Lost

Lost
Helen R. Myers

When Faith Ramey's abandoned car is discovered, the town can't help feeling an unwelcome sense of déjà vu. Police Chief Jared Morgan doesn't to believe there's a connection, but Faith's sister, Michaele, is beginning to suspect otherwise.She has sacrificed everything–including her true feelings for Jared–to ensure her younger sister's future. Now, losing Faith could do more than crush her…it might destroy the entire community.As secrets and scandals are exposed, old fears–and new–spawn doubt and suspicion. Is a sinister stranger lurking behind the murder and Faith's disappearance–or does something in Split Creek have blood on their hands? Only Michaele's fierce determination–and her trust in Jared–will help her see the truth hidden in plain sight.

Quickly locking the door, Michaele dialed the phone with trembling fingers.

On the fourth ring, he answered. “Yeah?”

“Jared, thank God.” His strong though irritated voice had her instantly forgiving what had transpired between them earlier. “I know I should have called the station, but I—”

“Michaele? What’s wrong?”

“I think Faith is missing.”

He was silent for several seconds. “Come again?”

“She never got home, and I just got this awful call—”

“Stay put,” he snapped. “I mean it. Don’t go outside. Do nothing until I get there.”

“But I haven’t told you—”

He hung up.

As soon as she replaced the phone receiver and looked out the parted kitchen-door curtains, out beyond the moths circling dizzily in the porch light to the indecipherable darkness beyond, the skin along her arms and at the back of her neck began tingling and her heart beat wildly.

Someone could be standing just beyond, maybe hiding as close as beyond the wrecker, watching her….

“Ms. Myers never fails to give the reader an entertaining story with fresh characterizations and dialogue that sparkles.”

—Rendezvous

Also available from MIRA Books and HELEN R. MYERS

COME SUNDOWN

MORE THAN YOU KNOW

DEAD END

Lost

Helen R. Myres

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

Acknowledgments

With every book a writer’s list of indebtedness grows. I would like to thank the following…

Ethan Ellenberg, not only for his input into this story, but for all the support, wisdom and perseverance from day one of our association.

Robert and Lacy Cooper, and Linda Varner Palmer for getting me through that ill-timed computer crash.

Betty and Cindy Meece for bunches, but most of all the Linda Vachon print. You did, indeed, inspire.

For answering questions and sharing anecdotes…

Wayne Bryant

Bobby Cole

Carol and C. F. David

Brad Taylor

RCR

And to Burt, whose real “Precious” inspired Michaele into taking on that Cameo restoration in the first place. I can only hope that hers would have come out half as good as yours did.

Just in ratio as knowledge increases, faith diminishes.

—Thomas Carlyle

Contents

Chapter 1 (#u9535f645-f970-5cf1-9eb0-5cc30665fcb1)

Chapter 2 (#u7889a88f-ec67-5337-b0d9-fd75d0785a3c)

Chapter 3 (#u283810c0-17c7-5b41-bee0-594345594ce6)

Chapter 4 (#u61ccd356-07e1-5d34-9947-7e46cf396083)

Chapter 5 (#u1ff8af08-a1d1-537c-9879-43a2d614a08e)

Chapter 6 (#u37b45e02-8d52-5c69-96bb-b2c1d0c77347)

Chapter 7 (#u041e2b48-c220-58ed-ae0d-94bcdd770b14)

Chapter 8 (#ud034605d-041b-54bf-bf72-96cd605304b3)

Chapter 9 (#uf1e9159d-ee4d-5977-b84e-c1da6d1d715e)

Chapter 10 (#u9ba05765-f1f8-52b8-8a25-10247ca289ef)

Chapter 11 (#u678ed953-bc95-5bc7-8c77-c7777b321fbf)

Chapter 12 (#u73800a21-2d2d-5ee4-8acd-b997cfe329a4)