by Robin Caroll
Praise for
Strand of Deception
Strand of Deception reads like a riveting CSI and Law and Order episode, with a little Blue Bloods thrown in. A girl murdered, a supposed serial killer on the loose. From the first compelling scene, through the red herrings and fascinating forensic analysis, Maddie and Nick’s search for the truth kept me up way into the night. A can’t put down mystery with sweet romance—the perfect combination! A great ending to this fabulous series!
—Susan May Warren, best-selling,
award-winning author of Take A Chance on Me
Strand of Deception is Caroll at her best. Breathtaking suspense in a southern setting kept me flipping the pages, and the sweet romance left me smiling when I finished the book. No ones does romantic suspense like Robin Caroll. Highly recommended!
—Colleen Coble, author of Tidewater Inn and
the Rock Harbor series
Robin Caroll’s best book yet! Part CSI, part Law and Order with a touch of Elvis—this last installment in the Justice Seekers series is Caroll at her finest. Filled with fast-paced tension and lightning dialogue, a book you’ll want to race through in a single sitting.”
—Tosca Lee, New York Times best-selling author
This is one awesome novel! Taut, intricately woven, and so romantic, I hated to leave Maddie and Nick. You’ll be sorry to reach the last page, too, but by all means get there!
—Jill Elizabeth Nelson, author of Betrayal on the Border
Rich characters, delicious suspense, and dark secrets combine to chill and thrill Robin Caroll’s readers in Strand of Deception. Novel Rocket and I give it out highest recommendation.
—Ane Mulligan, senior editor Novel Rocket,
www.novelrocket.com
In Strand of Deception, author Robin Caroll has written a story of political intrigue that pulled me in quickly. When a senator’s daughter is murdered, a DNA forensic expert has to work with the FBI to find the culprit. The book is a marriage of romance, mystery, and political scandal perfect for readers of romantic suspense.
—Cara C. Putman, award-winning author of Stars in the Night and A Wedding Transpires on Mackinac Island
Reading Strand of Deception is like watching your favorite CSI show on TV! I loved every page of Maddie and Nick’s story as they sought a killer and righted a wrong. I especially loved how Robin Caroll wove important truths into these true-to-life characters as they struggled with their own failings and shortcomings. Truly an entertaining and inspiring story!
—Dineen Miller, author of The Soul Saver
and A Love Meant to Be
The latest offering in the Justice Seekers series, Strand of Deception, was a frustrating read—only because of the number of real-world interruptions I had to deal with. But I always came back and thoroughly enjoyed Caroll’s well-developed characters, their faith journeys, and the wonderfully twisty, intense suspense that carried this story to its satisfying conclusion.
—Tamara Leigh, award-winning, best-selling author of
Splitting Harriet, Dreamspell, and The Unveiling
I can honestly say that I’ve never encountered a suspense novel that riveted me from the first sentence to the last without letting go somewhere in between, but Strand of Deception, Robin Caroll’s latest installment, did. This book was as heart-rending as it was gripping. The plot and details were obviously meticulously plotted and handled with great care. This added such realism to the book. The characters and their emotion felt like a living, breathing thing throughout the book, which will go down as one of the most memorable suspense novels I’ve ever read. Truly riveting and emotionally evocative.
—Cheryl Wyatt, award-winning author
of inspirational action romance
When a Robin Caroll book arrives in my house, it goes to the top of my to-be-read list. Strand of Deception is no exception. As always, she wrote a suspense novel that was hard to put down. The characters leapt from the pages and lived out a storyline that kept me turning pages as fast as I could. The plot was fresh and unique and kept me guessing until the very end. Robin is masterful with her use of words, creating vivid scenes that enthralled me.
—Lena Nelson Dooley, award-winning author
of the McKenna’s Daughters series and
Love Finds You in Golden, New Mexico
Strand of Deception is another home run by Robin Caroll. I read this book in almost one sitting—not because I didn’t have anything else to do, but because I couldn’t put it down! Robin has created characters to care about, a mystery that had me suspecting everyone but the right villain, and a faith message that touched my heart. Definitely a book for the keeper shelf.
—Lynette Eason, best-selling, award-winning
author of The Women of Justice and Deadly Reunions series
Other Novels by Robin Caroll
Justice Seekers Series
Injustice for All
To Write a Wrong
Evil Series
Deliver Us from Evil
Fear No Evil
In the Shadow of Evil
Bayou Series
Bayou Justice
Bayou Corruption
Bayou Judgment
Bayou Paradox
Bayou Betrayal
Blackmail
Framed!
Dead Air
Strand of Deception, Digital Edition
Based on Print Edition
Copyright © 2013 by Robin Miller
All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America
978-1-4336-7214-9
Published by B&H Publishing Group
Nashville, Tennessee
Dewey Decimal Classification: F
Subject Heading: MYSTERY FICTION LOVE STORIES DNA FINGERPRINTING—FICTION
Scripture quotations or paraphrases are taken from the following versions: the Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV). Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
Publisher’s Note: The characters and events in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to actual persons or events is coincidental.
