Ann Rule - But I Trusted You. Ann Rules Crime Files Series, Book 14

PRAISE FOR
AMERICAS BEST TRUE-CRIME WRITER
(Kirkus Reviews)
AND HER #1 NEW YORK TIMES
BESTSELLING SERIES

Ann Rules Crime Files

Fourteen riveting volumes of true-crime stories
drawn from her personal collection

Chilling cases. A frightening, fascinating rogues gallery of mercenary murderers.

Mystery Guild

Prolific and talented Rule proves her warranted reputation as one of true crimes leading lights. With a novelists skill, Rule brings to life a rich case.

Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Spine-tingling could win a place in any insomniacs heart.

Barnesandnoble.com

Fascinating, unsettling tales. Among the very small group of top-notch true-crime writers, Rule just may be the best of the bunch.

Booklist

Rules ability to depict both criminals and victims as believable human beings is perfectly embodied in this sad, fascinating account.

Library Journal

Gripping tales. Fans of true crime know they can rely on Ann Rule to deliver the dead-level best.

The Hartford Courant (CT)

MORE MUST-READ TRUE CRIME
FROM ANN RULEDONT MISS THESE
CELEBRATED BESTSELLERS

Ann Rule worked the late-night shift at a suicide
hotline with a handsome, whip-smart psychology
major who became her close friend. Soon the world
would know him: Ted Bundy, one of the most
savage serial killers of our time.

THE STRANGER BESIDE ME
Now in an updated edition!

A shattering story carefully investigated, written with compassion but also with professional objectivity.

Seattle Times

Overwhelming!

Houston Post

Ann Rule has an extraordinary angle [on] the most fascinating killer in modern American history. As
dramatic and chilling as a bedroom window shattering at midnight.

The New York Times

TOO LATE TO SAY GOODBYE

The quintessential true-crime story. The mesmerizing tale of how law enforcement coordinated information from two deaths separated by nearly a decade to convict Bart Corbin of murder. Prepare yourself for a few late nights of reading.

Bookreporter.com

GREEN RIVER, RUNNING RED

[Rule] conveys the emotional truth of the Green River case.

Los Angeles Times

Riveting. Rule infuses her case study with a personally felt sense of urgency. People

HEART FULL OF LIES

A convincing portrait of a meticulous criminal mind.

The Washington Post

Fascinating. The sheer weight of [Rules] investigative technique places her at the forefront of true-crime writers. Booklist

EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE

Affecting, tense, and smart true crime.

Washington Post Book World

Absolutely riveting psychologically perceptive.

Booklist

AND NEVER LET HER GO

Truly creepy. This portrait of an evil prince needs no embellishment.

People

[Rule] might have created her masterpiece.

The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)

Even crime buffs who followed the case closely [will] gain new insights.

The Orlando Sentinel (FL)

[Rule] tell[s] the sad story with authority, flair, and pace.

The Washington Post

BOOKS BY ANN RULE
Too Late to Say Goodbye
Green River, Running Red
Every Breath You Take
Heart Full of Lies
And Never Let Her Go
Bitter Harvest
Dead by Sunset
Everything She Ever Wanted
If You Really Loved Me
The Stranger Beside Me
Possession
Small Sacrifices

Ann Rules Crime Files

Vol. 13: Mortal Danger and Other True Cases

Vol. 12: Smoke, Mirrors, and Murder and Other
True Cases

Vol. 11: No Regrets and Other True Cases

Vol. 10: Worth More Dead and Other True Cases

Vol. 9: Kiss Me, Kill Me and Other True Cases

Vol. 8: Last Dance, Last Chance and Other True Cases

Vol. 7: Empty Promises and Other True Cases

Vol. 6: A Rage to Kill and Other True Cases

Vol. 5: The End of the Dream and Other True Cases

Vol. 4: In the Name of Love and Other True Cases

Vol. 3: A Fever in the Heart and Other True Cases

Vol. 2: You Belong to Me and Other True Cases

Vol. 1: A Rose for Her Grave and Other True Cases

Without Pity: Ann Rules Most Dangerous Killers

The I-5 Killer
The Want-Ad Killer
Lust Killer

The sale of this book without its cover is unauthorized. If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that it was reported to the publisher as unsold and destroyed. Neither the author nor the publisher has received payment for the sale of this stripped book.

Pocket Books
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1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
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The names of some individuals have been changed. Such names are indicated by an asterisk (*) the first time each appears in the narrative.

Copyright 2009 by Ann Rule

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Pocket Books Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

First Pocket Books paperback edition December 2009

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Cover illustration by Tom Hallman. Hand lettering by James Wang.

Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

ISBN 978-1-4165-4223-0
ISBN 978-1-4391-6054-1 (ebook)

To the late Sheriff Chris Hansen
of Montcalm County, Michigan, my grandfather.
Our grandfather inspired me and all my cousins
with his ability to talk to almost anyone,
his understanding of human nature, his skill
as an investigator, and his compassion.

Many decades ago, Robert Ripley chose
Chris Hansen for his feature Believe It or Not
because he never had to fire his gun during his long
career as a lawman. The Hansen descendants are
spread all over America now, and most of us chose
to be police officers, lawyers, social workers,
prosecutors, parole and probation officers,
teachers, or writers.

We all owe a lot to our grandfather,
a Danish immigrant who settled in Michigan!

There are so many cases in But I Trusted You, and so many real people in each of them, that this will be a long list. I could not possibly have learned this many details without a great deal of help from detectives, prosecutors, witnesses, jurors, and victims families.

Thank you to Brad Pince and Jim Scharf of the Snohomish County Sheriffs Office, Eloise Schumacher and Peyton Whitely of the Seattle Times, Susan, Lieutenant Frank Chase, Ted Forrester, Rolf Grunden, Bruce Morrison, Jerry Harris, Mike Gillis, Harlan Bollinger, Len Randall, Mark Fern, and the late Sam Hicks of the King County Sheriffs Office. Billy Baughman, Dick Reed, Ted Fonis, Wayne Dorman, Bud Jelberg, Bob Holter, and John Boatman from the Seattle Police Department, and to Sergeant L. E. Robinson of the Enumclaw Police Department and Park Ranger Harry De Lashmutt. Chief of detectives Bill Patterson of the Chelan County Sheriffs Office helped me a great deal, and so did Lieutenant Walt Kezar of the Oregon State Police, the Oregon State Board of Parole, and special thanks to Rob Romig of the