Gemini: Murders of the Zodiac, #5

By Paris Morgan

Has the Zodiac killer finally pushed Leslie over the brink of insanity?

After being shot with an arrow, Leslie learned a startling truth about herself. One that could change everything and help her find the elusive Zodiac Killer. She's closer than ever to apprehending the ruthless murderer, until she learns there might be more than one…

When identical killings of twins spring up all over the country, the investigators have to wonder if it is the work of one mad man or two. Ryan along with FBI consultant, Adam, take over the lead of the investigation as Leslie's new gift becomes problematic at the most inappropriate times.

As more sets of twins meet a dreaded fate, Leslie struggles to accept her new abilities. The group splits up to investigate all over the country, but Leslie finds herself on the Zodiac Killer's trail once again. Will the next injury she sustains be her last?

In the fifth installment of the Murders of the Zodiac, Paris Morgan captivates her readers with an unexpected plot twist. Nothing is as it seems, and Leslie Boxe is closer than ever to either being the Zodiac Killer's next victim or being the one to finally put an end to his bone-chilling games.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Misdirected Tales
• Release date: May 30, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223437604

Book preview

Chapter 1

Janna

It had been a long day already, and I just wanted it to be over. Your birthday was supposed to be the one day when things didn’t suck. I mean, really and truly, how was I to know that half the staff was going to get laid off? I’d squeaked past the lady, handing out the pink slips by just three cubicles.

Then I’d been told that my parents were coming to see me this weekend with important news. It could only mean that a new prospect for my future husband had been chosen. Maybe I should’ve done what my sister had done and moved all the way across the country, away from them.

It started to rain as I pulled into my driveway. Great. Just another thing to add to my list of birthday blues.

The dash read 6:55. If I hurried inside, I could get the groceries on the counter before she called.

I sighed. There was no way to avoid it. I hated the rain. Not just a small dislike, but a true, deep hate. Some people had phobias about snakes or spiders. Mine was rain.

Pushing the umbrella through the crack in the door, I squeezed out of the car without getting wet. Now to balance the umbrella, lift the trunk while keeping the rain off, and collect the groceries. Why did I have to get paper instead of plastic?

It was time to decide if I wanted to be eco-friendly with bulky sacks or use plastic in the future.

Clutching the bags to my chest, I pulled the door down as the umbrella dipped, and a big drop landed on my forehead.

I’d already been hit, so the only thing to do was make a run for it.

My heels sank into the wet ground with each step as I hurried to the awning for protection. As I stuck the key into the lock and opened the door, something felt different.

Pushing the feeling aside, I threw the limp bags on the counter, hoping they didn’t break open.

The dish towel on the oven door was my only hope of getting the droplets off my face. I could deal with the rest once it was gone.

I took a deep, relieved breath. My parents could never understand why I couldn’t tolerate the rain, but showering and swimming didn’t bother me at all; it wasn’t the same thing. I couldn’t explain it, and the only person who’d ever gotten it was my twin sister, Keanna.

Her name brought a smile to my face as the microwave clock changed to 7:00 and my cell phone rang.

Sticking my hand in my purse to search for the phone, I saw a reflection in the door of the microwave. I had just enough time to turn, phone clutched in my hand, to see the large knife as it plunged into my heart.

As I looked my killer in the eyes, I knew this was it. The end to the worst birthday ever as the clock showed 7:01.

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Keanna

Today had been one of the best days I’d had in ages. The sun was shining, and work had gone great. Plus, it was my birthday. How could that not equal a great day?

Well, there were a few downsides, like my parents and twin sister, living across the country from me, but nothing to dampen my spirits.

My twin and I had conversed regularly, yet it was always more fun to share a birthday call. It was lonelier when she wasn’t with me, but I knew that somewhere out there was someone who not only understood me, but was a part of me.

I had exciting news to tell her that she wouldn’t have guessed unless our twin connection had let her know that something was going on.

People didn’t believe in twin connections, but I did. On many occasions, even though we lived miles apart, if something happened to the other one, we could sense it. There was no logical explanation, and I was just happy to have a link to one other person in the world. If only I could get her to move out here to Salem, Oregon, with me, things would be perfect.

I lived in an apartment alone because after living with a twin who knew what you were always thinking, it was hard to adjust to having a roommate.

With the promotion I’d received today, I’d splurged on a few extras, like ice cream and a personal-sized cake. Unlike my sister, I used plastic bags because they could be reused for so many things. There were even places that took them to recycle them.

My watch alarm beeped: 6:55 p.m. I was just minutes away from hearing her voice and telling her my good news. The three flights of stairs didn’t seem as bad when I was looking forward to something.

