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Chapters (49)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Epigraph
  4. Prologue
  5. 1Saturday, June 12, 6:32 p.m.Fifteen Years Later
  6. 2Saturday, June 12, 10:45 p.m.
  7. 3Saturday, June 12, 10:45 p.m.
  8. 4Monday, June 14, 7:20 p.m.Two Days Later
  9. 5Wednesday, June 16, 10:40 a.m.Two Days Later
  10. 6Wednesday, June 16, 12:10 p.m.
  11. 7Wednesday, June 16, 12:25 p.m.
  12. 8Wednesday, June 16, 1:28 p.m.
  13. 9Saturday, June 19, 9:12 a.m.Three Days Later
  14. 10Saturday, June 19, 8:10 p.m.
  15. 11Sunday, June 20, 10:12 a.m.
  16. 12Monday, June 21, 8:52 a.m.
  17. 13Monday, June 21, 11:15 a.m.
  18. 14Monday, June 21, 1:18 p.m.
  19. 15Monday, June 21, 5:38 p.m.
  20. 16Monday, June 21, 7:20 p.m.
  21. 17Monday, June 21, 7:30 p.m.
  22. 18Monday, June 21, 8:20 p.m.
  23. 19Tuesday, June 22, 10:22 a.m.
  24. 20Tuesday, June 22, 10:52 a.m.
  25. 21Tuesday, June 22, 1:08 p.m.
  26. 22Tuesday, June 22, 1:19 p.m.
  27. 23Tuesday, June 22, 1:47 p.m.
  28. 24Tuesday, June 22, 2:40 p.m.
  29. 25Tuesday, June 22, 3:12 p.m.
  30. 26Tuesday, June 22, 3:40 p.m.
  31. 27Tuesday, June 22, 3:58 p.m.
  32. 28Tuesday, June 22, 4:31 p.m.
  33. 29Tuesday, June 22, 6:10 p.m.
  34. 30Tuesday, June 22, 8:05 p.m.
  35. 31Wednesday, June 23, 9:32 a.m.
  36. 32Wednesday, June 23, 10:15 a.m.
  37. 33Wednesday, June 23, 12:45 p.m.
  38. 34Wednesday, June 23, 1:05 p.m.
  39. 35Wednesday, June 23, 4:12 p.m.
  40. 36Wednesday, June 23, 7:24 p.m.
  41. 37Friday, June 25, 7:17 p.m.
  42. 38Tuesday, June 29, 11:49 a.m.
  43. 39Tuesday, June 29, 1:10 p.m.
  44. 40Tuesday, June 29, 1:28 p.m.
  45. 41Thursday, July 22, 1:07 p.m.
  46. Acknowledgments
  47. About the Author
  48. Also by Alafair Burke
  49. About the Publisher

He shook his head but then stopped, pressing his lips together with a dawning recollection. “It was a while ago. Maybe her second week working for me. She asked me not to say anything about her in the event anyone ever asked questions. I assumed it was related to the ex-husband, back when I thought that he actually existed. So I told her that of course I would never do that. But then she said, even if it was someone local from around here. I made a joke about how she was already making enemies, but she didn’t seem to think it was funny. She just asked me to let her know if anyone ever came around asking about her. Then one day we were going to see a listing, and I noticed she kept checking the rearview mirror. I asked her what was wrong, but she said it was a habit—a survival instinct that all women have. I mean, maybe that’s true, but again, I chalked it up to her background with the ex-husband.”

“That day with the rearview mirror, did you notice anyone following you? Or did anyone ever contact you, asking questions about her?”

“No, nothing like that. See, this is why I was putting off calling you. The writing’s pretty much on the wall from my perspective. She got as much as she could out of me and moved on to another town. I bet you good money she took anything that wasn’t nailed down from that poor lady’s cottage. She’s probably trying to sell it now, along with that rug she stole from me.”

“What rug?”

“Right, I left that part out. I mean, it’s a cheapie from IKEA, but she probably assumed it was the real deal. She followed my instructions for the open house to a tee—better than I expected. But the area rug I gave her to cover up the wood in the foyer wasn’t down. Like I said, she ripped me off.”

Lindsay suddenly flashed back to the sight of Hope’s rain-soaked body splayed so unnaturally at the side of the road, but now she imagined her in that same position on a cheap knockoff Persian rug, blood caking into her sandy blond hair, an unidentified man leaning over her.

“Where was this open house?”

6
Wednesday, June 16, 12:10 p.m.