For Momma . . . because when I grow up,
I want to be just like you.
Acknowledgments
If I searched throughout the publishing industry, I could not ask for a better editor than the one I’ve been blessed to work with—Julee Schwarzburg. She is so amazingly talented and works extremely hard to make my novels the best they can be. My heartfelt thanks to you, Julee. Your friendship is so valued.
My thanks to the whole Pure Enjoyment team at B&H for helping the Justice Seekers series see the light of day. I truly appreciate each of you for extending your talent and skill on my behalf. It’s been a fun journey.
Special thanks to Kristin Helm at the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Your input was invaluable and your willingness to answer my millions of questions was so appreciated.
This book dealt with minute details. Huge thanks to the following people for sharing their knowledge with me: Timothy D. Kupferschmid, MBA, MFS; Melissa Myhand with the Arkansas Crimelab; Cara Putman; and Jill Spriggs, CA DOJ Bureau Chief, Bureau of Forensic Services. Any mistakes in the representation of details are mine, where I twisted in the best interest of my story.
Special thanks to Cara Putman for reading this book (fast) before I turned it in. You are amazing!
As always, there are many in the writing community
who help me in so many ways, I can’t even begin to list them. My heartfelt thanks to Colleen Coble, Pam Hillman, Tosca Lee, Dineen Miller, Cara Putman, and Cheryl Wyatt.
My most sincere thanks to my awesome agent, Steve Laube (HP), who keeps me focused and on task, as well as remaining the steady calm when I need it. THANK YOU.
My extended family members are my biggest fans and greatest cheerleaders. Thank you for ALWAYS being in my corner: Mom and Papa, BB and Robert, Bek and Krys, Bubba and Lisa, Brandon, Rachel, and Aunt Millicent.
I couldn’t do what I do without my girls—Emily Carol, Remington Case, and Isabella Co-Ceaux. I love each of you so much! Thank y’all so much for your support and encouragement when I needed to write. And my precious grandsons, Benton and Zayden. You are joys in my life.
There aren’t enough words to express the love and gratitude for my husband, Case. Thank you for everything you do. You truly are my rock . . . my true North . . . my partner in this life. I could not do this without you and I love you with all my heart.
Finally, all glory to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.
Glossary of Acronyms
AFIS—Automated Fingerprint Identification System
ALS—Alternate Light Source
BOLO—Be On the LookOut
CI—Confidential Informant
CODIS—Combined DNA Index System
CSU—Crime Scene Unit
DOC—Department of Corrections
IAFIS—Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System
MO—Modus Operandi
NIBIN—National Integrated Ballistics Information Network
PCR—DNA strand identifiers test
RFLP—Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism
TBI—Tennessee Bureau of Investigation
“For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”
Romans 10:10
Prologue
The stack of photographs slipped to the floor, splaying across the wood planks like wildflowers over a grassy meadow. Her hands trembled as tears flowed down her cheeks. This wasn’t real. This couldn’t be happening.
Yet the pictures proved otherwise. This was real, very real.
Her knees weakened. She slumped into the leather chair behind the desk. Even the familiar whoosh couldn’t comfort her now. The proof of his betrayal assaulted her. On the floor. On the desk. In her hand.
Photographs of him in another woman’s arms. How could he do this to them, his family? To her? Surely he knew this would destroy them, but he cheated anyway. She didn’t understand. Did they mean so little to him?
Her heart ached in a way she never thought possible. Like someone shredded her insides. Another sob escaped her clenched lips. It bounced off the walls and rattled her ears. She never imagined betrayal like this would hurt so badly. So deeply.
She held her head in her hands, her elbows digging into the unyielding wood of the desk. Her lungs fought to push air in and out. Her legs wouldn’t stop quaking.
The morning sun beat past the curtains and flooded the loft with light. How dare such a symbol of joy invade when her entire life had just been destroyed?
Swallowing against a dry mouth, she bit her bottom lip and stared at the photographs. All of a sudden, she felt physically ill. This would destroy not only their family, but his career. His future. Was that why the pictures were taken?
Her heart slammed against her ribs as another thought raced through her mind . . . Why were the pictures here? Everything in her didn’t want to believe what stared her right in the face. But there was no other explanation. The photos were here . . . for what? Money? A favor?
Blackmail?
Bile burned the back of her throat. This was all wrong. Everything.
Her mind struggled to comprehend. She’d let him into the family. Trusted him. Thought she loved him and he loved her. Apparently, she was wrong.
Dead wrong.
