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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

Clarice turned to them, and while she was distant, she was also reassuring. “That’s the thing. She assured me if I told you, she’d kill you.”

With a flourish, Gregoire exclaimed, “I am a weapons master!”

“Yes, and she demonstrated her knife skills to me and on me more than once. It wasn’t acting. She had real-life experience. If I had decided to tell you, while I was explaining, trying to make you believe, she would have struck without warning, and we would all have been dead.” Clarice was fierce. “I know somehow she would have acted her way out of it, become the innocent victim of a random killer.”

“Don’t you think that scenario is a little extreme, Miss Burbage?” Deputy Dave asked.

Clarice pulled her neckline aside and showed him a long, thin, shallow scab that cut from her armpit to her breast. “It goes all the way to the nipple,” she told him.

Elle clutched at her chest.

Deputy Dave swore in horror. “We’ve got to get you to the hospital.” He started to stand.

“I want to finish the story.” Clarice swallowed. “Then, yes, the hospital. I suspect I’ll need surgery on my shoulder and on the broken bones in my wrist. Anyway, the torture was simply the first salvo in her arsenal. She told me if I said anything, if I went against her... I have a younger sister who just started acting.”

“Mila Burbage,” Sarcha and Gregoire said in unison.

“Yes, Mila. She’s beautiful, talented, and she’s on the cusp of fame. Faith knows her. Faith is a famous acting coach with access to every level of the business. If she had offered to teach Mila, my sister would have eagerly agreed—and she would have died. Faith promised that somehow Mila would die, but before she did, she would beg for death.”

Ludwig grunted as if he knew something of that kind of torture.

Elle had tears in her eyes. “Clarice, I’m so sorry you got involved in my horror tale.”

“This taught me a lot about acting.” Clarice sounded calm and deadly. “Faith’s objective, she said, was to make sure I loved her so much I would never betray her.”

“That’s crazy!” Sarcha said.