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Back Lying Next to Me Save as PDF
Chapters (87)
  1. TITLE PAGE
  2. COPYRIGHT
  3. DEDICATION
  4. CONTENTS
  5. START READING
  6. CHAPTER ONE
  7. CHAPTER TWO
  8. CHAPTER THREE
  9. CHAPTER FOUR
  10. CHAPTER FIVE
  11. CHAPTER SIX
  12. CHAPTER SEVEN
  13. CHAPTER EIGHT
  14. CHAPTER NINE
  15. CHAPTER TEN
  16. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  17. CHAPTER TWELVE
  18. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  19. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  20. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  21. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  22. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  23. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  24. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  25. CHAPTER TWENTY
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  34. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  35. CHAPTER THIRTY
  36. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  42. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  43. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  44. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  45. CHAPTER FORTY
  46. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
  47. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
  48. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
  49. CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
  50. CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
  51. CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
  52. CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
  53. CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
  54. CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
  55. CHAPTER FIFTY
  56. CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
  57. CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
  58. CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
  59. CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
  60. CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
  61. CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
  62. CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
  63. CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
  64. CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
  65. CHAPTER SIXTY
  66. CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
  67. CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO
  68. CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE
  69. CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR
  70. CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE
  71. CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX
  72. CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN
  73. CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT
  74. CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE
  75. CHAPTER SEVENTY
  76. CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE
  77. CHAPTER SEVENTY-TWO
  78. CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE
  79. CHAPTER SEVENTY-FOUR
  80. CHAPTER SEVENTY-FIVE
  81. CHAPTER SEVENTY-SIX
  82. CHAPTER SEVENTY-SEVEN
  83. CHAPTER SEVENTY-EIGHT
  84. CHAPTER SEVENTY-NINE
  85. CHAPTER EIGHTY
  86. EPILOGUE
  87. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

“A quack,” he says. “A nice quack. He says Coyle checked in there for some kind of overnight herbal infusion the Friday before Sophie Warner was abducted. Get this, Lee. The treatments are usually at the Super 8, but they don’t allow pets, so Coyle and that insufferable dog of his stayed at the Bellflower Motel. The quack videotapes all treatments, he says, and would be glad to show us Coyle’s. Not real big on HIPAA and all that, evidently. I said sure, send me some footage. He says Coyle wasn’t out the door until noon on Saturday. Assuming the video checks out, I’d say that he’s not our guy.”

I want to ask about Montrose’s own medical problems. It seems the door is a little open. But I don’t do it. Montrose isn’t the kind of man who likes to talk about himself. I don’t like to talk about myself, either. We’re good that way.

“We need to find him,” I say. “He’s suicidal.”

“We can’t save everyone, Lee.”

Don’t I know that.

CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE

CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE

ADAM

The reception area at the law offices of Belding and Son is empty except for a bunch of children’s and parenting magazines and a play area strewn with toys. And me, of course. I sit quietly, playing Candy Crush on my phone while I wait for Dan Belding Jr. to see me. I’m early. I’m unemployed. I’m a widower. None of those things define me. At least I hope not.

Dan and I went to school together. His father, Dan Belding Sr., coached the Shelton High School basketball team. He was a pleasant guy with coffee breath and an overbite. He was also the first professional person I really knew. He was a lawyer. In Shelton, that was pretty much the top of the food chain. Dan Jr. was too short to play hoops, but as it turned out, he was able to follow in his dad’s footsteps by getting a law degree.

“Sorry about your dad,” I say when Dan comes to greet me with a hello and a handshake. He’s a younger version of his father. Coffee breath must run in the family.

“He went quick,” he says. “That’s a blessing.”

Dan Sr. had cancer. Testicular. Any man’s worst nightmare.

“Good,” I say.

I follow him to his office, which is surprisingly modern considering that he’s from Shelton.