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Back Season of Fear Save as PDF
Chapters (67)
  1. Contents
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. PROLOGUE
  5. PART ONETHE EXTREMES
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. PART TWOSOMETHING BAD
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. PART THREECHAYLA
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. PART FOURHIT AND RUN
  52. 44
  53. 45
  54. 46
  55. 47
  56. 48
  57. 49
  58. 50
  59. 51
  60. 52
  61. 53
  62. 54
  63. 55
  64. 56
  65. 57
  66. EPILOGUE
  67. AUTHOR’S NOTE

By evening, she was in the hotel room in bed, burning up. Coughing. Sweating. Sobbing: ‘I just want to go home, please take me home, I want to go home!’

Lyle shouting at their brother: ‘Goddamn it, Deacon, for once in your life, stop thinking about yourself, and do what I tell you! Get in the car, and drive your sister back home right now!’

Peach picked up another article from the stack of copies Justin had made. She read the headline:

SEARCH CONTINUES FOR
 MISSING TEENAGER

Police and community volunteers scoured the woods surrounding Lake Wales yesterday, continuing the search for Alison Garner, 14, who was reported missing by her parents late Saturday evening.

No evidence of the girl’s whereabouts have been discovered so far, and no witnesses have come forward with information about the disappearance.

Alison was believed to be riding her bicycle when she left the family home, which is located on Old Bartow Road in West Lake Wales. She was last seen wearing red nylon shorts and a white tank top …

No matter how many times Peach tried to read the article, she couldn’t finish. She simply saw one name over and over.

Alison. Alison. Alison.

There was one page left that she hadn’t seen. One more article that Justin had copied. She didn’t want to pick it up, because she knew exactly what it would say. She knew how the story ended.

You already know the truth.

She turned over the paper.

TEENAGER BELIEVED VICTIM OF
 HIT AND RUN

The search for missing teenager Alison Garner came to a tragic end late yesterday, when two migrant workers found the girl’s body hidden in a gully off the shoulder of Highway 60.

Police have concluded that the girl was struck by a vehicle on the highway while she was riding her bicycle, which was also found hidden near the body. The coroner reported that Garner was apparently alive for some time after the accident and might well have been saved if emergency personnel had been alerted.

‘That’s the terrible thing about this case,’ said Lake Wales Police Chief Thomas Cappelman in yesterday’s press conference. ‘Whoever hit this girl simply dragged her off the road and let her die. He hit her, and then he hid her body and didn’t tell a soul. This wasn’t just an accident. This was murder. When we find the driver, that individual is going to prison for the rest of his life. I promise you that.’

‘See the little white cross?’ Peach told Justin. ‘You have to be careful when you drive here.’

51

Frank Macy looked surprised.

That was what Cab thought as he studied the dead man’s eyes. Surprised that he had been conned. Surprised that a man who was smart, cool, and lethal could be played for a fool. Surprised that anyone would try to make him famous for a series of murders he didn’t commit.