The Substitute Sister
GHOSTLY WHISPERSRocking chairs moving to and fro in the night…and an inherited house straight out of the eeriest of ghost stories. These were the things Sasha Michaelson found when she arrived on Sunset Island to collect the body of her identical twin…and take charge of her newly discovered niece.But even more frightening to Sasha than her sister's shadowy presence in the old house, and the killer still running loose on the small island, was the fact that Sheriff Reed Blakeslee stopped her breath and made her heart pound fast.But was the brooding lawman's determined search for answers caused by a love that hadn't stopped with death…or by a desire–for Sasha–that he couldn't deny?
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âSashaâ¦â
She flattened her palms against her ears, trying to shut out the ghostly voice.
âGo away,â Sasha whispered back. âPlease, Nadine, leave me aloneâ¦.â A shudder wracked her body. Had she lost her mind? She was arguing with a ghost. But was Nadine a ghost? Was she really dead? No one had found her body, just the blood.
Suddenly Sasha heard another cry. Annieâs. The storm must have awakened the child.
âSashaâ¦â
She ignored the whisper as she kicked back the covers. The nanny was closer, but Sasha had to go to the little girl. She needed Annie, needed to hold her to soothe herself. Her bare feet padded against the worn runner as she felt her way down the hall. The nursery door stood open and lightning flashed through the window, illuminating the room where the child slept peacefully again in the crib.
In the corner, the rocker moved to and froâ¦.
Dear Harlequin Intrigue Reader,
Spring is in the air and we have a month of fabulous books for you to curl up with as the March winds howl outside:
Familiar is back on the prowl, in Caroline Burnesâs Familiar Texas. And Rocky Mountain Maneuvers marks the conclusion of Cassie Milesâs COLORADO CRIME CONSULTANTS trilogy.
Jessica Andersen brings us an exciting medical thriller, Covert M.D.
Donât miss the next ECLIPSE title, Lisa Childsâs The Substitute Sister.
Definitely check out our April lineup. Debra Webb is starting THE ENFORCERS, an exciting new miniseries you wonât want to miss. Also look for a special 3-in-1 story from Rebecca York, Ann Voss Peterson and Patricia Rosemoor called Desert Sons.
Each month, Harlequin Intrigue brings you a variety of heart-stopping romantic suspense and chilling mystery. Donât miss a single book!
Sincerely,
Denise OâSullivan
Senior Editor
Harlequin Intrigue
To Stacy Boydâmy helpful, insightful editor.
To Kimberly Duffy w/a Lindsey Brookesâ
for unwavering friendship and supportâlove you!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lisa Childs has been writing since she could first form sentences. At eleven she won her first writing award and was interviewed by the local newspaper. That storyâs plot revolved around a kidnapping, probably something she wished on any of her six siblings. A Halloween birthday predestined a life of writing intrigue. She enjoys the mix of suspense and romance.
Readers can write to Lisa at P.O. Box 139, Marne, MI 49435 or visit her at her Web site www.lisachilds.com.
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Sasha MichaelsonâSheâs lost her twin on Sunset Island, but sheâs in danger of losing her heart and her life, too.
Reed BlakesleeâThe lawmanâs determined to protect Sasha, no matter the riskâ¦physically or emotionally.
Nadine MichaelsonâSheâs always resented her twinâenough to lure her to danger?
Charles NorderâSashaâs ex-fiancé had left her for her sister. How obsessed had he remained?
Albert JorgenâThe lawyer handled all of Nadineâs personal affairs.
Roger ScottâHow resentful was he that Nadine had stolen his inheritance?
Mrs. ArnoldâThe housekeeper served herself first.
JerryâDoes the gardener know where all the secrets are buried?
BarbieâThe young nanny resents her new employer as much as her missing one.
AnnieâThe toddler now calls her aunt Mommy, but will she lose this one, too?
The Scott MansionâThe old Victorian house is alive with hatred and ghosts.
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 Fourteen
Chapter One
Sasha stepped before the long oval mirror, peering at her reflection to adjust her veil. The gauzy lace hindered her sight that day, her wedding day; foolish trust blinded her every other day. Frustration jangled her nerves, so that when she lifted the veil, her shaking fingers rent the fabric, leaving it in tatters across her face.
But it wasnât her face staring back at her through the suddenly fogging glass. It was her twin standing there, shiny black hair flowing around the shoulders of the lacy white gown, the tattered veil mingling with her thick lashes and bright-blue eyes. It was Nadineâs laughter that rang out, shattering the silence of the night and pulling Sasha from her dream.
Instead of the bright sunshine of the back room of the chapel in her dream, Sasha opened her eyes to thick darkness. But the enveloping night didnât slow her racing heart or soothe her raw nerves. She hadnât had that dream in years. Had the stress of her crazy day working at the high school inspired it? Counseling teens had always stressed her out. Why have the dream now?
And why did her twinâs laughter still ring in her ears?
No, not Nadineâs laughter. The phone. With shaking hands, Sasha fumbled for the receiver, knocked it onto the floor, then used the cord to reel it up to her ear. âHelloâ¦â she stammered.
âMs. Michaelson?â a man asked. The deep rumble of his voice rasped along her oversensitive nerve endings.
