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Chapters (76)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise for Kelley Armstrong and the Cainsville Series
  3. Also by Kelley Armstrong
  4. Dedication
  5. CHAPTER ONE
  6. CHAPTER TWO
  7. CHAPTER THREE
  8. CHAPTER FOUR
  9. CHAPTER FIVE
  10. CHAPTER SIX
  11. CHAPTER SEVEN
  12. DOWNWARD SPIRAL
  13. CHAPTER EIGHT
  14. CHAPTER NINE
  15. OUTCLASSED
  16. CHAPTER TEN
  17. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  18. CHAPTER TWELVE
  19. SEEING RED
  20. A REASONABLE MAN
  21. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  22. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  23. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  24. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  25. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  26. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  27. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  31. NOT EVIL
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  34. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  35. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  36. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  37. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  38. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  42. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  43. CURTAINS
  44. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  45. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  46. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  47. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  48. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  49. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  50. CHAPTER FORTY
  51. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
  52. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
  53. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
  54. CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
  55. CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
  56. CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
  57. CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
  58. CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
  59. CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
  60. GONE
  61. CHAPTER FIFTY
  62. CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
  63. CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
  64. CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
  65. CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
  66. CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
  67. CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
  68. CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
  69. CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
  70. CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
  71. TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE
  72. CHAPTER SIXTY
  73. CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
  74. CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO
  75. CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE
  76. About the Author

“Does it make it easier, you mean?” I closed the notebook, my forefinger still marking the page. “Little steps, you know? Along a continuum. At one end, my parents are sadistic monsters who deserve to rot in jail. At the other, they’re innocent victims of a cruel miscarriage of justice. Finding out that they didn’t kill Jan and Peter took them a step away from the monster end. Learning they killed only four people, who were likely murderers themselves? Short of innocence, it’s the best I could have hoped for. The Huntsman was right—I wanted simple. Black or white. This isn’t anywhere near either.”

“No, it isn’t.”

I flipped open the notebook. “Still, it’s only a theory. As you’ve told me many times, I can’t get too attached to it. We have work to do.”

“True. But . . .” He idled at the light. “It’s a solid theory. Very solid. I think you should prepare yourself to accept that this is the answer. Of all the ones you could find, there’s only one better,” he said. “And we knew innocence was unlikely. This is good.”

“I know.”

“If I can prove the Tysons killed the first victims, it will throw the case wide open. With that, I should be able to set your parents free.” He met my gaze. “Is that what you want?”

“It is.”

—

We needed answers, and the quickest way to get them was to go straight to the source: my parents. Yes, that’s what they were to me. My parents. They had been for a while, even if I hadn’t realized the shift. That didn’t change what I felt for my adoptive parents. They were still Mum and Dad. But those were names for a child, and I was no longer a child. The Larsens were Todd and Pamela. My father and my mother.

My first choice was Todd. It had been when I was a child, whether I’d skinned my knee or drawn a picture—he was the one I went to. Gabriel called the prison and bullied some poor desk clerk, but Todd was still off limits. That left Pamela. Which meant this would be tougher.

I asked Gabriel to stay out this time. He agreed without hesitation. I needed to win her confidence, and I wouldn’t do that with Gabriel in tow.