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

That sounded like the Stephen Zsóke knew. Time to soothe the savage beast. “Don’t shout. Stay where you are. I’ll take care of matters here. You’ll hear from me soon. You know me. The woman is as good as dead.” Zsóke tapped the phone off and headed for the door that led downstairs.

Open the door. Don’t leave. Close the door. Wait behind the grapevine trellis.

The person beside the firepit unzipped the sleeping bag and stood.

Zsóke could see the outline of Clarice Burbage. She had been up here, sleeping or thinking or concentrating on her upcoming role, and she’d heard everything. Wrong time, wrong task, wrong place. Now she tiptoed toward the door, no doubt hoping to get to her room or down to the street to call for help.

Zsóke allowed her to touch the knob before grabbing and twisting her arm and saying in her ear, “I’m sorry you overheard that conversation.”

Clarice groaned when Zsóke pulled up on her arm, putting pressure on elbow and shoulder, pressure that threatened to rupture ligaments and break bones. “I didn’t hear anything.” Her voice was high, frightened.

She was right to be frightened.

“I have to keep an eye on you. You understand that?”

Clarice shook her head. “I didn’t hear—”

“Here’s what we’re going to do. Every night, I’ll sleep with you.”

“I won’t tell—”

Zsóke twisted again, not enough to break anything, but enough to make Clarice writhe as she tried to escape the pain. “No one will think anything about our tryst. In this little hamlet, every person imagines the actress is sleeping with every member of her team. That’s the way provincial minds work.”

“No. No,” Clarice whimpered. “Who are you?”

“You know who I am. You simply don’t know all that I am. You don’t know that to take this job, I had to eliminate one of the original members of your team and take his place. He was a big guy, strong, but I killed him, stripped him and left him in a ditch to be a feast for coyotes.” It was time to take control of Clarice and all her future actions. “Your little sister—”

Clarice took a frightened breath.