Duplicate Daughter

by Alice Sharpe

  But it could and it did.

  Slowly, she became aware that Nick had started a gradual turn. He was headed back to Frostbite, back to Lily.

  Their eyes met and held.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “I’m smaller than you are,” Katie said for the third time.

  And for the third time Nick said, “I don’t care, it’s too dangerous.”

  “If we’re going to have a future,” she pronounced as they landed in Frostbite, “you’re going to have to stop worrying about me.”

  He taxied to a halt by his hangar, turned off the engine, took off his headphones and turned to face her. “Who said anything about a future?”

  “You did.”

  “When?”

  “When you were making love to me,” she said, smiling like she did, the way only she could, with her eyes twinkling with mischief and her delicious lips curved just so.

  The unbearable tension that had been mounting in Nick since the moment he discovered Lily missing found a short release in Katie’s wide-eyed remark. He laughed before leaning across the seat and kissing her. He said, “Don’t you know never to believe a word a man tells you when he wants sex?”

  She touched his face and said, “Use your head, Nick. I’m smaller.”

  “The door is two-feet square. Plenty of room for me.”

  “Not inside the actual wood room. You’d have to shuffle wood and that’s too noisy. I can slip in between the stacks and through the wood door right into the living room.”

  The awful part of this argument was that she was right. So what? He said, “I’m not going to risk losing you.”

  “I’m not yours to risk or not risk,” she said defiantly.

  Looking into her eyes, he flashed back on making love to her just a few hours before. She’d been a passionate, generous lover, meeting him more than halfway, so open and honest that for the first time in years, he’d known who he was again.

  And now she wanted to risk her life.

  “Katie,” he began—

  “Don’t say it,” she said, eyes blazing. “Don’t tell me to stay behind or remind me Lily’s not my problem. Just don’t do that to me. Please.”

  He kissed her forehead. “Don’t you understand?” he whispered.

  She stared into his eyes. “Yes, as a matter of fact, I do, Nick. Do you?”

  Temporarily lost as to what they were talking about, he muttered, “I don’t—”

  “Sweetheart? Just shut up, okay?” she said, and turning away, opened her door, letting a blast of frosty air into the snug cockpit.

  They got out of the plane, their condensed breath all but obscuring their faces. The night was clear and there was a full moon—a stroke of luck for them, but it was cold. Nick unlocked his hangar and rolled up the door. He didn’t take the time to put the plane away. There’d be time later—or things would go wrong and it simply wouldn’t matter. Nothing would matter.

  He strapped the rifle on the snowmobile along with the cross-country skis and poles and they were off, him driving, Katie plastered to his back. There wasn’t as much snow as before and the actual roads looked navigable for a four-wheel drive. Nick thought of Helen’s cousin’s truck negotiating these roads with a killer behind the wheel and his three-year-old daughter asleep in the passenger seat. At least Nick hoped she’d been asleep. He hoped she hadn’t seen Helen lying on the floor, dying, or heard her crying out.

  He drove faster, taking the old logging road, stopping where he’d stopped before on the other side of the small bridge, anxious that neither the headlights nor the sound of the engine gave them away before they were ready.

  They had each slipped a small flashlight into their pockets before leaving the plane. Nick cautioned Katie to keep the light pointed down at all times, but after a few steps, they realized the full moon created a path along the white snow that made additional light unnecessary.

  He’d strapped the skis on Katie. He himself plodded through the snow, wishing he’d thought to bring snowshoes, his anxiety canceling the stress of walking, his mind trying to come up with an alternate plan that wouldn’t necessitate Katie entering the lion’s den.

  But there wasn’t one and so as smoothly as a well-tended machine switching gear, he committed himself to their plan and stopped agonizing over nonexistent choices.

  They finally made it to the far side of the boathouse. From this vantage point, Nick could see the front of his house and, sure enough, a light-colored truck was parked in his driveway, which gave him a few interesting ideas when it came to creating a diversion. There were lights on within the house and wisps of smoke escaped the chimney.

  After Katie took off the skis, he leaned close and whispered in her ear. “I’ll give you ten minutes once we separate before I create a diversion. Remember we’re not sure how many of them there are or where in the house they’ve stashed Lily. And as soon as you have her, get out of that house.”

  She nodded and started to move away and he pulled her back. Whispering against her cheek, he added, “Be careful, Katie. If anything happens to you or Lily—”

  Too choked to finish his sentence, he kissed her fiercely then pushed her away, following close on her heels.

