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Back Confess to Me Save as PDF
Chapters (87)
  1. Cover
  2. Also by Sharon Doering
  3. Title Page
  4. Dedication
  5. Prologue
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. 56
  62. 57
  63. 58
  64. 59
  65. 60
  66. 61
  67. 62
  68. 63
  69. 64
  70. 65
  71. 66
  72. 67
  73. 68
  74. 69
  75. 70
  76. 71
  77. 72
  78. 73
  79. 74
  80. 75
  81. 76
  82. 77
  83. 78
  84. 79
  85. Author’s Note
  86. Acknowledgements
  87. About the Author

She took a few steps back, fell, then turned and ran.

Oh my God.

The cougar sprung to its feet and took off after her, sprinting effortlessly.

I ran harder, leaning forward, too far forward, and fell as an explosion rang out. My ears ringing, I got back to my feet.

The cougar was backing up, tail between its legs. Its body dropped to the grass. It stood again, turned, and limped away.

Trevor had Emily in his arms. Sawyer was holding something in his hand, his arm extended and aimed above the ground. A gun. Trevor put Emily inside, and he was outside again, running toward me.

Another explosion from behind me. I dropped again and searched for the source.

Tracy Summers stood over a cougar. Its beige fur bloomed red. Tracy’s chest trembled. His rifle in one hand, his other hand covering his eyes. Under the cat’s paws, Pierce’s body lay static, shaped awkwardly, limbs pointing in the wrong directions.

My ears buzzing, I turned back toward our house. Trevor was halfway to me. Emily darted outside, but Sawyer set down his gun and grabbed her. He pulled her into his arms, pushing her face into his shoulder, and carried her back inside.

77

77

They saved Molly, the cougar Sawyer had shot.

An EMT on scene had a brother who managed the Milwaukee Zoo and a sister who was a vet. Calls were made on the scene, and the vet arrived within twelve minutes. She tranquilized the cougar, and the staff arrived soon after to transport the cougar for surgery. The bullet went through the cougar’s chest above its left side, just missing the pulmonary artery, and exited cleanly. We weren’t outside to watch the animal fixers descend on our neighbor’s lawn, but heard it was quite the scene of professionalism and efficiency Hunther had not experienced in some time.

Buttercup, the cougar Tracy Summers shot, could not be saved.

Molly, Asia, Winnie, and Luna were transferred to the zoo. When Tracy Summers handed over Luna, they didn’t ask him a single question. They assumed the baby cougar had escaped from Chrissy’s house that day.

The headlines read: ONE COUGAR SHOT DEAD. ONE MAN MAULED TO DEATH.

Off the record people said Hunther had gotten lucky. Only one dead. Could’ve been more.

I cried for that cougar and strangely, I cried for Pierce Paulson. Grieved his death like the brothers and sister I’d never properly grieved. Grieved my mother. All of them.

Grief would hit me at strange times. When I was dumping Sawyer’s dirty laundry into the washing machine. When I would find one of Trevor’s bunched up socks under the bed. When I was walking on the preserve path, and a red maple leaf riding a soft breeze landed on the chalky white gravel.