When I was fourteen, I got angry and took it out on a dad who refused to fight back.

Seven years after Mom was murdered and he was still a body carrying around a shattered soul, like the newspaper you wrap broken glass in. But it was more than that. He let himself be my punching bag. I treated him terribly, and he took it, because he loved me and because he knew that when the anger comes, it is vicious and all-consuming.

He hid his anger because he had to. I couldn’t because I didn’t know how.

When I googled “the Magpie Man,” I got hundreds of articles but no answers, just the names of all the people he has murdered and comments from frustrated detectives.

He’s still out there somewhere, still killing—the monster who took my mother.

And that is why the cameras can’t start rolling soon enough.

Chapter 5

My phone rings with a number I don’t recognize, and when I answer, a man says, “Miss Simmons? It’s Adrian…from The Eye. We’ve reviewed your application, and although the competition was fierce, we’d like you to be Monday.”

This means that on the first day of every week for a month, I will be live online from the moment I wake up until midnight. If I’m not a complete flop, one month will become three.

The show is about real lives with unique twists—that’s what the application form said. It claimed audiences have had enough of the same old formats.

I don’t know if that’s true, but I need to give it my best shot.

I see myself smiling in the mirror and stop, because this isn’t supposed to be a happy moment. It’s just the beginning.

“When do I start?” I ask.

Adrian says, “Three weeks. We have a few briefing sessions for you to attend where you’ll get to meet the others.” He sounds like he’s reading off a sheet.

I don’t particularly want to see them, but what choice do I have? I’m guessing they want to be famous rather than get justice, but I’ll go and smile and do whatever has to be done to get my story across.

Anyone can put themselves online these days, but most get lost in the crowd. The trick is to find a stage big enough to be remembered, and this show offers that.

“We need to meet your father,” Adrian says. “There are some things for him to sign.”

That’s what I’m afraid of, because Dad doesn’t know I’ve applied. He thought my interview was a shopping trip.

“You’ll have to come here,” I say. “He doesn’t like leaving the house in the daytime.”