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
“Okay,” he says. “But you said you saw deer when you went driving out there today. Three of them. It’s fall. Mating season. There are deer all over that road. Not a night goes by that we don’t get a call about a vehicle hitting one. And people sometimes get hurt pretty bad. You may recall a few years ago a woman was killed when she hit a deer. Maybe you saw a deer out of your peripheral. Maybe that caused the accident, and there wasn’t another car. Maybe Chloe was hurt in the accident. Maybe she was hurt bad. And you saw that, and you knew you were going to get blamed, so you panicked. And you moved her. Just tell us where she is, Hunter. We can work out something.”
It sounds so calm and logical coming from Haley. Like nothing could be thrown at the guy that he couldn’t bat away. Like he’s a world-class Ping-Pong player when it comes to smacking down someone else’s ideas.
“He’s baiting you, Hunter,” Dad says. “Don’t say anything. Detective, next you’re going to tell us Hunter conspired with a deer to cause the accident.”
“We’re talking about wild animals,” Haley says. “They’re unpredictable. Haven’t you seen on the news when a deer goes crashing through a store window and then runs around inside, busting up everything? Or how about when someone’s out in the woods and a deer goes nuts and attacks them? They’re not all peaceful animals.”
“This isn’t making any sense,” Dad says.
Haley leans farther forward. “Okay, so that’s unfounded speculation. Let’s stick to facts, Hunter. You and Chloe were arguing, witnesses have verified that.”
“Okay, you say arguing. To me it looks like I’m trying to convince Chloe of something. To go back inside. You don’t know it’s an argument. I can’t say for sure that we’re angry.”
“Hey, Daniel’s movie shows it. Maybe Chloe was too upset to drive, and that’s why you got behind the wheel. And maybe you continued to argue—or convince—as you drove out into the country. So you’re arguing. You’re saying heated things to each other.” Haley shrugs, tries to look more casual. “Hey, I understand. We’ve all been there with a partner or a wife. Things get heated. It’s emotional. Maybe she loses control of herself and makes a grab for you. Distracts you. And, boom, you go off the road.”
“Don’t say anything to that, Hunter,” Dad says.
“I can’t say anything to that because it isn’t true. Chloe didn’t do that.”