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Back Lost Hills Save as PDF
Chapters (49)
  1. TITLE PAGE
  2. COPYRIGHT PAGE
  3. DEDICATION
  4. Contents
  5. CHAPTER ONE
  6. CHAPTER TWO
  7. CHAPTER THREE
  8. CHAPTER FOUR
  9. CHAPTER FIVE
  10. CHAPTER SIX
  11. CHAPTER SEVEN
  12. CHAPTER EIGHT
  13. CHAPTER NINE
  14. CHAPTER TEN
  15. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  16. CHAPTER TWELVE
  17. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  18. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  19. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  20. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  21. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  22. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  23. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  24. CHAPTER TWENTY
  25. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  34. CHAPTER THIRTY
  35. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  36. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  42. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  43. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  44. CHAPTER FORTY
  45. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
  46. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
  47. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
  48. Author’s Note and Acknowledgments
  49. About the Author

“We found it in the home of a man we believe attacked another woman,” Eve said and made her decision. “There’s another picture I’d like to show you.”

Eve went online and found a headshot of actor Roddy McDowall in his ape makeup from Planet of the Apes. “Is this the monster mask your attacker was wearing?”

She showed Vickie the photo. Vickie stared at it analytically, showing no emotional reaction.

“It could be but I can’t be sure,” she said, unconsciously touching the spot on her throat that had been cut with the knife. There was no visible scar there but Eve was sure there was one that Vickie could feel. “My memory of it is blurred. All I know was that it wasn’t a human face. I closed my eyes and didn’t open them again until he was gone.”

Eve certainly understood that and had no interest in bringing back more bad memories for her. She pocketed her phone and stood up. “Thank you, Vickie. You’ve been a big help.”

Vickie rose to her feet and walked Eve to the door. “Do you think this is the same man who raped me?”

“I think it’s very likely,” Eve said.

“Do you have him in jail?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Keep him there.” Vickie opened the door. “I might be able to start sleeping at night with the lights off again.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Eve stopped at the Commons, an outdoor shopping center in Calabasas that was meant to evoke a quaint French village, and got a sandwich and coffee at Le Pain Quotidien, which she ate at a table outside under the shadow of a clock tower that held the world’s largest Rolex. She’d never been to France, but she doubted many villages had Rolex clock towers.

It was 5:00 p.m. and beginning to get dark. Her phone vibrated. Eve picked it up and saw that Nan had sent her the photos from Caitlin’s camera. She downloaded them and texted Nan.

How much longer are you going to be at Coyle’s place?

Nan texted back.

Another hour or so.

Eve replied that she was on her way over to get the rundown and asked if there was anything she could bring her.

Nan asked for a Caramel Coconut Iced Latte from Coffee Bean, which was at the shopping center across the street from the Commons. Eve said that would be no problem.

She got a couple of the iced lattes and headed up to the mobile home park, where she saw that there was still a crowd of people, most of them tenants of the park, standing outside the yellow police tape watching the CSU team do their work at Coyle’s place.

Eve parked her car, got out with the two lattes, and closed the door with her hip. She handed one of the drinks to Deputy Clayton, who lifted up the yellow tape for her.