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Back Mary, Mary Save as PDF
Chapters (128)
  1. Prologue: THE STORYTELLER
  2. Chapter 1
  3. Chapter 2
  4. Part One: THE “MARY SMITH” MURDERS
  5. Chapter 3
  6. Chapter 4
  7. Chapter 5
  8. Chapter 6
  9. Chapter 7
  10. Chapter 8
  11. Chapter 9
  12. Chapter 10
  13. Chapter 11
  14. Chapter 12
  15. Chapter 13
  16. Chapter 14
  17. Part Two: I LOVE L.A.
  18. Chapter 15
  19. Chapter 16
  20. Chapter 17
  21. Chapter 18
  22. Chapter 19
  23. Chapter 20
  24. Chapter 21
  25. Chapter 22
  26. Chapter 23
  27. Chapter 24
  28. Chapter 25
  29. Chapter 26
  30. Chapter 27
  31. Chapter 28
  32. Chapter 29
  33. Chapter 30
  34. Chapter 31
  35. Chapter 32
  36. Chapter 33
  37. Chapter 34
  38. Chapter 35
  39. Chapter 36
  40. Chapter 37
  41. Chapter 38
  42. Chapter 39
  43. Chapter 40
  44. Chapter 41
  45. Chapter 42
  46. Chapter 43
  47. Chapter 44
  48. Chapter 45
  49. Chapter 46
  50. Part Three: JUGGLING ACTS
  51. Chapter 47
  52. Chapter 48
  53. Chapter 49
  54. Chapter 50
  55. Chapter 51
  56. Chapter 52
  57. Chapter 53
  58. Chapter 54
  59. Chapter 55
  60. Chapter 56
  61. Chapter 57
  62. Chapter 58
  63. Chapter 59
  64. Chapter 60
  65. Chapter 61
  66. Chapter 62
  67. Chapter 63
  68. Chapter 64
  69. Chapter 65
  70. Chapter 66
  71. Chapter 67
  72. Chapter 68
  73. Chapter 69
  74. Chapter 70
  75. Chapter 71
  76. Part Four: THE BLUE SUBURBAN
  77. Chapter 72
  78. Chapter 73
  79. Chapter 74
  80. Chapter 75
  81. Chapter 76
  82. Chapter 77
  83. Chapter 78
  84. Chapter 79
  85. Chapter 80
  86. Chapter 81
  87. Chapter 82
  88. Chapter 83
  89. Chapter 84
  90. Chapter 85
  91. Chapter 86
  92. Chapter 87
  93. Chapter 88
  94. Chapter 89
  95. Chapter 90
  96. Chapter 91
  97. Chapter 92
  98. Chapter 93
  99. Chapter 94
  100. Chapter 95
  101. Chapter 96
  102. Chapter 97
  103. Chapter 98
  104. Part Five: END OF STORY
  105. Chapter 99
  106. Chapter 100
  107. Chapter 101
  108. Chapter 102
  109. Chapter 103
  110. Chapter 104
  111. Chapter 105
  112. Chapter 106
  113. Chapter 107
  114. Chapter 108
  115. Chapter 109
  116. Chapter 110
  117. Chapter 111
  118. Chapter 112
  119. Chapter 113
  120. Chapter 114
  121. Chapter 115
  122. Chapter 116
  123. Chapter 117
  124. Chapter 118
  125. Chapter 119
  126. Chapter 120
  127. Chapter 121
  128. About the Author

But—and the but was important—why had that fact been so far from my mind in Van Allsburg’s office? What were these blinders I wore, and how did I keep forgetting I had them on? What kind of dramatic wake-up call did I need before I got the message?

On the way to the airport I figured out another piece. It just hit me. The A’s and B’s on the children’s stickers at the crime scenes. I knew what the letters meant. Mary’s imaginary children’s names—Ashley, Adam, Brendan. Two A’s and a B.

I phoned it in on my way out of L.A.

Part Five: END OF STORY

Part Five

END OF STORY

Chapter 99

Chapter 99

THE STORYTELLER WAS DONE KILLING. Fini. It was over, and no one would ever know the whole truth about what had happened. End of story.

So he threw himself a party with some of his best buddies from Beverly Hills.

He told them he’d just gotten a gig writing a screenplay for an A-list director, a big, dopey thriller based on a dopey bestseller. He’d been given license to change anything he didn’t like, but that was all he could say about it right now. The director was paranoid—so what’s new? But a big party was definitely in order.

His friends thought they understood what was going down, which gave him some idea how little they knew him. His best friends in the world—and hell, none of them knew him at all. None of them suspected he could be a killer. How fricking unbelievably crazy was that? No one knew him.

The party was at the Snake Pit Ale House, a bar on Melrose where they’d held a fantasy football league during his early days in L.A., soon after he’d arrived from Brown University to act, and maybe dabble at writing scripts—serious, worthy stuff, not box-office crap.

“The order of the night is free beer,” he said as each of his buds arrived at the bar, “and wine for the wussies among you. So I guess it’s vino all around?”

Nobody drank wine, not one of the fourteen pals who came to the bash. They were all glad to see him out and about, and also about his new gig—though some of the more honest ones admitted they were jealous. Everybody started calling him “A-list.”