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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

Vera’s eyes caught mine. ‘I thought of that, but more people die on hikes than you’d think. It’s usually a quick news item. Maybe there’s a photo, maybe not. Even when it is, it’s a blurry one dug up on Facebook, unless the family releases a better one. And up near Lake George, once you go west, even fifty miles, you’re completely off the beaten path. It’s not like this, there aren’t people coming up from the city every second – it’s practically Canada. There are places that are so removed from everything – places so insular and rural, I wouldn’t worry about anyone recognizing him, especially if he shaves his beard, changes his hairstyle a little. John could build something new. Away from everyone.’

I felt a tug, deep inside, because she was right. People from Brooklyn came up here all the time. Davis had never had an interest in Woodstock, but there was no guarantee he wouldn’t change his mind. The thought of being even harder to find was tempting. I bet there were places, up in the woods, where you didn’t even run into cars, acres and acres of property where Dusty could just … run. Our little threesome could turn into a real family.

‘There’s this area, a protected wild forest. The towns in it are so small they’re hardly a spot on the map. And they’re so cheap. John could pay with cash. He’d have to use a different ID, but I think I could manage that, too,’ Vera said as John nodded along. ‘It sounds nuts, but I think it would actually work.’

‘It would be better than living like this,’ John added. ‘Than not even being able to go out in public without causing a scene.’

A knife of a thought struck me, sharp and intrusive.

‘It won’t,’ I said.

Vera sucked in a breath. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Everyone knows you guys are in trouble. Like you said, people talk.’ I let the knife cut deeper, the thought slice further. ‘Haven’t you watched any old movies?’ My mom and I used to watch them all, every noir we could get our hands on. ‘You’re his wife,’ I said to Vera. ‘If you tell people you watched your husband fall off a cliff, no one will believe you. They’d expect you, of all people, to be angry about … about everything.’

‘I know that, but really. My record is clean. John and I have never had so much as a public disturbance. And besides, I love him,’ Vera said, squeezing his hand. ‘Anyone who knows us can see that.’ Her eyes glistened. ‘I stuck by him through all of this. Doesn’t that count for anything?’