Scene of the Crime: Widow Creek. Carla Cassidy

      “Thank you for not leaving me alone.”

      He reached across the table and his big hand engulfed hers, warming some of the cold spots she’d had inside. “There’s no way I’d leave you alone, Lexie. I know what it’s like to be alone with grief and I don’t want that for you.”

      As she looked into his soft gray eyes, she wanted him. She wanted the warmth of his body wrapped around hers. She needed him to keep the horror at bay.

      “Come to bed with me, Nick. Come to bed and make love to me.”

      His eyes flared wide at her words. “Lexie, that’s probably not a good idea tonight. You’re grieving and you aren’t thinking straight and the last thing I’d want to do is take advantage of you.”

      “You wouldn’t be. I know you’ve already had your Cupid arrow, Nick. This isn’t about love, it’s about need.” She got up from the table. “I need to be held. I need to feel alive. I need you, Nick.”

      Scene of the Crime: Widow Creek

      Carla Cassidy

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      To Valerie Francis

      For Sundays and girl talk and all your support! For laughter and jewelry and a little touch of sanity in my life. All I can say is thanks!

      ABOUT THE AUTHOR

      Carla Cassidy is an award-winning author who has written more than fifty novels for Harlequin Books. In 1995, she won Best Silhouette Romance from RT Book Reviews for Anything for Danny. In 1998, she also won a Career Achievement Award for Best Innovative Series from RT Book Reviews.

      Carla believes the only thing better than curling up with a good book to read is sitting down at the computer with a good story to write. She’s looking forward to writing many more books and bringing hours of pleasure to readers.

      CAST OF CHARACTERS

       Lexie Forbes —She’d come to Widow Creek seeking her missing twin sister but instead had found danger…and more.

       Nick Walker —Was he friend or foe to Lexie?

       Lana Forbes —Lexie’s missing twin. Had she walked away from her life or stumbled onto something malevolent in the small town?

       Gary Wendell —Was the chief of police a good guy or somebody who would do anything to protect the secrets of his town?

       Bo Richards —A handsome rancher who dated Lana. Was he the last person to see her alive? And was he responsible for her death?

       Clay Cole —A tough guy with an attitude. What did he know, if anything, about what had happened to Lana?

      Contents

      Chapter One

      Chapter Two

      Chapter Three

      Chapter Four

      Chapter Five

      Chapter Six

      Chapter Seven

      Chapter Eight

      Chapter Nine

      Chapter Ten

      Chapter Eleven

      Chapter Twelve

      Chapter Thirteen

       Chapter One

      Lexie Forbes rarely left her job at the Kansas City FBI field office early, but on this Friday afternoon she knocked off work at three and headed toward her car in the parking lot. There was nothing pressing on her desk, just the usual cons and perverts for her to chase down. But she’d awakened that morning with a vague sense of anxiety that she hadn’t quite been able to shake off.

      She knew the source of the anxiety—her twin sister, Lauren. They were extremely close and spoke on the phone to each other at least once or twice a day, but for the past two days Lexie had been unable to get hold of her sister.

      As she walked through the parking lot, the first fallen autumn leaves swirled around her feet and a cool breeze danced unexpected goose bumps along her arms.

      She reached her car, unlocked it and then slid in behind the wheel. She’d just put the key in and started the engine when it struck, an excruciating pain that slammed into the back of her head with such force it momentarily stole her breath away.

      It was there only a moment and then gone, leaving her gasping for air and holding on to the steering wheel with clenched fingers.

      “Whoa,” she finally breathed. What was that all about? It had felt like a bomb had detonated in the base of her brain. With a shaky hand she reached up and adjusted the rearview mirror so she could look at her reflection.

      She wasn’t sure what she expected to see, but the woman who stared back at her looked the same as always. Short, light brown, spiked hair with a vivid pink streak, black-rimmed glasses nearly hiding green eyes and no blood or missing skull from that sharp pain.

      Adjusting the mirror back where it belonged, her thoughts once again shot to her sister and the anxiety swelled bigger and tighter in her chest. There had been a time several years ago when Lexie had suffered from inexplicable arm pain for a couple of hours. Later she’d discovered that Lauren had broken her arm. It had been one of those crazy twin things that nobody understood and that only happened occasionally.

      Had Lauren hit her head? Had Lexie just experienced her twin’s pain? She dismissed the idea. Each and every pain Lexie suffered wasn’t tied to her twin sister.

      As she pulled out of the parking lot she decided that if she didn’t get hold of Lauren when she got to her apartment, then a road trip was definitely in order.

      Four months ago Lauren had realized her dream and bought six acres of land in a small town about an hour and a half from the Kansas City area. Over the last couple of years she’d become an established dog breeder and trainer and had wanted enough property to expand her business.

      Lexie had helped her move but hadn’t been back to visit since that time. It was definitely past time for a trip to see her sister. She had the weekend open and this was a perfect opportunity for a surprise visit.

      Once Lexie got home to her small apartment she tried her sister again, both on her landline and on her cell phone. When she still didn’t get an answer she packed a bag, locked the apartment door and headed toward the small Kansas town of Widow Creek.

      It was a pleasant drive. Traffic was light, and once she left the city she enjoyed the country scenery. Her favorite oldies played on the radio and she sang along until she reached the city limits of the small town.

      It was just after five when she pulled up in front of her sister’s place. The ranch-style farmhouse looked warm and inviting with pots of colorful flowers and a wicker rocking chair on the porch.

      She got out of the car and gazed around. She’d forgotten that the place was a bit isolated, with only one other house visible in the distance. Aware of the sound of barking dogs, she walked to the side of the house where a large fenced area contained four young German shepherds.

      They all raced to the fence with youthful pup eagerness, stepping on each other in an effort to get closer to her. She might have laughed at their antics if she didn’t see that their food and water bowls were empty.

      Lauren would never allow any of her dogs to go without food and water. The disquiet that had simmered inside her for the past two days now roared into full-bloom alarm.

      She left the dog pen and hurried to