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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
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  29. 25
  30. 26
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  32. 28
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  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
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  52. 48
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  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
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  75. 71
  76. 72
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  81. 77
  82. 78
  83. 79
  84. 80
  85. 81
  86. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Elle glanced at the still-blaring and flashing truck. “I will.” From far up the highway, she heard the wail of the police sirens.

“Clarice, darling, you shouldn’t be over here talking to a stranger.” Sarcha used the soothing voice used for speaking to a vulnerable individual.

Clarice gave him a single, dismissive glance. She grabbed Elle’s shirt, yanked her close and said, “Bruno wasn’t so bad. Tell Adam I said Bruno wasn’t so bad.”

Elle put her arm around Clarice. “Don’t be afraid. I’ll tell him.”

Clarice winced away from Elle’s embrace and stood to meet law enforcement—and a roar of publicity such as the actress had never seen.

55

“THANKS, DAVE. I appreciate the update. Yes, Elle is Clarice’s friend, and she’ll be relieved to hear the situation. And yes, it was good of Elle to point out the camera under the truck... It was smashed, but the memory card has to be there somewhere. Right, another sweep tomorrow in the full daylight.” Adam closed his phone.

The evening was quiet and cool, with the ocean breeze rippling the grasses and a few thin, silvery clouds lit by the setting sun. He leaned back in the porch swing beside Elle and filled her in on events. “After the sheriff arrested Clarice, her little group of cohorts followed her to the courthouse. Gregoire acted as her attorney, and she has been released on a hundred thousand dollars’ bail. The general consensus, according to Deputy Dave, is that the whole thing was a dreadful accident brought on by Bruno’s stupid stunt of climbing up the side of the building and standing on the wall to take photos.”

“I suppose I should be sorry about such a gruesome end for the man—but he deserved it.” She gave the swing a hard push with her foot. “What a creep.”

“Clarice is back at her suite at the Live Oak. I wish I’d been able to speak to her.” Adam looked at Elle meaningfully. “I saw you talking to her.”

“She sent you a message.”

“I hoped for just that.”

“I didn’t understand it, or why she didn’t just explain what had happened, but—” Elle recounted every word Clarice had said.

Adam asked to confirm, “She said ‘Bruno wasn’t so bad’?”

“Yes.”

“She had previously described Bruno as a slug who crawled out of the mud and consumed everything in his path. This is definitely a message.” One thought haunted Adam. “What truly concerns me is the loss of the memory card. When the camera shattered, the card could have flown anywhere.” He pictured the area behind the restaurant: the paved parking spots, the foliage on the outskirts and the massive oak tree.