Published by The Fiction Works
ISBN: 1-58124-734-6
Cover Art: April Metternich
Daniel Trevors finds his peaceful life rocked when a series of murders and a rekindled love affair intrude on his mundane life, forcing him to question everyone and everything.
Daniel and his partner, Ben Wilson, are hot on the trail of a murderer who appears to kill just for the pleasure of it, but they soon realize that the case is more complicated than they thought.
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REVIEWS
4 Stars
TWISTED LIVES provides an example of the tangled webs we weave...a
gratifying tale of evil and its twisted effects.
TWISTED LIVES has everything...the plot is good, the characters well developed, a nasty villain, and a love story that fits in with the plot. There is also an ending that will surprise the reader.
Reviewed by: Hattie Boyd - Scribes World Reviews
Cindy Penn
Senior Editor/Web Wizard
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Chapter One Excerpt
Lightning streaked through the late afternoon sky, followed by ear splitting cracks of thunder. Rain pelted the lifeless form lying on the sodden ground.
"Trevors, get over here!"
Daniel Trevors moved away from the crowd of curious onlookers that had gathered, at the same time wondering what it was about tragedies that brought people out. He motioned for two officers to relieve him, then rushed to his partner's side. "What's up, Ben? I thought you said the guy had a heart attack or something."
"Take a look at this." Ben pointed at the corpse lying face down.
Daniel squinted, then focused his eyes to where Ben was pointing. "Who in God's name would have done this?" he exclaimed, examining the puncture wounds in the man's jacket. "He must have been stabbed twenty times!" He looked at his partner. "You don't think this is connected with the other three, do you, Ben?"
Ben Wilson shrugged his shoulders, pondering the question. "I don't know what to think, Daniel. It looks like the poor guy was ambushed from behind." Lightning flashed. He looked up at the sky. "This storms getting worse." He looked back down at the victim. "Tell homicide to get their asses over here."
Daniel ran to the car and radioed homicide, then walked back over to his partner. "Do you think we have a serial killer on our hands, Ben?"
Ben thoughtfully scratched his head, then looked at Daniel. "What else can we think at this point?"
Jackie Davis stared at the cloudburst from the window of her dance studio. Lightning streaked through the darkened sky. She hoped the storm would let up before her class ended, and at the same time wondered if her students for the next class would show up. She didn't want to reschedule if she could help it because it would mean giving up a day she had planned for something else.
She felt a tug at her arm and turned away from the window. "What is it, Jessi?" she asked with a smile, looking into the child's frightened eyes.
"I'm afraid of the storm," Jessi answered in a quivering voice. "The lightning scares me."
"It'll soon be over," she said, soothingly. "Go back to the bar and work on your stretching exercises with the other girls. I'll be there in a minute. She patted the child's shoulder, then watched as the chubby youngster cautiously made her way over to her classmates.
Jackie turned back to the window, staring again at the raging storm and feeling her mood becoming as black as the sky. Not long ago she had thought her life was under control. She had made her own decisions and lived exactly the way she saw fit. She hadn't wanted to be tied down to anyone; that would only complicate her free nature. But recently, something had happened that made her question her priorities. She had to make some decisions about her life.
Daniel Trevors hurried down the street to the Davis Dance Studio. He stood inside the door, leaning his against the doorjamb as he caught his breath. He smiled at the group of young dancers as they twisted and turned their bodies in an attempt to imitate their teacher.
Jackie caught his eye and winked. "Okay, young ladies, that's it for today. I'll see you on Thursday." She picked up a towel and mopped her forehead as she made her way over to where he stood.
"What brings you here, Daniel?" she asked with a forced smile. She hoped he hadn't come to pressure her about resuming their relationship.
"I had some business a couple of doors down, so I thought I'd drop in for a minute to say hello." His eyes traveled around the studio. "You've done a great job with this place."
Jackie remembered only too well how deplorable this property had been when she first saw it. But she had a vision of what it could be; it seemed that she was the only one who saw the potential. Her energy and enthusiasm knew no bounds and she spent endless hours scrubbing, painting, and refinishing every inch of her studio. The end result was a bright and cheerful room which she proudly opened to the public.
"Thank you." She threw her towel on a chair. "I've got a few minutes until my next class. Can I get you anything? A soft drink?"
"No, thanks," he answered.
She looked into his dark, brooding eyes and sensed that he wasn't here for a social visit. This was only the second time, since she had known him, he had come to the studio. The first time was when she had called him to investigate some broken windows. "What is it, Daniel?" she asked.
He took her hand in his. "I don't want to alarm you, Jackie, but there's been another murder--four doors from here."
She stared wide-eyed at him. "That's four in the past month! What's going on?" she asked, her voice becoming high-pitched.
