B T Lord [Lord - An Equal Measure of Murder

Copyright Bety Comerford (B.T. Lord)

All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the authors imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.

ISBN-13: 978-1986152044
ISBN-10: 1986152049

Cover Art by Grace Currier

Other books in the Twin Ponds Mystery Series:

Murder on Ice

Murder by Misadventure

A Perfect Case of Murder

Murder by Duplicity

Murder Among Crows

Murder To Die For (a free Twin Ponds novella available only on my website www.btlordwriter.com)

To

You

Who have taken these books to heart and

enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them

PROLOGUE

Eagla Island

The Coffin Islands off the Coast of Maine

The rain fell in icy needles against her numb skin, causing her to tighten the hood around her soaking face.

The ocean roared beneath, its spray shooting up into the sky as the incoming storm pummeled the waves against the rocks below.

Cammie Farnsworth stood on the cliff, watching the black clouds roll towards her. Shed lost track of time. Was it dusk? Was it night? She couldnt tell anymore. Everything was dark, bleeding into itself.

She looked down at the roiling waters. Watched the angry foam leap up towards her. For a moment she wondered what it would feel like to take one step forward. Then another. Until there was no ground beneath her anymore. To feel herself falling through the air. To experience the black, frigid ocean plunge itself forcefully into her lungs.

The idea danced before her, just out of reach, beckoning to her. Part of her mind screamed against such a hideous idea. Yet, hiding within the indignation and disgust, there was a glimmer of a knowing a sense that this might be the only way to stop the ravages of guilt and pain.

She leaned forward ever so slightly and stared down at the ferocious ocean. Somewhere in the waves, she saw a face. She watched as the face smiled sadly at her before turning away and plunging down the side of a mountain, leaving a shattered body alongside her own shattered life.

Oh God, she mumbled under her breath as she pulled her mind away from the memory. But it was too late. Once again, she heard those last words that haunted her. That wouldnt let go. That made it hard to breathe whenever she remembered them.

Dont forget me

The wind howled, barreling into her, almost knocking her down. Her hood ripped away from her head and billowed noisily behind her.

The rain storm had arrived.

The drops now turned to hammers as they beat against her face, lashing her cheeks with tendrils of soaking hair. Above her, the sky suddenly ripped open with a bolt of lightning, closely followed by a roar of thunder.

She instinctively ducked as the skies lit up around her. From somewhere behind where she stood, she could just make out her name called out. Then it was gone. Whipped away by the violent winds.

She sighed.

She was not meant to die this day.

Cammie forced the hood forward and pulled it down over her rain drenched head. She tied it under her chin with a double knot and turned to go. Then hesitated. Everything seemed to be in slow motion these days. She didnt know if she was up or down. All she knew was that the depression shed been suffering from for the last few weeks had taken such a hold on her, she was beginning to lose touch of who she was.

Not that it mattered.

Dont forget me

Cammie!

The voice was closer now. She welcomed it while fighting against it at the same time. She wanted to be left alone. To work through her grief and anguish in her own way.

Hows that working for you? Youre only sinking deeper into such a dark place, you may never find your way out.

Cammie knew that was her fate if the owner of the voice wasnt there. Holding her, tying her to reality. Insisting the recent death was not her fault. As much as she rebelled against the incessant logic, it was her salvation.

It was time to leave. The storm was intensifying. She looked out once more over the ocean. As she did, something caught the corner of her eye. Jerking her head around, she gasped aloud, the sound snatched from her lips and flung out into the escalating winds.

She fought to keep her balance as she peered into the gathering gloom. Could she have imagined it?

No! She may be depressed, but she was not delusional. She knew what shed seen.

The voice yelling her name drew closer. But her mind was elsewhere.

A familiar feeling arose a feeling that felt good, yet frightening at the same time. It reminded her of what shed lost. Of who shed once been. And who she could become again.

Rather than turn towards the voice, she instead took a step off the edge of the cliff.

CHAPTER ONE

Twin Ponds, Maine

Deputy Rick Belleveau awoke with a start. He instantly knew he wasnt home, but for the life of him, he had no idea where he was. He started to climb out of bed, only to fall back when his head threatened to explode.

He brushed his long black hair out of his face and stared up at the ceiling, uncomfortably swimming before his blurred vision. His mouth was bone dry, his head pounded with an ungodly pain, and his stomach made ominously loud gurgling noises. Ever so slowly, as his vision cleared, bits and pieces of the night before made themselves known.

What the hell were you thinking?

Mumbling a curse under his acrid breath, he willed himself to get up, throw on his clothes and get out of there as quickly as possible. The last thing he wanted was to see Evie. Or was it Leila? Crap, this was not good.

Smelling the aroma of sizzling bacon, which only increased his nausea, Rick was forced to move slowly and deliberately as he dressed as quickly as he could. Any sudden moves and hed lose the battle to keep the contents of his stomach where they belonged. Slipping on his boots, he started for the bedroom door, only to pause when he realized hed have to pass by whoever was making breakfast. He looked around the room and his heart sank when he saw the only exit available to him was through the window. Thank God, the house was a one-story ranch, or hed have to learn to fly in record time. He slid open the window and dropped down, just barely avoiding crashing into a row of rosebushes. The thorns, however, caught on his clothing. He cursed again at the sounds of tearing as he fought to disentangle himself from their sharp points.

With one last hard jerk, which left a long, ragged rip in his favorite jacket, Rick managed to finally get to his car. Driving away, he felt terrible for being such a louse, but the alternative was worse. Whoever hed spent the night with was going to see the guilt and remorse in his eyes. Theyd be hurt, which would lead to angry words, which would then lead to him saying something hed regret.

As if he didnt have enough regrets at the moment.

A few miles down the road, he pulled over. Leaning his forehead against the steering wheel, he took long deep breaths to push away the nausea that was threatening to overtake him.

What was wrong with him? Hed never been much of a drinker. But last night, hed started drinking with Evie, or Leila or whoever hed been with and lost control. That frightened him. He was not a man who easily lost control.

Its not my fault my life is a mess. Its Emmys fault. And Cammies.

When he felt his stomach finally settle down, he pulled back onto the road. Driving along with the forest trees zipping by on either side, his mind turned to the past week. And how it had wrecked him.