

. . . you know how your mother is, and what am I supposed to do?

You put up with her, it’s just for two lousy weeks.

Yes, but—

The concert will be fun, you know that.

No, my mom won’t let me go—

They’re coming.

The club sandwich looks good. Maybe I’ll have the club sandwich.

The lawyer said I had a case. I can’t just stand by and pretend the bastards aren’t walking all over me.

They should serve wine with lunch. I don’t have to drive, after all.

I’m so afraid he’ll hit me again. I have the gun. But do I have the nerve to use it? I’m so afraid . . . if I miss he’ll kill me.

They’re coming.

She’s cheating on me, goddammit. I know she is.

I don’t know why they can’t trim their side of the hedge, it looks ridiculous like this . . .

He’ll never promote me, the son of a bitch. Millions in sales for his fucking company, and he still believes women should be fetching coffee when they aren’t barefoot and pregnant.

Coming . . .

If I’m very, very quiet, if I don’t make him mad, then maybe he won’t hit me again . . . Maybe I don’t need the gun. Maybe . . .

Really gorgeous roses . . .

If her dog shits in my yard one more time . . .

Coming . . .

Painting their house just shows how much mine needs it . . .

If I’m a good girl. I try to be a good girl . . .

There’s just no money to buy a new car, we’ll have to fix what we’ve got and live with it for a while.

Here.

What d’you mean I can’t play baseball this season? Dad—

He’s here.

The blue dress, I think.

You know . . .

I look good in the blue dress.

. . . he’s going to . . .

Damned high heels . . .

. . . kill you . . .

Damned . . .

. . . don’t you,
Tasha?