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Chapters (98)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise for
  3. Also by David Bell
  4. Dedication
  5. Epigraph
  6. PART I
  7. CHAPTER ONE
  8. CHAPTER TWO
  9. CHAPTER THREE
  10. CHAPTER FOUR
  11. CHAPTER FIVE
  12. CHAPTER SIX
  13. CHAPTER SEVEN
  14. CHAPTER EIGHT
  15. CHAPTER NINE
  16. CHAPTER TEN
  17. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  18. CHAPTER TWELVE
  19. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  20. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  21. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  22. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  23. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  24. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  25. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  34. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  35. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  36. CHAPTER THIRTY
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  38. PART II
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  42. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  43. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  44. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  45. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  46. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  47. CHAPTER FORTY
  48. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
  49. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
  50. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
  51. CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
  52. CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
  53. CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
  54. CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
  55. CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
  56. CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
  57. CHAPTER FIFTY
  58. CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
  59. CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
  60. CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
  61. CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
  62. CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
  63. CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
  64. PART III
  65. CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
  66. CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
  67. CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
  68. CHAPTER SIXTY
  69. CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
  70. CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO
  71. CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE
  72. CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR
  73. CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE
  74. CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX
  75. CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN
  76. CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT
  77. CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE
  78. CHAPTER SEVENTY
  79. CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE
  80. CHAPTER SEVENTY-TWO
  81. CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE
  82. CHAPTER SEVENTY-FOUR
  83. CHAPTER SEVENTY-FIVE
  84. CHAPTER SEVENTY-SIX
  85. PART IV
  86. CHAPTER SEVENTY-SEVEN
  87. CHAPTER SEVENTY-EIGHT
  88. CHAPTER SEVENTY-NINE
  89. CHAPTER EIGHTY
  90. CHAPTER EIGHTY-ONE
  91. CHAPTER EIGHTY-TWO
  92. CHAPTER EIGHTY-THREE
  93. CHAPTER EIGHTY-FOUR
  94. EPILOGUE
  95. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  96. Readers Guide
  97. About the Author
  98. What’s next onyour reading list?

“Madeline left it for me. And I thought you’d want to have it back.”

CHAPTER EIGHTY

REBECCA

PRESENT

Nye takes the envelope.

He stares at it kind of like it’s a lost treasure. Or a newborn baby.

“Madeline gave this to you? When? Why?”

“She left it on my porch. Right before she died. And I guess I’m not really sure why she gave it to me, except that she kind of knew me because we hung out at a party once.” Rebecca has thought about this a lot over the past couple of days. And especially since this morning. But she can’t reach any strong conclusions about it. “We kind of bonded over something that happened that night, something that kind of relates to the book. Or . . . maybe she didn’t have anyone else to give it to.”

“Why are you bringing it to me?” Nye asks. “Did she say to do that?”

Rebecca feels her cheeks get warm. She reaches up and unbuttons her coat, wishes she could take it off. But she doesn’t want to stay long, doesn’t want to keep Mom waiting. They have a two-hour drive ahead, and it’s already dark. Mom doesn’t like driving at night, and Rebecca doesn’t want to add to her stress by taking forever with Dr. Nye. It already took long enough packing her clothes and things in the apartment while Mikaila followed her around, telling her how much she was going to miss her. She was practically crying.

It’s weird, but Rebecca thinks she’ll miss Mikaila. And Steven too.

“I didn’t buy your book that night at the library. I forgot my credit card, and I didn’t really think I liked to read thrillers, even though you wrote it.” When she starts talking, Nye’s shoulders sag. He looks disappointed. Kind of sad. And Rebecca doesn’t want to pile on, so she tries to make it quick. “When this book showed up on my doorstep, I started reading it, and it was really good. I mean, it’s smart. Not just a thriller. It’s about the characters too. And their friendship and how they care for each other even though they’re kind of from different walks of life. But it kind of reminded me of what you were saying about your book at the library. At first, I thought maybe they were just generally the same. I mean, how many different ways can an author murder somebody? You always said in class there are only seven plots, right?”

“I did say that.”