  KATIE WAITED for Nick to unlock the door to the woodshed before slipping inside as he disappeared into the thick shadows. She took off her shoes and brushed off any lingering snow. The flashlight revealed the door leading to the small room that opened directly, by means of a two-foot-square door, onto the fireplace hearth.

  Slowly, quietly, she let herself in that door, fighting for crawl space with several days’ worth of firewood. It was a good thing Nick had finally agreed to let her do this part. His broad shoulders would never have fit without knocking things around.

  Taking a deep breath, ear pressed against the small inner wood door, she waited for the sound of a diversion. She didn’t have to wait long.

  The explosion came from the front of the house. She heard running footsteps, alarmingly close. Shots fired. Yelling. How long to wait? The seconds passed like hours until she finally forced herself to push open the little door and tumble onto the rock hearth. The front door was wide-open, suggesting the bad guy had run outside. Katie said a silent prayer for Nick.

  She was on her feet in seconds, adrenaline pushing her forward as she ran toward Lily’s bedroom. Outside, visible through the windows, orange flames rocketed the night air. Katie ran down the hall, skidding on the hardwood floors in her socks as she came to Lily’s open door.

  Amazingly, the small child had slept through the disruption and lay with eyes closed, peaceful and innocent and seemingly safe, blond curls framing her sweet face. Katie was halfway to the bed when she finally caught sight of the second person in the room, sitting on the other side of the bed, a gun in his lap pointed straight at Lily.

  Carson.

  “I killed you,” she gasped, coming to an abrupt halt. Adrenaline drained from her body like wine from an uncorked bottle.

  The shock of seeing him alive warred with the awful knowledge that she’d failed, that they’d failed. The killer hadn’t left the house to respond to Nick’s diversion—he’d come back here to Lily’s room.

  A bloody bandage wrapped his high forehead. Deep circles under his eyes emphasized gaunt cheeks. From his dull black hair to his wrinkled, bloodied clothes, he’d lost his polish, lost his aura of cool control and now looked like a man with absolutely nothing more to lose.

  “Good thing for me you’re a lousy shot,” he said, his black eyes brutal. Katie didn’t need to remind herself that he’d already killed at least two people. Three, if you counted Nick’s late wife. “The bullet just grazed my head,” he added. “We weren’t far from shore and I’m a good swimmer. Hand over your weapon.”

  Katie put her hands out to her sides. “I don’t have a weapon.” She’d refused the handgun Nick had pressed on her.

  “Pierce sent you in here without a gun? Not very gallant of him. I suppose he expected me to run outsi
de when he blew up the truck?”

  “I suppose,” Katie said.

  “I shot him from the front door,” Carson said, an unholy smile stretching his thin lips. “Shot him dead. He’s out there in the snow. Unlike you, I kill what I shoot at. Come over here.”

  Nick dead? No. She refused to believe it, and yet…didn’t a part of her heart know Carson spoke the truth? Couldn’t she feel a hole where once there had been the warmth and comfort of love? Had she ever really expected they would all come out of this alive? Oh, Nick!

  Her chest collapsed in on itself, imploding like an old star system, dead and gone in the blink of an eye. And yet, she stood taller than ever. If Nick was gone, it was up to her to save his daughter. She crossed the room with sure steps, pausing for just an instant as she passed Lily’s oversize window, catching a glimpse of the moonlit snow outside and the lake beyond, aspects of another world now, another planet, another dimension.

  “Hurry up. Take off your jacket,” Carson demanded as he stood.

  She took off the bulky jacket and dropped it to the floor. He frisked her quickly, expertly, reminding her he was a cop or had been one. He said, “I guess Pierce found his father’s embezzled money and turned it over to Benito?”

  “No,” she said. “I know where it is. Don’t hurt Lily and it’s all yours.”

  He laughed at her as he snapped handcuffs on her wrists. “You’re in no position to bargain, lady. I’m wagering it’s on Pierce’s plane,” he added, and then flung the small key at Lily’s slumbering form. It bounced off her arm; the child didn’t flinch.

  Turning on Carson, Katie said, “What did you do to her?”

  “Gave her a decongestant. You should thank me. She’ll sleep through the whole thing.”

  “Did she see you shoot her babysitter or that poor cop?” Katie demanded.

  “She was already asleep. Once I get rid of you and her, I’ll go after Bill Thurman. I take it you didn’t bring him with you. I didn’t see him when I shot Pierce.”

  “You’ll never find Nick’s father without Nick,” Katie said, once again leaping over the open wound of Nick’s death.

  “On the contrary. It wasn’t hard to…persuade…the babysitter to tell me Thurman is staying at Doc’s place. Not many friends earn a nickname like that. If Pierce were still alive I bet he’d be kicking himself for putting Doc in his address book. So, don’t you worry, I’ll get him. I always get my man.”

