Vows of Silence

Vows of Silence
Debra Webb

Lacy, Cassidy, Kira and Melinda are friends bound by a deadly secret. One of them is a killer. At least that's what each one suspects. Ten years ago, Melinda's abusive husband, Charles Ashland, was murdered. The gun was Lacy's. But it didn't matter. Together, the women disposed of the body, which has never been found…until now. The powerful Ashland family, whose patriarch is poised for the vice presidency, wants justice.Cassidy, an attorney, insists the women have nothing to fear. Then she is killed. A midnight caller is stalking the remaining friends, taunting them that he knows the truth. And the truth is something police chief Rick Summers is quite interested in learning from Lacy, despite the wild chemistry that's causing havoc with his judgment. Another death delivers a chilling new warning, for the price they've paid for their vow of silence has been murder.

“Striking Distance by Debra Webb is a fast-moving, sensual blend of mystery and suspense…I thoroughly enjoyed it.”

—New York Times bestselling author Linda Howard

“…brims with tightly woven suspense around every corner, and twists and turns abound. Webb moves effortlessly between two very diverse romances and masterfully keeps the reader on the edge until the last page.”

—Romantic Times BOOKclub on Striking Distance

“Webb reaches into our deepest nightmares and pulls out a horrifying scenario. She delivers the ultimate villain for our computer-driven world—a techno sadist. Fortunately, she also gives us a battle-scarred hero who is still willing to fight and a loyal heroine who believes in justice.”

—Romantic Times BOOKclub

“A chilling tale that will keep readers turning pages long into the night, Dying To Play is a definite keeper.”

—Romance Reviews Today

“Lots of action and an out-of-the-ordinary hero add up to an unforgettable adventure!”

—Romantic Times BOOKclub on John Doe on Her Doorstep

“A page-turning blockbuster.”

—Romantic Times BOOKclub on Executive Bodyguard

“An engrossing thriller with a dynamic heroine.”

—Romantic Times BOOKclub on Man of Her Dreams

“A chilling page-turner.”

—Romantic Times BOOKclub on Full Exposure

Dear Reader,

It’s hard to believe that the Signature Select program is one year old—with seventy-two books already published by top Harlequin and Silhouette authors.

What an exciting and varied lineup we have in the year ahead! In the first quarter of the year, the Signature Spotlight program offers three very different reading experiences. Popular author Marie Ferrarella, well-known for her warm family-centered romances, has gone in quite a different direction to write a story that has been “haunting her” for years. Please check out Sundays Are for Murder in January. Hop aboard a Caribbean cruise with Joanne Rock in The Pleasure Trip for February, and don’t miss a trademark romantic suspense from Debra Webb, Vows of Silence in March.

Our collections in the first quarter of the year explore a variety of contemporary themes. Our Valentine’s collection—Write It Up!—homes in on the trend to online dating in three stories by Elizabeth Bevarly, Tracy Kelleher and Mary Leo. February is awards season, and Barbara Bretton, Isabel Sharpe and Emilie Rose join the fun and glamour in And the Envelope, Please…. And in March, Leslie Kelly, Heather MacAllister and Cindi Myers have penned novellas about women desperate enough to go to Bootcamp to learn how not to scare men away!

Three original sagas also come your way in the first quarter of this year. Silhouette author Gina Wilkins spins off her popular FAMILY FOUND miniseries in Wealth Beyond Riches. Janice Kay Johnson has written a powerful story of a tortured shared past in Dead Wrong, which is connected to her PATTON’S DAUGHTERS Superromance miniseries, and Kathleen O’Brien gives a haunting story of mysterious murder in Quiet as the Grave.

And don’t forget there is original bonus material in every single Signature Select book to give you the inside scoop on the creative process of your favorite authors! We hope you enjoy all our new offerings!

Enjoy!

Marsha Zinberg

Executive Editor

The Signature Select Program

Vows of Silence

Debra Webb

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

Growing up on a farm in small-town Alabama provided many wonderful experiences for my fertile imagination. But it’s the lifelong friends who make my Southern history so cherished. One friend in particular was my classmate in school. She married the man of her dreams the same summer I married mine, and went on to have two lovely daughters just as I did. Together we have made the journey from naive young country girls to wives and mothers. We have suffered loss and risen above tragedy. We have made memorable marks in our communities. From birthday parties to PTA fund-raising events, we have worn dozens of hats and wouldn’t trade a single moment for anything in the world. This book is dedicated to my friend, my second sister, Joyce Campbell Alley.

Cheers, Joyce!

Dear Reader,

Though Ashland, the town in my story, is fictitious, I grew up in a small town in Alabama much like it. I lived on a farm with a family that was very close. We shared so many wonderful experiences together. Look in the bonus features at the back of this book for one of the more frightening moments from my childhood.

Another wonderful part of growing up in the South was the friends I made along the way—lifelong friends like Joyce, Candi and Evelyn. Friends who would do anything to protect each other and who would keep a secret for a lifetime if necessary. Vows of Silence is about that kind of friendship, one that transcends all else. I hope you’ll follow this journey with Lacy, Cassidy, Melinda and Kira and find out just how enduring—and at times dangerous—true friendship can be.

As always, I cherish your input. Please check out my Web site at www.debrawebb.com and contact me from there. I’d love to hear from you!

Until next time,

Deb

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10