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Back One White Lie Save as PDF
Chapters (59)
  1. COVER
  2. About the Author
  3. DEDICATION
  4. ONE
  5. TWO
  6. THREE
  7. FOUR
  8. FIVE
  9. SIX
  10. SEVEN
  11. EIGHT
  12. NINE
  13. TEN
  14. ELEVEN
  15. TWELVE
  16. THIRTEEN
  17. FOURTEEN
  18. FIFTEEN
  19. SIXTEEN
  20. SEVENTEEN
  21. EIGHTEEN
  22. NINETEEN
  23. TWENTY
  24. TWENTY-ONE
  25. TWENTY-TWO
  26. TWENTY-THREE
  27. TWENTY-FOUR
  28. TWENTY-FIVE
  29. TWENTY-SIX
  30. TWENTY-SEVEN
  31. TWENTY-EIGHT
  32. TWENTY-NINE
  33. THIRTY
  34. THIRTY-ONE
  35. THIRTY-TWO
  36. THIRTY-THREE
  37. THIRTY-FOUR
  38. THIRTY-FIVE
  39. THIRTY-SIX
  40. THIRTY-SEVEN
  41. THIRTY-EIGHT
  42. THIRTY-NINE
  43. FORTY
  44. FORTY-ONE
  45. FORTY-TWO
  46. FORTY-THREE
  47. FORTY-FOUR
  48. FORTY-FIVE
  49. FORTY-SIX
  50. FORTY-SEVEN
  51. FORTY-EIGHT
  52. FORTY-NINE
  53. FIFTY
  54. FIFTY-ONE
  55. FIFTY-TWO
  56. FIFTY-THREE
  57. FIFTY-FOUR
  58. Acknowledgments
  59. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING

‘Davis,’ she said. ‘I know you were eager to leave, but you must see that you can’t now. I’m lost without John. You have to stay.’

Panic flashed within me, stiffening my limbs. She couldn’t think I could stay now, could she? Not with Davis out there, knowing or on his way to knowing where I was.

Not when I thought there was a chance he might have …

I blinked slowly, trying to figure out what I was supposed to do, to put together a plan when the one I’d had had been ripped to shreds.

‘I’m here,’ I said finally. ‘I promised the police I’d go down to the station tomorrow and give a statement. Don’t worry.’

Vera’s sigh was so instinctual, so relieved, that I couldn’t bear to go on. Of course I had to leave; she should know that. I had to stay one or two more nights, or else it would look suspicious and I’d have McKnight on my tail before I even left town. If I did anything cagey, anything to make myself even more of a suspect, who knew how long he’d ask me to stay?

But after that …

I’d push for a speedy memorial – true crime documentaries had taught me the body wouldn’t be ready for who knew how long – then go. Back West, to L.A. – hell, maybe even to Seattle – back where I should have gone in the first place.

‘I can keep you company,’ I offered, too scared to be on my own.

Vera nodded. ‘I was hoping you would. Stay with me tonight – please. I need you now more than ever.’

Penguin walking logo

TWENTY-THREE

After going back to get Dusty – I couldn’t bear to leave him on his own – the three of us huddled together in the bed she’d shared with John – a trio of a different sort.

Vera’s spare bedroom was full of John’s art supplies, so I’d offered to crash on the couch, but she’d asked me to sleep beside her, where he used to. Strange as it was, I’d said yes, and Dusty cuddled between us like this was our new family.

In the morning, I headed back to my cottage, holding my breath as I turned the key in the lock, inspecting all the entrances to make sure no one had been inside, looking under the floorboard beneath my bed to check that everything important was still there, heart pounding as I asked myself if I should just leave. Screw the police and their routines. Grab my dad’s hammer and my mother’s scarf and go.

But I showered and got ready instead, telling myself I could get through this. Be careful these next couple of days. Look over my shoulder. Examine every lock. Not give the police a single reason to suspect me.

Be smarter than Davis thought I was.