Striking Resemblance

By Ida Rowan Roberts

Striking Resemblance is a book focusing on the dream of two best friends. Their dream was to become the best police officers for the town of Shafer, Kentucky. Since they both were only sixteen years old, all their investigations of a cold case murder that happened thirty years before and the recent murder had to be kept between the two of them. Their current interest in the cold case was sparked by the latest murder that occurred in the same family and in the same house. Since their friend had been charged with the latest murder, they knew they had to get busy and prove the authorities wrong. Little did these best friends realize that by solving the latest murder they would also solve the cold case. Marshall and Jerod, the main characters, were very head strong and determined to stay the course. Their diligence paid off. A book such as this one, which has its main characters solving two murders that were decades a part, is worth reading.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Sep 11, 2018
• ISBN: 9781642985818

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Striking Resemblance

Ida Rowan Roberts

Copyright © 2018 Ida Rowan Roberts

All rights reserved

First Edition

Page Publishing, Inc

New York, NY

First originally published by Page Publishing, Inc 2018

ISBN 978-1-64298-579-5 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64298-581-8 (Digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Chapter 1

The House Search

"Lieutenant Marshall Johnston III," now that sounds good to me, Marshall thought to himself. No harm in dreaming, he said in a whisper.

Did you say something? asked Jerod.

No, just thinking out loud, Marshall answered.

Marshall and Jerod squatted in the bushes waiting for night to come. Marshall flipped his long, straight red hair off his face. That gave him full view of the old Victorian house several yards ahead where Emily and Delia Shafer were killed. He straightened up and stretched to his full height of six foot two and said, This is what we’ll do when it gets dark. We’ll go in the front door.

Jerod stood up. His six-foot-five frame gave him clear view of the front door. He fastened his African braids back off his face, exposing his smooth, dark-chocolate complexion. His almond-shaped brown eyes widened. The young men watched as the sun disappeared behind the horizon. Both were a bit hesitant about touring the old Victorian house where the two murders had occurred. However, Marshall was determined to make his way through the entire house before the night ended. Proving Mr. Hagan’s innocence of killing Emily thirty years ago and of Delia’s murder that happened six months ago was Marshall’s main goal.

The dark night finally gave them the opportunity they needed to exit the bushes and run up the hill to the house that they hoped held clues needed to find the murderer of the two Shafer sisters, Emily, killed in the early 1980s, and Delia, killed in January of 2017. The sisters had lived in the old house all their lives with their mother and father. Even when Delia got married, she moved her husband in and shared the house with the rest of her family. Emily’s murder investigation had gone cold. The authorities did not focus on it again until Delia’s death.

Marshall lifted the yellow tape that bordered the front entrance and motioned with his right hand. Come on, this way.

The two-story white Victorian house, with its black shutters, invited them to unearth its secrets. The porch that embraced the front and sides of the house creaked with every step.

Jerod shifted his body and looked up and asked, What was that noise?

That’s just the old flag blowing in the wind, Marshall answered. He pointed to the end of the porch, where the flagpole was anchored.

The wind picked up. The trees and shrubbery leaned in all directions. Big drops of rain pounded the porch.

Jerod reached for the screened door latch. Marshall grabbed his hand in midair and said, Stop! Put on these gloves. We don’t want to leave any evidence that we’ve been here.

You came prepared, didn’t you? Jerod asked.

You bet, I did, Marshall answered.

Marshall reached into his backpack and pulled out two flashlights and handed one to Jerod.

I knew our phone lights would not give us the light we need. Now we’re ready, Marshall said.

Marshall pulled the screened door open. He turned the doorknob. Man, it’s locked, he said.

Try that window, instructed Jerod. He pointed to the window next to the front door.

Marshall pushed up on the window. It did not budge. It’s locked or just stuck. Help me push it up, said Marshall.

They pushed hard. The window broke loose. It made a creaking noise the more they pushed. They got the window up just enough to squeeze their bodies through. Once they were inside, Marshall saw an archway just to the left of them.

Marshall walked in, and Jerod followed closely.

"Keep your flashlight pointed to the floor