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Back A Crooked Tree Save as PDF
Chapters (33)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. Acknowledgments
  32. About the Author
  33. About the Publisher

I was shoulder to shoulder with the crowd when I saw it. About thirty yards from the swim club driveway. It was parked almost at the trail entrance—a black Camaro. I wanted to scream Ellen’s name. I looked around. There were people everywhere, and cars were pulling out, but no Ellen. My heart kicked my ribcage. I walked toward the Camaro. Its windows were dark. I was afraid to get close. I stared at the back of it from the other side of the street. I read the plate—Pennsylvania 3F5-727. Ellen. There was a dent where the fender emblem should be, and an image of Wilson with a hammer flashed before me. It was his car. It was definitely Barbie Man’s.

I looked in the windows as we passed. Was it empty? In the dark, I couldn’t be sure. I had that sensation again of just wanting to kneel on the ground. Where was Ellen? I ran.

23

More and more people filed up the street, carrying kids, Big Wheels, lawn chairs. I shouted for Ellen in the crowd, calling into the woods and over toward the Sun Bowl. I ran up the driveway of the swim club. Cars were backing out and turning, switching on headlights. I saw the Hunters getting into their station wagon.

“Meredith!” I shouted, and ran toward them, breathless. “Where’s Ellen?”

Meredith shrugged. “I haven’t seen her since the fireworks started.”

“Didn’t she watch them with you? Where did you last see her?” I was shaking her shoulders.

“Up here. We were up here, but when the fireworks started, she said she wanted to watch them with you, and she went back down to the Sun Bowl.”

“Oh my God.” She stepped back from me. I knew I looked deranged, but I couldn’t stop myself. “What way, Meredith? Think! What way did she walk?” I was shouting.

“Libby, is everything okay?” Mrs. Hunter had come around from the other side of the car and stood between me and Meredith. “What’s going on?”

“I can’t find Ellen. She’s missing. I really need to find her.”

“I’m sure she’s just somewhere in the crowd.”

“No.” I was shaking my head. “No, Mrs. Hunter, something bad has happened to her. Something terrible.”