  He poked Katie with the gun. “Lay down next to the kid,” he added, shoving her toward the bed as he moved in front of the window on his way to the door. He was going to execute them, together. Katie’s head raced as she tried to think of a way to stop what now seemed inevitable. The cuffs were heavy on her wrists. Could she get close enough to bang him on the head with them? And the key. It was lying there on the blanket.

  But there was no time.

  In the next instant, she heard a shot and instinctively threw herself on top of Lily, grabbing the key as she did so. The shot was followed by the roar of breaking glass. Katie looked up in time to see Nick leap through the shattered window, rifle in hand, blood streaming down his face, one arm hanging limp and bloody.

  “Nick!”

  Carson lay on the floor beneath a mountain of safety glass, his head a bloody pulp.

  Katie sat up as Nick crossed the room, his focus moving from her face to his daughter’s still form. Horror touched his eyes. “Is she…is she hurt?”

  “No, no, darling, she’s fine, just drugged,” Katie hastened to assure him. She sat up, cradling Lily, shaking not only from the cold air pouring through the broken window but from the culmination of the past few minutes.

  Nick sat down on the bed beside her. Gently brushing Lily’s hair away with his good hand, he leaned over and kissed her forehead. Then he turned his gaze to Katie. “Are you hurt?” he murmured.

  As he took the key from her and freed her wrists, she grabbed a fistful of pink sheet and held it against his arm to stop the bleeding. Determined not to cry yet unable to stop the tears rolling down her cheeks, she mumbled, “I’m not hurt. But you—”

  “It’s nothing,” he said, sliding his arm around her shoulder, looking down at his daughter’s face. They sat there for a moment in the silence, amazed to be alive, amazed to know it was finally over, that they were safe.

  He kissed her gently.

  “I thought you were dead,” Katie said.

  “It’s just a flesh wound.”

  “But Carson…he said you were dead.”

  “He should have come outside and checked for sure,” Nick said. “When I fell I hunkered down in the snow and just lay there. I guess I’m a better actor than I knew I was.”

  Katie looked from his injured arm to his blood-splattered face, into his green eyes. “I love you,” she said, running a hand over his unshaven cheek. “You don’t have to love me. It’s okay. But I love you.”

  He peered at her deeply. “I knew you were going to be trouble from the first moment I saw you,” he said.

  “Does that mean—”

  “Yes.”

  And he kissed her again.

  Epilogue

  Everything was ready.

  The restaurant had been closed for the evening to host a small, private party. Security was posted at every door. The wedding couple was due to arrive at any moment.

  Nick reached for Katie’s hand, his thumb running over the diamond he’d placed on her finger about twelve hours after he saved her from Carson. A wide gold band sat next to it, placed there six months later, right before he sold his land and house in Alaska and bought this little beachside restaurant on Maui. Right before they moved here and started over.

  Katie held Lily against her hip. Both beautiful, tanned faces reflected the coming excitement.

  His gaze reached a corner table at which his father and Katie’s mother sat hand in hand, sipping champagne, watching the sunset.

  “They look so content,” Katie said, peering around him.

  “Yes, they do. And by this time tomorrow, they’ll be off somewhere living under an assumed name.”

  Within a few moments, Tess wafted into the restaurant in a cloud of white, Ryan Hill at her side, looking as smitten as Nick knew he’d looked at his own wedding several weeks before. As Katie hugged her sister, Nick shook Ryan’s hand.

  It took a little getting used to, this seeing the two women together, both blond again, both with short, sexy hair, both identical down to their expressions and the sound of their voices.

  And yet infinitely different, at least to him. Tess was fine, Tess was great, but Katie—well, she took his breath away.

  Katie’s eyes met his at that moment and he knew she knew exactly what he was thinking. She always did.

  “It’s time to get started,” she said, handing him Lily, then reaching up on tiptoes to brush her lips against his, turning away even as she did so.

  “Not so fast,” he said, pulling her back. As Lily shrieked with laughter, he kissed Katie again, this time soundly, this time to remind her that she was his.

  And that he was hers.

  Forever.

  ISBN: 978-1-4592-2548-0

  DUPLICATE DAUGHTER

  Copyright: ©2006 by Alice Sharpe

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.

  All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.

  This edition published by arrangement with Harlequ
in Books S.A.

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  * Dead Ringer

  Table of Contents

  Dedication

  About the Author

  Books by Alice Sharpe

  Cast cf Characters

  Contents

  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

  Epilogue

  Copyright