Look-Alike

Look-Alike
Rita Herron

Sheriff Miles Monahue had fallen hard for Caitlin Collier, meeting and marrying her in less than a month.So when she disappeared and Miles was accused of foul play, his world shattered. Then, just when he thought he'd never learn the truth, her body was discovered. Before Miles could grieve, Caitlin's look-alike stumbled back into his life, with no memory.True, his wedding had been uncharacteristically impulsive, but the feelings "Caitlin" stirred made him determined to protect her from the danger that had followed her home…till death did they part.

Look-Alike

Rita Herron

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

To my own look-alike—the sweet one, Reba.

May your true love find you and sweep you away!

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Sheriff Miles Monahue —He’s been accused of killing his wife, but when her look-alike surfaces with a bizarre story about being held in a psychiatric ward on Nighthawk Island, will he be able to uncover the truth about which twin is his wife, and find The Carver?

Caitlin Collier —She married Miles, then mysteriously disappeared. Did she betray him or was she the victim of something sinister?

Nora Collier —Caitlin’s identical twin—is she dead or alive?

The Carver —He believes that marriage means till death do us part, and he has been chosen to dole out the punishment for betraying those vows—with murder. But who is he really?

Federal Agent Reilly Brown —He is determined to get to the bottom of Caitlin Collier’s disappearance and find The Carver. Will he pin the crime on Miles?

Dr. Hubert Hollinsby —A psychiatrist who specializes in twin identity crisis. Did he conduct experiments on Nora and/or Caitlin? How far will he go to protect his secrets?

Dr. Omar White —He finally convinced CIRP to open another research hospital in Raven’s Peak…and he will do anything to keep it open.

Dr. Arthur Mullins —This medical examiner solves crimes through forensic evidence—is he hiding something?

Reverend Perry —His sermons focus on marriage and fidelity—how far will he go to make the people listen?

Buck Bennigan —This cowboy was the last man to see the Collier twin before she died—did he kill her?

Jimmy Joe Johnson —The bartender claims he slept with Caitlin—or was it Nora?

Contents

Cast of Characters

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

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Prologue

Savannah, Georgia

“Father, forgive me, for I have sinned.”

“And how may I help you, my child?” the priest asked.

“I have taken a woman’s life.” He stretched his fingers in front of him, the bloodstains still darkening his blunt nails, the scent of the woman’s fear still pervading his body.

Behind the curtain, he heard the priest shift uncomfortably, knew he was probably struggling with the need to see his face, with his sacred vows to keep his silence.

But finally, true to his calling, or maybe because his curiosity was spiked, he said, “Go on.”

“She is one of many to come,” he said, a singsongy note entering his voice. “She was a sinner, a home wrecker. She did not honor her marital vows and she had to pay.”

“Only our God can pass judgment on another,” the Father said. “We are all sinners. It is not for us to dole out punishments.”