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Chapters (97)
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. 1.
  6. 2.
  7. 3.
  8. 4.
  9. 5.
  10. 6.
  11. 7.
  12. 8.
  13. 9.
  14. 10.
  15. 11.
  16. 12.
  17. 13.
  18. 14.
  19. 15.
  20. 16.
  21. 17.
  22. 18.
  23. 19.
  24. SIX MONTHS LATER
  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. 80.
  86. 81.
  87. 82.
  88. 83.
  89. 84.
  90. 85.
  91. 86.
  92. 87.
  93. SIX MORE MONTHS LATER
  94. 88.
  95. 89.
  96. Discover More
  97. About the Author

Letting him live his life. To a fault.

And then the conversation turns suddenly more serious. Deadly serious. The shift in his mom’s tone is pronounced. “We heard the news, Zack. Even out here in the hinterland. I presume you weren’t going to tell us because you didn’t want us worrying.”

Which is exactly right. “It feels weird to always have you inside my head, Mom.”

She laughs affectionately. Her entertaining, brilliant boy. He can do anything. Someday, maybe he’ll actually do something.

“We’re not going to make you come home or ship you off to California or Australia to start a new life. We’d love to, of course. We’d be able to sleep at night but we’re not going to do that.”

Of course not. They won’t insist on anything.

“All we can say is be alert, be safe, be careful. All the usual parent stuff.”

Zack is almost certain that his mom—a mayor—has used her position to reach out directly to the city’s police department, explained the situation, and is making sure the police are monitoring the situation closely. She may have done it charmingly or she may have read them the riot act. She is equally capable and accomplished in both styles.

“You know, if you insisted that I come home or that I leave for California or Australia, I might actually do it, Mom. If you insisted, I might.”

“Oh, Zack, I would insist, absolutely, except for one thing. Emily. I know you well enough to know you won’t leave her. Because you want to be with her, of course. And because you don’t want to leave her unprotected. So I know it’s stupid for me to even ask.”

“Mom, it’s time to leave my head now, okay?”

She laughs again. “I don’t know if I know how to.”

He laughs now too.

“Be alert. Be safe. Be careful,” she repeats.

“Got it. See you soon. Don’t come searching GreenGirls. I’ll fly back home in a couple of months, okay?” And then he says what he knows will delight her. “And I’ll bring Emily.”

“Now who’s in whose head?”

“Bye, Mom.”

37.

37.

In his neat new three-bedroom on eastern Long Island, sitting on his little porch with a cigar in the morning, Detective Lopez, NYPD, 11th Precinct, Ret., puts down the newspaper. He’s read the two paragraphs closely three times now, and they reveal nothing more than he already knew.

He’s so used to the failure of the justice system over his thirty years on the force that it no longer bothers him. Usually.