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
“Damn it, Hunter. I just got a call from the lawyer, and she’s furious about this. And so am I. Do you know how bad it is when you go off and talk without a lawyer around? The cops can use anything you say against you. Do you understand how serious all of this is?”
“Dad—”
“She’s threatening to drop your case. And I already paid her a retainer.”
“Dad—”
“I know you’re upset. And I know you’re grieving. I get it. And I know all you kids put everything online all the time. You always have your phones—”
“Dad!”
He finally stops. His breathing comes through the phone. “What?”
“Did you see the video?”
“No, I haven’t.”
“But you’re jumping my shit about it?”
“Hunter, the point is you have to keep quiet and listen to your lawyer. You’re in way deep here.”
“Dad, the video is just me asking for help,” I say. “It’s telling people what happened to Daniel, just like the other one is about Chloe. I’m asking if anybody knows anything. How else are we supposed to get the word out?”
“Let the cops handle it,” he says.
“How are they going to do it? On the evening news? The newspaper? This is how young people communicate. Don’t you think kids are more likely to know what happened to Chloe? And Daniel? Maybe it’s Mike Basher, Chloe’s ex-boyfriend. He kept hanging around Chloe’s house long after they broke up. Maybe they need to talk to him. Or maybe it’s—”
I stop myself. I can’t say it.
“Maybe it’s what?” Dad asks.
Hannah?
“Forget it,” I say.
“Hunter, just…look, I’m coming home in a little bit. After this exam. We can talk more about it then. But for now, just stay in the house and stay off the internet.”
He hangs up on me.
“Shit,” I say.
I hold the phone in my hand like it might bite me.
The lawyer thinks. The police think. The school thinks.
Dad thinks.
Second period starts in twenty minutes. I forget about Daniel’s movie for a minute and send an email to the one person I still haven’t talked to, the one person who might be able to make sense of everything. He’s free next period, and despite his aversion to social media, he does check his email.
He’s in class and can’t answer right away, but I’m hoping to hear from him by the time I get there.
I park at the far edge of the school lot, away from any prying eyes.
It takes a few minutes to get a response.
Hunter—See you in five. Ron H.
Thirty-Two
Ron comes out the back of the building and, after looking around for a moment, sees my car and heads my way.