A suspense that will keep you guessing, with a Twist!
Two years after their marriage, Jim Culback wasn’t the man Clare thought he was. How many more broken promises could she accept? After packing and moving everything they owned from Ohio to Naples, Florida, she actually thought their marriage would improve. But as time went by, she couldn’t take the beatings, lies or cheating any longer. But could her husband be capable of homicide? Is Jim responsible for the murders of two women? A detective from Chicago is put on the case to help solve the murders and has an encounter with Clare. What develops between them? Can Clare trust another man? Or does Jim have other plans for Clare?
Excerpt
Prologue
I stare into the darkness. I can just make out the white walls surrounding me. I can’t remember how long I have been here, in this room. Some things I don’t recall because of the drugs they put into my body, but the memories I do have haunt me most nights and I start to lose my mind. I guess that’s why I’m in this place with white walls. I’m not allowed to have pencils or pens, or anything that is sharp and could hurt someone, but they do give me crayons to draw with. I would like to think I could adjust to the life I lead now, but when I awake from my dreams, I go crazy. Crazy, a word I don’t like to hear or use when I’m locked up in this place. This place will make anyone insane, at least that’s what they tell me anyway, that I’m insane.
I hear the sound of footsteps outside my door, a door with a tiny window just above my head so I can’t see out, but they can see in. A light clicks on and the door opens, a man in a red smock walks in carrying a tray of food for me. It’s the same man I see every day, which tells me it must be morning. The people here wear different-colored smocks, I guess so we can determine what time it is.
“Breakfast,” the man in the red smock, says each morning. I’m not able to approach him or any of the people that come into my room, or they will strap my hands and feet down onto the metal railing of the bed. I don’t like them doing that, so I try to be a good girl and do as they ask. He sets the tray on a small table in the corner of my room. It’s where I eat and draw my pictures. Pictures of what I dream of; some good, but most bad. They hang them on the wall for me to look at, but they don’t know what the pictures mean to me. The people that work here tell me that the bad pictures are what I dream about. I know I was only trying to protect her, the girl in my dreams. We were once friends, so long ago in the world outside these walls.
I don’t answer back when the man with the red smock talks to me. I sit and wait for him to leave then eat my breakfast. I have to eat the food quickly because if I don’t, they come back in and take the tray away. I’ve learned to count in my head the amount of time I have. They give me fifteen minutes to eat. I keep crayon marks on the backside of my pictures for each minute. They ask me about the marks, but I don’t tell them. I don’t even know what day it is, much less the month or year. I guess it doesn’t really matter; I’m not going anywhere.
The light clicks on and off twice, letting me know that they are coming in for the tray. I quickly make my way to the bed and sit while they come and take the tray away. A woman enters and glides over to the bed, sits down beside me. Her hair rests softly on her shoulders and reminds me of the sun. I can feel her blue eyes, the color of the sky on a beautiful summer day, stare through me.
“It’s time for you to come with me. If you don’t fight me I won’t have them stick the nasty needle in your arm that you don’t like.”
I nod my head at her. She takes me to a room that is no bigger than the room I live in. In the center of the room is a large metal table and two chairs, one on each side. A pitcher of water with two glasses sits at the far end of the table, along with a notepad and a tape recorder. She motions for me to sit down and I obey. Sitting in front of me, she adjusts the tape recorder between us and presses the recorder button down. I don’t look at her; I just stare at the recorder on the table in front of me.
The lady takes out a pen from her pocket and scribbles something on the notepad. I can’t read what she has written, but I honestly don’t care.
“Okay, I want to go over the last matter we discussed. You said there was a story to tell me that went along with the pictures you have been drawing. Could you please start from the beginning and tell me all about it?” the lady asks.
I glance down at my hands that are strapped to the chair and swallow hard to keep the food down. Taking a deep breath through my nose I begin my story.
“This girl that I have mentioned, the one that used to be my friend, it is her story. A story of a love so deep it could cut you like a knife.” I snicker before going on. “My friend’s love turned into betrayal and fear. She doesn’t understand what I did for her, but I did what I had to do for my friend to be happy again and to live a life free from fear and heartache.”
Professional Reviews
I really enjoyed this book!
By Jill
Format: Paperback
I enjoyed this book a great deal. It was very riveting and hard to put down; a real page-turner. It kept you guessing until the very end. I'm a huge fan of Donna, I have loved her children's book series, The Tayla books, and have read them all to my children. I was extremely excited when I heard she came out with her first novel. I was not disappointed. I'm looking forward to more of her novels!
Excellent read!
By Nancy N
Format: Paperback
This book is an excellent read. I could not put it down. Anyone who has ever been with or currently may have a problem with Alcohol/drugs or loves mysteries will find it very interesting and exciting. Don't pass this one up!
An intriguing mystery!
By Judith Bicking
Format: Kindle Edition
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