He can't get rid of the excruciating headaches-or the horrible fantasies that accompany them. Tortured by violent obsessions, he hopes that acting them out will silence them. But it doesn't.
He knows they will be looking for him. In their small college town, everyone has heard about the killing. What he needs is an insurance policy. Hating himself, he pins his crimes on a hapless soul: the impressionable Dr. Jon Evans. Using hypnosis, he plants false memories of committing the murders in Evans's head.
A second murder goes awry when his victim nearly escapes. Feeling worse than ever, he leaves for the Christmas break to see his wife and daughter. Finding no relief with them, he returns to Harper to complete his indoctrination of Jon.
In Harper, the police chief has followed the leads to Dr. Evans. But things don't quite add up, and he begins to suspect someone else. The killer, meanwhile, sets his final plan in action. This time he has more than one victim in his sights-and even if the truth comes out, it may be too late.
About the Author: Mike Thorne has written numerous short stories, primarily in the horror genre. One of these, entitled Worms, placed ninth in a Writer's Digest contest with more than 2,000 entries. Originally from Shreveport, Louisiana, Thorne attended Louisiana State University, obtaining a degree in sociology. He later returned to earn a master's degree and a Ph.D. in experimental psychology. He subsequently spent 40 years at Mississippi State University as an academic psychologist.
Over his professional career, Thorne published numerous research papers and wrote multiple textbooks, including Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences, Connections in the History and Systems of Psychology, and Biological Psychology. His writings on the topic of coins and coin collecting are regularly published in national periodicals.
Thorne is now retired and lives in Starkville, Mississippi, with his wife, Wanda. They have two children and three grandchildren and spend much of their time traveling.
