Twice Kissed. Lisa Jackson

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      STILL MISSING

      The phone rang and Maggie snagged the receiver, half-expecting to hear from her daughter. Instead, it was Detective Henderson.

      “Sorry to be calling so late, but I thought you’d want to know,” he said, and Maggie experienced the cold fingers of dread crawling up her spine. Her hand clenched the receiver in a tight grip. “It’s about your sister.”

      “What?”

      “Well, we’re starting to think that your sister’s Jeep might have been forced off the road.”

      “What do you mean?” she whispered, questions rushing through her head. “Are you saying someone intentionally tried to kill her?”

      “Don’t know for sure. Could be. Could have just been an accident or road rage or, yes, it could be someone who wanted to harm her.”

      “Dear God.” Maggie’s soul turned to ice.

      “As I said, it might have been a hit-and-run accident where the driver panicked—”

      “But that’s unlikely.”

      “Or a coincidence.”

      Maggie’s voice sounded far away even to her own ears. “Come on, Detective. Neither you nor I believe in coincidence. The most likely scenario is that someone tried to kill my twin sister…”

      Books by Lisa Jackson

      SEE HOW SHE DIES

      FINAL SCREAM

      WISHES

      WHISPERS

      TWICE KISSED

      UNSPOKEN

      IF SHE ONLY KNEW

      HOT BLOODED

      COLD BLOODED

      THE NIGHT BEFORE

      THE MORNING AFTER

      DEEP FREEZE

      FATAL BURN

      SHIVER

      Published by Zebra Books

      LISA JACKSON

      TWICE KISSED

      

ZEBRA BOOKS KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP. http://www.zebrabooks.com

      Heartfelt thanks to all the people who helped with the research and structuring of this book, especially Ann Baumann, Nancy Bush, Matthew Crose, Michael Crose, Alexis Harrington, Sally Peters, Tess O’Shaughnessy, Dave Painter, John Ray, Robin Rue, John Scognamiglio, Joan Sean, Carl Simpson, Celia Stinson and Larry Sparks. Your help, patience and laughter were invaluable.

      CONTENTS

      STILL MISSING

      PART I Settler’s Ridge Northern Idaho

      Chapter One

      Chapter Two

      Chapter Three

      Chapter Four

      PART II Rio Verde Northern California

      Chapter Five

      Chapter Six

      Chapter Seven

      Chapter Eight

      PART III Cheyenne, Wyoming

      Chapter Nine

      Chapter Ten

      Chapter Eleven

      Chapter Twelve

      Chapter Thirteen

      Chapter Fourteen

      Chapter Fifteen

      Chapter Sixteen

      Chapter Seventeen

      Chapter Eighteen

      Chapter Nineteen

      Chapter Twenty

      Chapter Twenty-One

      Epilogue

      PART I

      Settler’s Ridge

       Northern Idaho

      November 1998

      Chapter One

      Help me!

      Maggie froze.

      The old Maxwell House coffee can she used as a grain scoop slipped from her fingers. It hit the floor. Bam! Oats sprayed. Horses tossed their heads and neighed. Her legs buckled, and she grabbed hold of a rough-hewn post supporting the hayloft.

      Maggie, please! Only you can help me.

      “Mary Theresa?” Maggie mouthed, though no sound passed her lips. Was it possible? After all these years would her sister’s voice reach her? The barn seemed suddenly airless. Close. Cold sweat collected on her scalp though the mercury level in the old thermometer tacked onto the wall near the door dipped below fifty degrees.

      It was Thane. He did this to me. The voice pulsed through her brain.

      Thane Walker. Mary Theresa’s ex-husband and the one man Maggie never wanted to lay eyes upon again.

      “Did what?” This time she spoke out loud, though her throat was as tight as dried leather, any saliva that had been in her mouth long gone.

      Maggie, please, don’t let him get away with it…

      “Where are you?” she cried, spinning, looking up to the ancient rafters where an owl had taken up residence. Feathers and dust motes swirled in the faint shaft of light from a lone, circular window mounted near the ceiling. She knew that spoken words were useless. Mary Theresa was hundreds of miles away. So far. So damned far. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to throw her thoughts to wherever her twin might be. But it wouldn’t work. It never had. Nonetheless, she tried screaming in her mind: Mary Theresa, can you hear me? Can you? What did that bastard do to you?

      She waited.

      Nothing.

      A restless mare snorted.

      “If СКАЧАТЬ