He drew her into his arms hoping to calm her trembling body. "Please be careful, Jackie," he said softly, gently running a hand over her shoulder. He felt her stiffen. "What's wrong?"
She pulled away from him. "Daniel, we'll never be more than friends. Please don't expect anything else." She picked up her ballet shoes. "I've got to get ready for my next class."
He watched her closely as she changed her shoes, her leotard clinging to her shapely and well-conditioned body. Her energy amazed him; it always had. He often wondered how she built the stamina to sustain the rigid demands her many classes put on her. She was unique, and he wanted her back.
He opened the door, turned and looked at her again. She was a strange woman. She had such a hold on him that no matter what he was doing, he couldn't rid his mind of her. She consumed his thoughts. And she had made it perfectly clear to him that they could only be friends. But still, he yearned for her. His only hope was that someday she would change her mind and love him the way he loved her.
She waved to him. He smiled, waved goodbye, then slowly left the studio. He had a long night ahead of him and he wasn't looking forward to it. A cold-blooded killer lurked somewhere in the shadows and his instincts told him that it was only a matter of time before the killer would strike again.
Jackie walked the six blocks to her apartment enjoying the freshness of the night after the earlier heavy rain. Bright stars lit the sky and a light breeze made it a perfect night for walking. She wished her mind was as clear as the night, but Daniel invaded her thoughts. He wanted something from her that she was incapable of giving to him or any other man. If things were different, she knew he would have her heart. She loved everything about him--his warm smile, the laugh lines around his beautiful dark eyes, his slim, but firm build, but most of all, she loved his genuine compassion for others. She admired the way he raised his daughter, and still gave his all to his work. He seemed to have an endless reserve of energy. When he said he was available day or night, he really meant it.
Jackie reached her modest apartment building, slipped inside, slamming the security door shut. She pulled the mail from her box, grabbed the evening paper, then walked the three flights to her apartment. Once inside her apartment, she slipped off her shoes and carried them to her bedroom. She was tired, but knew that going to bed now would only mean hours of tossing and turning, so she grabbed a magazine from the nightstand table, walked to the bathroom and drew a bubble bath.
Daniel sat at his cluttered desk eyes focused on a stack of papers all needing his immediate attention. But he couldn't focus on the other cases--not now. The murders had his full attention. This case was one of the most difficult and bizarre he had ever seen and he had no clues or motives. The murderer was slick. At first Daniel's theory had been a drifter passing through, but after the second murder that theory quickly dissipated. He gulped his coffee and signed a few reports.
"Ready to call it a night?" Ben Wilson yelled from his desk.
Daniel stood up. "Yeah, we've got the early shift tomorrow." He stretched. "And with this case, we'll probably be putting in a lot of overtime."
Ben laughed. "So what else is new? There's always something to keep us here. But all work and no play makes Ben a dull boy. I think I'll go to Bennies for a couple. Care to join me?" he asked, pulling on his jacket.
Daniel glanced at his wristwatch. "Not tonight, Ben. Thanks anyway."
"Got a hot date?" he teased.
"Don't I wish. Nah, I've got to get home."
"Such are the demands of single parenthood. But Jenny's a good kid."
"She is. I just need to spend more time with her."
"Well, I'm going to run, then. See you tomorrow."
Daniel watched Ben, wondering how the man balanced his reckless lifestyle and career. Ben Wilson was a couple of years older. He had been through a bitter divorce following ten years of a stormy marriage. Now he acted like he wanted to make up for those lost years of freedom. He partied every night with a different woman and loved telling Daniel of his indiscretions. On many occasions he had tried to set Daniel up, but each time Daniel had firmly refused. He wanted someone with whom he could have a meaningful relationship. He wanted a solid foundation to build a future life with only one woman. He hoped that someday Ben would see that there was more to life and want something deeper. He knew that Ben would never jeopardize his career. He was a good cop and his instincts were sharp. But Daniel worried about him just the same. He saw the loneliness etched on Ben's face as the holidays drew near. Ben's ex, Sylvia, had moved across the country making it impossible for Ben to have much of a relationship with his only child, Josh. Ben pretended he was happy, but Daniel saw through his act. It was only a performance to hide the pain he was really feeling. In the beginning, Daniel had tried to reach out to Ben, but embarrassment made Ben retreat into his own world where no one could touch his heart again. Ben thought his moment of weakness would make him less of a man. But Daniel knew different because he had been there himself years before.
Daniel set his coffee cup next to the coffee pot, then grabbed his jacket.
Half an hour later, Daniel pulled into the garage. After locking the garage, he walked up the front sidewalk of his comfortable home making a mental list of chores to do around the house. He noticed that every light in the house appeared to be on. He smiled as he was certain the electric company did every month when they sent him his bill. Jenny always left every light burning until he was safely home.
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