BooksBarbecue
Back Never Goodbye
Chapters (71)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. Dedication
  4. CONTENTS
  5. PART ONE
  6. 1. ELLA BRODEN
  7. 2. DANA GOODWIN
  8. 3. ELLA BRODEN
  9. 4. DANA GOODWIN
  10. 5. ELLA BRODEN
  11. 6. DANA GOODWIN
  12. 7. ELLA BRODEN
  13. 8. DANA GOODWIN
  14. 9. ELLA BRODEN
  15. 10. DANA GOODWIN
  16. 11. ELLA BRODEN
  17. 12. DANA GOODWIN
  18. 13. ELLA BRODEN
  19. 14. DANA GOODWIN
  20. 15. ELLA BRODEN
  21. PART TWO
  22. 16. ELLA BRODEN
  23. 17. DANA GOODWIN
  24. 18. ELLA BRODEN
  25. 19. DANA GOODWIN
  26. 20. ELLA BRODEN
  27. 21. DANA GOODWIN
  28. 22. ELLA BRODEN
  29. 23. DANA GOODWIN
  30. 24. ELLA BRODEN
  31. 25. DANA GOODWIN
  32. 26. ELLA BRODEN
  33. 27. DANA GOODWIN
  34. PART THREE
  35. EIGHT MONTHS EARLIER DANA GOODWIN
  36. 28.
  37. 29.
  38. 30.
  39. 31.
  40. 32.
  41. PART FOUR
  42. 33. ELLA BRODEN
  43. 34. DANA GOODWIN
  44. 35. ELLA BRODEN
  45. 36. DANA GOODWIN
  46. 37. ELLA BRODEN
  47. 38. DANA GOODWIN
  48. 39. ELLA BRODEN
  49. 40. DANA GOODWIN
  50. 41. ELLA BRODEN
  51. 42. DANA GOODWIN
  52. PART FIVE
  53. 43. ELLA BRODEN
  54. 44. DANA GOODWIN
  55. 45. ELLA BRODEN
  56. 46. DANA GOODWIN
  57. 47. ELLA BRODEN
  58. 48. DANA GOODWIN
  59. 49. ELLA BRODEN
  60. 50. DANA GOODWIN
  61. 51. ELLA BRODEN
  62. 52. DANA GOODWIN
  63. 53. ELLA BRODEN
  64. 54. DANA GOODWIN
  65. 55. ELLA BRODEN
  66. 56. DANA GOODWIN
  67. 57. ELLA BRODEN
  68. 58. DANA GOODWIN
  69. 59. ELLA BRODEN
  70. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  71. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I know I should listen to her and remain silent. I should also invoke my right to counsel, which will prevent them from questioning me right now. I’ve seen literally hundreds of people end any chance they had of acquittal by speaking in exactly this situation. Yet despite my training, I can’t help myself.

“What the hell is going on?” I say, looking squarely at McKenney.

No one answers me. Instead, the cop continues reading me my rights aloud.

“If you do not have the means to pay for an attorney, one will be provided for you.”

“I asked you a question, goddammit!” I shout at the DA.

McKenney holds my stare. “We cracked Lauren’s iPhone. You must have thought that was never going to happen, because I can’t for the life of me understand why you didn’t leave the country when you knew we found that phone. Did you actually think we were never going to get around to hacking into it?”

I want to answer his question, to deny my guilt, but my better judgment has now taken over. I need to be smart about this—and that means not to make it any worse by speaking.

The cop finishes her Miranda speech. “Ms. Goodwin, do you understand your rights as I have just explained them to you?”

I crane my neck at the others, looking for an ally in the room. My gaze bounces from person to person until it stops on Gabriel.

We only met eight days ago, but in that time, we’ve spent nearly every waking moment in each other’s company. During that time, I’ve come to think of him as a friend. I thought the feeling was mutual. Does he think I murdered Lauren Wright too?

“I’m sorry, Dana,” he says.

“I understand,” I say as defiantly as I can. And then I add, “About my rights.”

It’s equal parts liberating and horrifying when the thing you’ve feared most in the world finally occurs. Secrets I’ve kept will soon be offered up for public consumption. And while that once seemed the absolute worst thing that could ever happen, it’s now the least of my worries.

PART THREE

PART THREE

EIGHT MONTHS EARLIER DANA GOODWIN

EIGHT MONTHS EARLIER

DANA GOODWIN

28.

28.

I hadn’t prepared a résumé since George W. Bush was president. That was the résumé I’d used to secure my employment with the DA’s office, but it had long ago been lost to outdated word-processing systems. To apply to be deputy chief of the Special Victims Bureau, I created a new one from scratch.