Shadows On The Lake

Shadows On The Lake
Leona Karr

WHAT LIES BENEATH…A lonely houseboat on an isolated dock was not what Courtney Collins expected when she and her infant son arrived at Hidden Cove for the summer. But their cold, mysterious host was Courtney's reclusive aunt and the only family they had left.As the days passed, the hostile atmosphere was broken only by their landlord Neil Ellsworth's charming attention to Courtney.The sexy-but-forever-single businessman offered a strong shoulder for Courtney's uncertain fears and for once Courtney could foresee a happy future. But her dream was shattered the moment her baby was kidnapped. With few clues and a nearly spotless crime scene, could Neil hold the key to unlocking the truth?

Courtney stood on the deck and watched the wake of the boat disappear in the distance

She and Neil were from two different worlds, and she ought to have the sense to realize it. Sighing, she turned to go into the houseboat.

“I’m back.” A haunting emptiness echoed her words.

She stiffened as an undefined apprehension assaulted her from the dark gloom of the houseboat. Something was wrong. Her heart was suddenly pounding as she bounded to her sleeping compartment to check on her baby.

She froze in the doorway when she saw that the bassinet was empty and the diaper bag was gone. She spun on her heels. She searched everywhere…but found nothing, no one.

There was no sign of her baby on the floating house….

Dear Harlequin Intrigue Reader,

This month you’ll want to have all six of our books to keep you company as you brave those April showers!

Debra Webb kicks off THE ENFORCERS, her exciting new trilogy, with John Doe on Her Doorstep. And for all of you who have been waiting with bated breath for the newest installment in Kelsey Roberts’s THE LANDRY BROTHERS series, we have Chasing Secrets.

Rebecca York, Ann Voss Peterson and Patricia Rosemoor join together in Desert Sons. You won’t want to miss this unique three-in-one collection!

Two of your favorite promotions are back. You won’t be able to resist Leona Karr’s ECLIPSE title, Shadows on the Lake. And you’ll be on the edge of your seat while reading Jean Barrett’s Paternity Unknown, the latest installment in TOP SECRET BABIES.

Meet another of THE PRECINCT’s rugged lawmen in Julie Miller’s Police Business.

Every month you can depend on Harlequin Intrigue to deliver an array of thrilling romantic suspense and mystery. Be sure you read each one!

Sincerely,

Denise O’Sullivan

Senior Editor

Harlequin Intrigue

Shadows on the Lake

Leona Karr

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A native of Colorado, Leona (Lee) Karr is the author of nearly forty books. Her favorite genres are romantic suspense and inspirational romance. After graduating from the University of Colorado with a B.A. and the University of Northern Colorado with an M.A., she taught as a reading specialist until her first book was published in 1980. She has been on the Waldenbooks bestseller list and nominated by Romantic Times for Best Romantic Saga and Best Gothic Author. She has been honored as the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writer of the Year, and received Colorado’s Romance Writer of the Year Award. Her books have been reprinted in more than a dozen foreign countries. She is a presenter at numerous writing conferences and has taught college courses in creative writing.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Courtney Collins—A single mother who is the victim of a dangerous deception. What is the fate of her baby boy?

Neil Ellsworth—Drawn into a tangled mesh of love and danger, Neil has secrets of his own. Can the single mother whose baby is missing break down the walls of his hardened heart?

Devanna Davenport—Courtney’s aunt has agreed to help her niece under false pretenses. What is the truth hidden in the darkest depths of her personality?

Detective McGrady—This dedicated sleuth with a big heart tracks a murderous kidnapper.

Jake Delaney—An angry business associate who threatens revenge. But will he have to pay the ultimate price in the end?

Steve Woodward—What will happen when the police discover his participation in investment fraud?

Harold Jensen—This kind gentleman had no idea that his past acquaintance with Devanna would forever seal his fate.

Contents

Prologue

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 Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Prologue