Chapters (95)
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Epigraph
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Forty-Three
- Forty-Four
- Forty-Five
- Forty-Six
- Forty-Seven
- Forty-Eight
- Forty-Nine
- Fifty
- Fifty-One
- Fifty-Two
- Fifty-Three
- Fifty-Four
- Fifty-Five
- Fifty-Six
- Fifty-Seven
- Fifty-Eight
- Fifty-Nine
- Sixty
- Sixty-One
- Sixty-Two
- Sixty-Three
- Sixty-Four
- Sixty-Five
- Sixty-Six
- Sixty-Seven
- Sixty-Eight
- Sixty-Nine
- Seventy
- Seventy-One
- Seventy-Two
- Seventy-Three
- Seventy-Four
- Seventy-Five
- Seventy-Six
- Seventy-Seven
- Seventy-Eight
- Seventy-Nine
- Eighty
- Eighty-One
- Eighty-Two
- Eighty-Three
- Eighty-Four
- Eighty-Five
- Eighty-Six
- Eighty-Seven
- Acknowledgements
- About the Author
- Also by David Swinson
- Thank you for buying this ebook, published by Hachette Digital.
“We’ve both suffered such great losses, Frankie. That’s why I came here—to see you. We’re family. You are the only connection I have left to your mother, my sister. Even Jeffrey.” Her eyes tear up, but she smiles. “This humidity is stifling.” She steps to her car and unlocks it. Before she sits, she turns to me. “When Jeffrey was a junior in high school he told me that he wanted to go to college in Washington, DC, to be near you.” She sits and starts the car.
I notice her push the button to unlock the passenger-side door, hear that familiar, oddly comfortable click as the door lock pops up.
She closes her door, and I walk around and get in.
“He wanted to major in criminal justice.”
I shut the door. Air inside already feels good as it hits my face.
“That was his major?”
“No. In his senior year of high school, and after all that trouble he had with drugs, he changed it to business.”
“Smart decision.” That didn’t come out right.
She rests her hand on my knee. It’s like a feather. As uncomfortable as it makes me feel, I place my hand over hers.
“Jeffrey was really clumsy when he was a little boy. So were you, by the way. Do you remember I used to take you to the grocery store? Your half brother always wanted to stay home with your stepdad.”
So much of that time is a blur. I know she stayed with us for a while, though.
“Yes,” I say.
“I’d let you push the grocery cart sometimes, despite how clumsy you were, how many displays you knocked over.”
Turns to me with such a comforting smile.
“Are you sure I didn’t do that on purpose?”
“I know you didn’t, because you felt bad after, just like Jeffrey did.”
“Yeah. I do remember he was a bit heavy-footed.”
“Couldn’t catch a ball, either, could he?”
“No, he sure couldn’t.” I chuckle.
“Jeffrey used to look forward to your visits so much.”
“I looked forward to them, too. Had more time on my hands in my twenties, before I became a cop. I’m sorry for losing touch with the both of you. That never should have happened.”
“You were a good influence.”
Is she blaming me for losing touch, for him turning bad?
“We’ll both make the time now, won’t we? We won’t lose touch.”
“No. We won’t.”
She takes a deep breath, like it’s calming.
“The police will…no, I will. I’ll get to the bottom of this, Aunt Linda. I really will.”
I want her to believe me. She has to believe me. Fuck, I have to believe me.
“Let’s not lose touch again,” she says and squeezes my knee.
I don’t think she believes me.
Don’t say anything.
Thirty-Five
Thirty-Five