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Back She's Gone Save as PDF
Chapters (95)
  1. Front Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Contents
  5. Video #1
  6. One
  7. Two
  8. Three
  9. Four
  10. Five
  11. Six
  12. Seven
  13. Eight
  14. Nine
  15. Ten
  16. Eleven
  17. Twelve
  18. Thirteen
  19. Fourteen
  20. Fifteen
  21. Sixteen
  22. Seventeen
  23. Eighteen
  24. Nineteen
  25. Twenty
  26. Twenty-One
  27. Twenty-Two
  28. Twenty-Three
  29. Twenty-Four
  30. Twenty-Five
  31. Twenty-Six
  32. Video #2
  33. Twenty-Seven
  34. Twenty-Eight
  35. Twenty-Nine
  36. Thirty
  37. Thirty-One
  38. Thirty-Two
  39. Thirty-Three
  40. Thirty-Four
  41. Thirty-Five
  42. Thirty-Six
  43. Thirty-Seven
  44. Thirty-Eight
  45. Thirty-Nine
  46. Forty
  47. Forty-One
  48. Forty-Two
  49. Forty-Three
  50. Forty-Four
  51. Forty-Five
  52. Forty-Six
  53. Forty-Seven
  54. Forty-Eight
  55. Forty-Nine
  56. Fifty
  57. Fifty-One
  58. Fifty-Two
  59. Fifty-Three
  60. Fifty-Four
  61. Fifty-Five
  62. Fifty-Six
  63. Fifty-Seven
  64. Fifty-Eight
  65. Fifty-Nine
  66. Sixty
  67. Sixty-One
  68. Sixty-Two
  69. Sixty-Three
  70. Sixty-Four
  71. Sixty-Five
  72. Video #3
  73. Sixty-Six
  74. Sixty-Seven
  75. Sixty-Eight
  76. Sixty-Nine
  77. Seventy
  78. Seventy-One
  79. Seventy-Two
  80. Seventy-Three
  81. Seventy-Four
  82. Seventy-Five
  83. Seventy-Six
  84. Seventy-Seven
  85. Seventy-Eight
  86. Seventy-Nine
  87. Eighty
  88. Eighty-One
  89. Eighty-Two
  90. Eighty-Three
  91. The Final Video
  92. Acknowledgments
  93. About the Author
  95. Back Cover

Chloe’s parents. Pulling in now! GET THE F OUT!!

Fifty-Three

When I stand up, my head bangs against the edge of the metal bedframe.

It’s a sharp, jarring pain, one that causes starbursts to appear before my eyes.

No. No. No more head pain…

I wince. The pain eases, so I start around the bed for the open window. I grab the lamp and the end table I’d knocked over and stand them back up. My movements are frantic and urgent, the blood rushing in my ears like a roaring wave. When I let go of the lamp, my hand gets tangled in the cord, and it starts to fall again. I catch it before it hits the floor.

Once I’m sure it’s steady, I turn back to the window.

But it’s closed.

It slid shut like it always does.

“Damn it.”

My phone buzzes, but I ignore it.

I try to work my fingers into the small space between the bottom of the window and the sill. I can barely do it. A splinter pierces my index finger, and I pull my hand back.

“Shit.”

My phone buzzes again. And again. I know it’s Olivia. Or Gabriela. Do they think if they text me over and over it will make me move any faster? Do they think I don’t recognize the urgency of the situation?

My heart does. The roaring wave is now a tsunami.

I work my fingers back into the narrow space.

That’s when I hear it. A door slams in the house. Followed by voices. Two of them.

“Are you just going to sit in there again? Is that really for the best?”

It’s Scott. His voice muffled by the closed bedroom door. But it’s him.

And then Laura, her voice closer. “I’ll do whatever I want. This is my daughter’s room. I’ll sit here all night.”

“You’re already sleeping in there,” Scott says. “You spend all your time in this room.”

“You spend all your time going out to your garage. You’re out there now more than ever. Is that how you’re staying sane? Do you have a problem with me staying relatively sane my own way?”

“No, honey. I don’t. I just…that event tonight…”

“I don’t give a damn about the event. What do I care about the police? What are they doing to bring Chloe home? Detective Haley couldn’t find his ass with a funnel.”

They’re right outside the door.

I have a choice to make. And a split second to make it.