Chapter 1 · The Replacement Twin

As a police officer, I was suddenly informed that my twin sister, Emily Green, had been brutally dismembered.

Outside the morgue, Emily's kind and gentle fiancé, Leon Graves, a psychiatrist, was crying so hard.

He gripped my hand so tightly that his knuckles turned white, his voice trembling with despair as he said, "The forensic pathologist said Emily wrote 'Bob Cooper' in blood on the floor before she died. It must have been him who killed her."

I froze right where I stood. A chill shot straight up my spine.

Emily and I were each other's only flesh and blood.

We were thrashed as kids. "Bob Cooper" was the secret SOS we came up with back then.

It meant the guy who killed her was a total psycho, and I had to stay hidden no matter what.

And right now, that man, the one who'd never even raised his voice at Emily, the guy who always had that gentle smile, was staring me down.

"Kelly, say something. Who is Bob Cooper?" Leon pressed.

He looked like a total gentleman, but he scared the hell out of me.

"Leon, just take it easy for a second," I said, trying to steady my voice. "I've never heard Emily mention anyone named Bob Cooper. Could he be someone she worked with?"

I stared into his eyes, not missing a single flicker of emotion.

He paused, then suddenly clutched his face in agony, his shoulders trembling uncontrollably. "None of her coworkers has that name. I just figured he was an old friend of yours."

His voice came out muffled, and he sounded absolutely devastated.

Zac, the young officer jotting down notes nearby, couldn't help but feel sorry for him. "I'm really sorry for your loss, Dr. Graves. We're gonna do everything we can to crack this case. We'll find justice for Dr. Green."

Leon looked up, tears streaking down his pale face.

Suddenly, he turned to Ryan, the veteran forensic pathologist handling the autopsy. "Dr. Clark, were the cuts on her body clean when she was found?"

The hallway fell silent in an instant. Everyone stared at him, stunned.

Leon seemed oblivious to the tension in the air, continuing to sob quietly. "Emily always wanted to look her best. If the cuts weren't clean, she would think she looked awful.

"She could never handle even the slightest bit of pain. Did she suffer much when the killer made the cuts?"

His words sounded heartbreakingly tender.

I'd been a detective working for five years in the trenches, but right then, I felt my stomach start to churn.

Normally, when people found out their family had been dismembered, they broke down. Who would have cared if the cuts were clean?

Ryan frowned, his tone grave. "Thirty-six pieces. The cut surfaces were extremely smooth. The killer must have an advanced knowledge of anatomy."

When he said "thirty-six pieces," a fleeting, almost perverse satisfaction glinted in Leon's eyes.

I caught that subtle expression. I was positive I didn't imagine it.

I gritted my teeth, fighting the urge to reach for my gun. "Leon, this is a precinct!"

My tone was harsh as I interrupted him.

He shrank back, startled. "I'm sorry, Kelly. Did I say something wrong? I'm just really torn up."

Captain Joseph Hill stepped out of his office, his brow furrowed as he placed a hand on my shoulder. "Kelly, you're not in any condition to work on this case right now. Take a few days off."

I whipped around. "Captain Hill! My own sister is dead."

"That's exactly why you're off the case. She was your sister, so you have to recuse yourself." Joseph stood his ground.

Leon stepped up and draped a gentle arm around my shoulders. "Captain Hill's right, Kelly. You're wiped out.

"Since your sister's gone, I'll take real good care of you for her."

The smell of disinfectant mixed with a hint of cologne exuding from him hit me straight in the nose.

My whole body tensed up as I tried to break free.

But he tightened his grip and dug his fingers hard into my shoulder blade.

I hissed in pain, drawing in a sharp breath.

"Let's go. We're going home." He leaned down and whispered in my ear, "Kelly, your hands are like ice. Are you scared now that your sister's gone?"

Chapter 1

As a police officer, I was suddenly informed that my twin sister, Emily Green, had been brutally dismembered.

Outside the morgue, Emily's kind and gentle fiancé, Leon Graves, a psychiatrist, was crying so hard.

I froze right where I stood. A chill shot straight up my spine.

Emily and I were each other's only flesh and blood.

We were thrashed as kids. "Bob Cooper" was the secret SOS we came up with back then.

It meant the guy who killed her was a total psycho, and I had to stay hidden no matter what.

And right now, that man, the one who'd never even raised his voice at Emily, the guy who always had that gentle smile, was staring me down.

"Kelly, say something. Who is Bob Cooper?" Leon pressed.

He looked like a total gentleman, but he scared the hell out of me.

"Leon, just take it easy for a second," I said, trying to steady my voice. "I've never heard Emily mention anyone named Bob Cooper. Could he be someone she worked with?"

I stared into his eyes, not missing a single flicker of emotion.

He paused, then suddenly clutched his face in agony, his shoulders trembling uncontrollably. "None of her coworkers has that name. I just figured he was an old friend of yours."

His voice came out muffled, and he sounded absolutely devastated.

Leon looked up, tears streaking down his pale face.

Suddenly, he turned to Ryan, the veteran forensic pathologist handling the autopsy. "Dr. Clark, were the cuts on her body clean when she was found?"

The hallway fell silent in an instant. Everyone stared at him, stunned.

Leon seemed oblivious to the tension in the air, continuing to sob quietly. "Emily always wanted to look her best. If the cuts weren't clean, she would think she looked awful.

"She could never handle even the slightest bit of pain. Did she suffer much when the killer made the cuts?"

His words sounded heartbreakingly tender.

I'd been a detective working for five years in the trenches, but right then, I felt my stomach start to churn.

Normally, when people found out their family had been dismembered, they broke down. Who would have cared if the cuts were clean?

Ryan frowned, his tone grave. "Thirty-six pieces. The cut surfaces were extremely smooth. The killer must have an advanced knowledge of anatomy."

When he said "thirty-six pieces," a fleeting, almost perverse satisfaction glinted in Leon's eyes.

I caught that subtle expression. I was positive I didn't imagine it.

I gritted my teeth, fighting the urge to reach for my gun. "Leon, this is a precinct!"

My tone was harsh as I interrupted him.

He shrank back, startled. "I'm sorry, Kelly. Did I say something wrong? I'm just really torn up."

Captain Joseph Hill stepped out of his office, his brow furrowed as he placed a hand on my shoulder. "Kelly, you're not in any condition to work on this case right now. Take a few days off."

I whipped around. "Captain Hill! My own sister is dead."

"That's exactly why you're off the case. She was your sister, so you have to recuse yourself." Joseph stood his ground.

Leon stepped up and draped a gentle arm around my shoulders. "Captain Hill's right, Kelly. You're wiped out.

"Since your sister's gone, I'll take real good care of you for her."

The smell of disinfectant mixed with a hint of cologne exuding from him hit me straight in the nose.

My whole body tensed up as I tried to break free.

But he tightened his grip and dug his fingers hard into my shoulder blade.

I hissed in pain, drawing in a sharp breath.

"Let's go. We're going home." He leaned down and whispered in my ear, "Kelly, your hands are like ice. Are you scared now that your sister's gone?"