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Chapters (88)
  1. Cover Page
  2. Front Flap
  3. Title Page
  4. Acknowledgments
  5. Dedication
  6. Contents
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. 67
  74. 68
  75. 69
  76. 70
  77. 71
  78. 72
  79. 73
  80. 74
  81. 75
  82. 76
  83. 77
  84. 78
  85. 79
  86. 80
  87. Back Flap
  88. Back Cover

Hayley walked into the hallway and pressed the button for the elevator. The building had been a warehouse before it was converted to offices. It was a hip place to work, brimming with the energy of numerous twentysomethings, excited about their careers, anxious to grab every opportunity New York City had to offer. The elevator door finally opened. Hayley stepped inside. As the door closed her cell phone rang. She looked at the caller ID. It was Scott! If Hayley didn’t feel alive before, she did now. So alive she felt as if she’d just stuck her finger in a socket.

A couple other people were on the elevator, no one Hayley recognized. For a moment she debated whether to answer. Finally she couldn’t help herself.

“Hello,” she said quickly. “I’m on an elevator …”

“Hey,” Scott said, his voice dripping with affection. “How did it go last night?”

“Great,” Hayley answered curtly. “How was your night?”

“I took my son to the movies.”

“How nice.”

“It is. It’s especially nice because I saw him last night instead of Saturday. One of his friends is having a party. Which means I’m free to go out with you. What do you say, Hayley? I want to make it a perfect evening.”

The elevator door opened at the ground floor. Hayley stepped into the lobby. The expression on her face would have stopped a clock.

“Hayley?” Scott asked. “Are you there?”

“I’m here,” Hayley said. “I’d love to see you Saturday night, Scott. It will be nothing less than perfect.”

“I can’t wait.”

You say that now, Hayley thought, grinning wickedly. But our date will be one of my most carefully planned events ever. And one of my biggest. One that you’ll wish you never attended.

9

Inside her home, Edna had just started chatting with Mark Peabody, a young reporter from a paper she had never heard of. They were standing in the spacious vestibule. Peabody had a camera and was streaming their interview live on the Internet.

“As you can see,” Edna said, pointing to the wall where the letter Cleo had written her was hanging in a frame, “Cleo left me to do as I saw fit with her things.”

“Fascinating,” the earnest young man said as he trained the camera on the letter. “Just fascinating. She says she was offered a role in an exciting new movie. I hope it’s better than her last one. Did you see You Don’t Bring Me Flowers, Alive or Dead?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t you think that was a terrible career choice?”

“How am I supposed to know? I’m not her agent. And she’s off doing another movie so it hasn’t stopped her.”