In A Small Town Secrets Are Kept and Then They Kill
After the death of her husband, Helen Makris is trying to make a new life for herself in Tarrytown, Maine where she expects to quietly live out the rest of her days pursuing her passion of photography.
Colonel Kevin Smith, nearly retired, is also facing the later half of his life when he decides to vacation in Tarrytown, a place he’s heard much about. It is a bit more than Fate that bring the two second-chance lovers together.
Tarrytown is as picturesque as it is dangerous as among its peaceful but colorful citizens hides The Shaw Street Strangler. As the tortured, raped, and mangled bodies of the town’s young women begin to pile up the hunt is on. But The Strangler isn’t in Tarrytown for just any victim, he’s come for Helen and he will not stop until he gets her.
As suspicion arises around the handsome Colonel and his noticeable absences from town, Kevin is determined to prove his innocence and to keep Helen from becoming The Strangler’s next victim.
This chilling suspenseful thriller will have you on the edge of your seat to the very last word.
Excerpt
“Ellie, these are…these are fantastic!” Kevin turns to her quickly, his mouth hanging open and his eyes wide before he turns back to the photographs. “Why do you keep them up here?”
Now she has to come up with a plausible excuse. “They’re a little…dark, don’t you think? Not really company-ready, you know.” She walks up to him and follows him as he takes sidesteps to look at the pictures lined up on the walls. For a long dreadful moment, he’s absolutely silent and she fears he’s now seeing what she thinks others will in these images.
“Yeah, they’re dark and moody, chilling actually but isn’t that the point? Aren’t the photographs supposed to invoke emotions? Thoughts? There’s no rule that says they have to be pretty, right?”
“No, no, there isn’t.”
“Where is this place?”
“It’s the old Shaw Mansion down on Shaw Street, you’ve seen it many times I’m sure.”
“When? On our frequent trips into town?” he asks abruptly as he suddenly feels like the lonely pictures meeting his gaze; all stowed away up here in secret. “Sorry,” Kevin mumbles, “I suppose when you think I’m company-ready you’ll take me out and show me off.”
“That’s not fair, I mean, what does a hole-in-the-wall like Tarrytown have to offer a man like you anyway?”
Kevin stares down at her with disbelief in his dark eyes. “You.”
Helen shrugs and gives a little frown. “You’ve already got that.”
“How about, after I have a better look at these photos of yours, you take me out to lunch? Maybe we can go to that little diner in town?”
“If you’re hungry I’ll cook you something.”
“Humm-hum,” he grumbles, “see? You don’t want me to meet your friends.”
“Fine, you win, we’ll go to lunch.” She frowns deeper and shrugs her shoulders again. “I have to go grocery shopping anyway, so we’ll go to the diner and then I’ll take you to Andersons’, how’s that?” She slips her arms around her firm waist. “You’re not a secret, I’m not ashamed of you, believe me I want to take you out and show you off to everyone I know like a, well, like a trophy wife.” She coos and then bats her eyelashes at him.
He draws in a deep breath as he puts one hand around her waist and then other on her cheek. “Trophy wife, huh? I guess that makes us even; you’re my prize.”
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Lisa Beth Darling 