Chapters (95)
- Front Cover
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Contents
- Video #1
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Video #2
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Forty-Three
- Forty-Four
- Forty-Five
- Forty-Six
- Forty-Seven
- Forty-Eight
- Forty-Nine
- Fifty
- Fifty-One
- Fifty-Two
- Fifty-Three
- Fifty-Four
- Fifty-Five
- Fifty-Six
- Fifty-Seven
- Fifty-Eight
- Fifty-Nine
- Sixty
- Sixty-One
- Sixty-Two
- Sixty-Three
- Sixty-Four
- Sixty-Five
- Video #3
- Sixty-Six
- Sixty-Seven
- Sixty-Eight
- Sixty-Nine
- Seventy
- Seventy-One
- Seventy-Two
- Seventy-Three
- Seventy-Four
- Seventy-Five
- Seventy-Six
- Seventy-Seven
- Seventy-Eight
- Seventy-Nine
- Eighty
- Eighty-One
- Eighty-Two
- Eighty-Three
- The Final Video
- Acknowledgments
- About the Author
- Back Cover
I push the window down gently, shutting the quarter-inch gap I’ve been trying to work open. Then I take two quick, long strides across the carpet to Chloe’s closet, pulling it open and slipping inside. I ease the door shut just as Chloe’s bedroom door opens, and I crouch on the bottom of the closet between the shoes and a basket of laundry.
The doors are slatted, so when Laura flips the overhead light on some of it leaks through. But the slats are at an angle, so no one can see in unless they open the door. I hold my breath, willing every muscle in my body to freeze.
The bedsprings squeak. And then two thumps as she kicks off her shoes.
“I’m sorry that was so hard,” Scott says. “I shouldn’t…if you want to sit in here, that’s fine.”
“Thank you.”
“Can I get you something?”
“No. Thank you.”
“Okay. I’m going to check the voicemail.”
Scott leaves, and I try to make my body as small as a dust bunny. I want to be insignificant or, better yet, invisible.
The bedsprings squeak again. I hear Laura’s soft footsteps against the carpet. They get louder. She’s coming to the closet. Her silhouette rises through the slats.
My body tenses. Every muscle clenches like they’re made of wires and bands stretched to their breaking point.
Laura is right outside.
“What are you doing?”
Scott again.
“I don’t know,” Laura says. “I just like to look at Chloe’s things. Her clothes still smell like her.”
“Detective Haley called. He said he’s sorry he missed us at the church.”
“Screw him,” Laura says.
“He’s doing his best.”
“Did you fix the closet?” Laura asks.
“The closet? What about it?”
“The hole in the plaster. Remember? She threw her boot in there last winter and made that hole? You were so pissed when she did it. Remember?”
“Oh, yeah. That.”
Scott sounds confused. But also like a guy who doesn’t want to admit he knows what his wife is talking about.
“Did you fix it, Scott?” Laura asks.
“Not yet. It doesn’t seem like the most important thing.”
“I want you to fix it,” Laura says. “I want everything perfect for when she comes home. Maybe we should get new carpeting, too. She wanted the room painted. But why wait until she goes to college? And you know what else? She needs a new winter coat.”
Laura’s hand reaches for the door and starts to pull it open.
Fifty-Four
I squeeze my eyes shut like a little kid. As though she won’t see me if my eyes are closed.
Scott says, “No, no, honey. Stay out of the closet. Come on, don’t worry about that. Don’t go in there. Why don’t you lie down?”