The pictures mocked her from all sides. This was her fault. She didn’t have a choice now—she’d have to confront him and hear his excuse, not that she’d believe any lie he told. She’d destroy the photographs, all of them, and demand the negatives. Then she’d shut him out of their lives forever, even though it would kill her.
Her legs barely supported the weight of her decision as she ran for the bathroom.
Chapter One
“Adversity is sometimes hard upon a man; but for one man
who can stand prosperity, there are a hundred
that will stand adversity.”
Elvis Presley
Two Weeks Ago
“We call Ms. Madeline Baxter to the stand.”
Maddie wiped her hands on her skirt and stood. She’d testified at various trials over the years, but never one like this. Only a handful of people sat in the stuffy courtroom, the heat turned too high. She took the oath to tell the truth amid little fanfare before taking her seat in the witness stand.
She glanced over the few people sitting on the very hard, very uncomfortable pews. The judge had closed the hearing to the media, but the hounds waited just outside the oversized doors of the Shelby County Courthouse. Those allowed inside were legal figures, police, family members, and of course, the defendant.
“Ms. Baxter, will you please state your name and occupation for the court record?”
She leaned forward to the microphone. “Madeline Baxter. I’m a forensic scientist specializing in serology and DNA.”
“And you are currently employed by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, correct?”
Maddie licked her lips. “In the Forensic Services Division, yes.”
The defense attorney shuffled through pages on the legal pad he held. “Can you tell us a little about your professional background and qualifications, Ms. Baxter?”
Standard questions, but for the first time in her career, she felt like she was in the hot seat. “I hold a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, as well as one in forensic science from the University of Tennessee. I graduated magna cum laude ten years ago and have been working for the TBI ever since. As such, I am a commissioned law-enforcement officer.”
“Would you be described as an expert in your field, Ms. Baxter?”
They always asked the same question, just worded in various ways. Getting it on the record. “Yes.”
“And the lab where you conduct your tests . . . is it accredited?”
“The TBI forensic lab is accredited by the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board.”
“Good.” The lawyer paused for effect, Maddie was sure, returning to the table where the defendant sat, back straight and shoulders squared. “Now, Ms. Baxter, I’d like to direct you to a recent DNA test you conducted at the request of my office, regarding the defendant, Mr. Mark Hubble.”
And here we go. Maddie licked her lips again. “Yes.”
“You recall performing this test?”
“Yes.”
“Can you give the court a brief overview for the record?”
“Our lab was supplied a saliva sample taken nine years ago from a crime scene involving a sexual assault. The sample was well preserved. I initially made tests, presumptive tests, for the presence of blood, which is ortho-tolidine. I utilized hydrogen peroxide as the tests reagents. I conducted testing for acid phosphatase, testing for P30 protein and for amylase, which is an enzyme found in saliva in high concentrations.”
“Go on.” The attorney nodded, as if he understood everything she said. He didn’t. Most people didn’t. All they wanted to know was what she would testify to next.
“We were also supplied, by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, a saliv
a sample of the defendant.”
“And you ran these same tests on that sample?”
“I did.”
The lawyer paced slowly in front of the courtroom, paused, then moved beside her. “And you compared the two results?”
“Yes.”
“And what was your conclusion?”
Maddie sat up straighter. “That Mr. Hubble is excluded as a match for the saliva sample.”
The attorney smiled as he faced her. “So, in your expert opinion, Ms. Baxter, the tests you ran on the samples concluded the samples were from a different person, right?”
She nodded, then remembered she was in court. “Yes.”
“Are you positive?”
“Yes. Science doesn’t lie.”
The defense attorney smiled broadly. “Thank you, Ms. Baxter.” He grinned at the judge. “I have no further questions, Your Honor.”
The judge glanced at the opposing table. The prosecutor jumped to his feet. “We have no questions, Your Honor.”
“You may step down.” The judge excused her.
She marched from the witness stand, catching the defendant’s stare as she did. His eyes were dark, lifeless as he stared through her. A chill settled over her as she rushed past him.
The victim had stood in court, faced the man, and testified that Mark Hubble had sexually assaulted her. He’d been found guilty and sentenced to fifteen years. He’d served six already when his appellant lawyer discovered the saliva sample sitting in evidence and the order for DNA testing came through.
Looking at him now, Maddie’s stomach knotted. He gave her the creeps, but DNA didn’t lie. She had run the tests twice and gone over the results multiple times, twice with the head of the crime lab. The samples weren’t from the same person—she was 100 percent positive of that fact. She stood behind the science over eyewitness testimony. How had the victim identified the wrong man?
Within moments, the judge had overturned the conviction and set Mr. Mark Hubble free with the court’s humble apology. Right . . . Maddie could see the defense attorney’s eyes shining with visions of dollar signs as he would prepare a civil suit for wrongful incarceration and try to get rich off sensationalizing this case. The media would grab hold of the details like pit bulls, locking their jaws on the story and not letting loose until the next big one surfaced.