I pushed open the apartment door and flung my keys into the dish by the door. Toeing off my shoes, I sighed with pure happiness. My feet were thanking me, and dinner was going to have to wait until I’d had my birthday cake.

It was a small, one-bedroom apartment, and I wanted to be comfortable when she called.

One minute didn’t give me much room to change, but I pulled on a T-shirt before I dialed her number.

A noise startled me from behind, and I turned to see him standing there with a knife in his hand.

What the crap? I screamed as the knife landed squarely through my heart.

He just stood there as the phone connected to silence on the other end, and my body slid to the ground as the clock ticked over to 7:01.

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The neighbors called the police, who arrived on the scene as the blood pooled under my body, growing cold.

Hey, look, she was making a call when the murder happened. Whoever was on the other end may have heard it. Officer Jensen, his nametag offered, picked my cell phone up.

Well, don’t just stand there, call them back, the other officer, Gomez, barked.

I giggled at the obvious conclusion by Officer Gomez. Wait, I could see what was going on? Wasn’t I dead? I’d felt the knife hit my heart. Okay, well, maybe that was an exaggeration.

My body was lying on the floor at my feet, so I had to be dead, but how could I see what was going on? Why weren’t the police doing more to bring me back? That must be the reason my spirit was still here instead of moving on to the afterlife, to alert the police. Alert them to what, though?

I went to sit on my bed, but sank right through it. What the hell? I muttered as my body was absorbed by the mattress.

This wasn’t going well, but Officer Jensen had gotten hold of someone on the other end of the line.

My sister. My hand flew to my mouth. She doesn’t know.

Right, sir. Well, this number was the last one called by our victim. His head shook back and forth. I’m sorry to hear that. Do you know who the next of kin is? After a few moments, Officer Jensen hung up and turned to his partner. That was an officer on the phone. The victim’s sister was also found dead in an identical incident. They’re both dead.

Identical killings happening to identical twins? That sounds like too much of a coincidence to me.

I’d been in the process of trying to figure out how to rise out of the mattress until his words hit me. Identical scene…both dead.

That’s why I’m floating around like this. I have unfinished business. How do I find my sister’s ghost? We need to be together for this, whatever this was.

Flip a coin to see who calls the parents, Officer Gomez commanded.

Ugh, that’s terrible, I huffed. They don’t even care that my sister and I are dead.

Finally, I managed to float up and above my body again. Maybe if I just said her name, it would bring us together. Janna, Janna, Janna.

Nothing happened. If only Janna didn’t live miles away in Winston-Salem.

My body flew out of the house. The speed at which I covered the entire U.S. was amazing. It was almost a blink, but I could see everything in detail, even at those speeds.

Keanna, is that you? The ghostly figure of my sister tried to hug me, but our spirits kind of melded together. Are we dead? Her voice wavered.

Then we were sent back to my apartment so quickly, I felt dizzy.

I think so. I don’t know what happened. Do dead people really become spirits like this? I shrugged, because I had no idea what the answer was.

At least we’re together again. Janna smiled weakly.

Of course, twinsy. Even in death, we can’t be separated, I agreed as we faded from the scene.

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Angel

The Next Day—Houston, Texas

Today wasn’t a day I could afford to be late. I had plans later, and my boss wasn’t known for his generosity. He had given me and my sister a rare chance to leave work early.

As soon as work let out, we would be heading straight to the airport to catch our flight to Hawaii in celebration of our twenty-fifth birthday. We not only worked together, but lived side-by-side in a duplex so that we could have our own space, but we were close enough that we could be right there for each other.

Angelina, hurry up. If you don’t get your suitcase in the car, we’re going to be late, I hollered at her from our adjoining door.

Normally, we would have driven to work separately, but there was no point in paying extra to park both of our cars in the airport terminal. Since I was the oldest, I felt it was my responsibility to make sure that we got out of the house on time.

There’s something I need from the car before we leave, Angelina called back, dragging her suitcase to the front door.

Don’t be long. We can’t give Henry any reasons to make us stay late at work, I warned, opening the front door, dragging my suitcases with me.

Parking them on the porch, I fumbled in my bag for the keys when a noise from behind distracted me.

Angelina, I’m locking up. Do you have everything you need? I turned to see what she was doing, but instead of my sister, a man was standing there.

He brought his arm up, a knife in his hand. I immediately thought of the stabby pose from the Psycho movie as his arm came down at me.

The knife made a squelching sound as he pulled it out of my heart. Before I could be excited that I was still alive, he plunged it in again, twisting it a little before pulling it out.