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Back Blood in the Water Save as PDF
Chapters (82)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  4. ONE
  5. TWO
  6. THREE
  7. FOUR
  8. FIVE
  9. SIX
  10. SEVEN
  11. EIGHT
  12. NINE
  13. TEN
  14. ELEVEN
  15. TWELVE
  16. THIRTEEN
  17. FOURTEEN
  18. FIFTEEN
  19. SIXTEEN
  20. SEVENTEEN
  21. EIGHTEEN
  22. NINETEEN
  23. TWENTY
  24. TWENTY-ONE
  25. TWENTY-TWO
  26. TWENTY-THREE
  27. TWENTY-FOUR
  28. TWENTY-FIVE
  29. TWENTY-SIX
  30. TWENTY-SEVEN
  31. TWENTY-EIGHT
  32. TWENTY-NINE
  33. THIRTY
  34. THIRTY-ONE
  35. THIRTY-TWO
  36. THIRTY-THREE
  37. THIRTY-FOUR
  38. THIRTY-FIVE
  39. THIRTY-SIX
  40. THIRTY-SEVEN
  41. THIRTY-EIGHT
  42. THIRTY-NINE
  43. FORTY
  44. FORTY-ONE
  45. FORTY-TWO
  46. FORTY-THREE
  47. FORTY-FOUR
  48. FORTY-FIVE
  49. FORTY-SIX
  50. FORTY-SEVEN
  51. FORTY-EIGHT
  52. FORTY-NINE
  53. FIFTY
  54. FIFTY-ONE
  55. FIFTY-TWO
  56. FIFTY-THREE
  57. FIFTY-FOUR
  58. FIFTY-FIVE
  59. FIFTY-SIX
  60. FIFTY-SEVEN
  61. FIFTY-EIGHT
  62. FIFTY-NINE
  63. SIXTY
  64. SIXTY-ONE
  65. SIXTY-TWO
  66. SIXTY-THREE
  67. SIXTY-FOUR
  68. SIXTY-FIVE
  69. SIXTY-SIX
  70. SIXTY-SEVEN
  71. SIXTY-EIGHT
  72. SIXTY-NINE
  73. SEVENTY
  74. SEVENTY-ONE
  75. SEVENTY-TWO
  76. SEVENTY-THREE
  77. SEVENTY-FOUR
  78. SEVENTY-FIVE
  79. SEVENTY-SIX
  80. Praise for Blood in the Water
  81. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  82. Newsletter Sign-up

It was the day of her last law school exam. Her life was full of love and hope and promise. She’d done well at Harvard, and she was proud of that. Maybe too proud, but after all, how many people could be a good mother to a five-year-old boy and still manage to make excellent marks at one of the most prestigious institutions in the world? She couldn’t have done it without Dillon, her husband and partner in everything that mattered. He was a schoolteacher in Everett, the town north of Boston along the Mystic River, where they lived.

They were looking forward to the summer. She would have to study for the bar exam, but after that, they would have six weeks when both she and Dillon were off. She would start work at one of the largest law firms in Boston in September at a salary she’d never even contemplated, but before that, she and Dillon could spend time with each other—and with Ollie.

Dillon was her soul mate, but Ollie was the true love of her life. Her son was a precocious boy with a round face and a laugh that could wrap itself around your heart. She loved that laugh. Sometimes, when he was lying on her chest, laughing, it felt like little puffs from his soul washing over her face, and she would breathe in every giggle. It was the greatest nourishment she’d ever experienced.

She went out for a few drinks after the exams let out that afternoon. It was more of an obligation than a celebration on her part. Most of her fellow students were a few years younger than her, and single. Almost none of them had children, so they were free, and the last day of law school exams was a time to let loose. She understood that, and she wanted to participate with those with whom she’d bonded over three years. But the real celebration would be saved for Dillon and Ollie later that evening. Dillon was making them dinner, and after Ollie had nodded off to sleep, the two of them would split a bottle of wine and make love until they had no energy left. Sometimes that could be hours.

Dillon had picked up Ollie at daycare after school. He was looking forward to the end of the school year with even more enthusiasm than she was. He taught at the high school, and by the time June rolled around, everyone was worn down. Nerves were frayed for both the kids and the teachers, and sometimes he said it was like they were just hanging on, trying to get everyone to the last day of classes. Just the week before, the tension had boiled over, and Dillon had had to step in to break up a fight between some of the students. He was ready for the summer to come.