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Back Strangers She Knows Save as PDF
Chapters (61)
  1. Cover
  2. Back Cover Text
  3. Praise
  4. Booklist
  5. Dedication
  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. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. BPA
  61. Author Bio

She stroked her daughter’s tangled hair. “Yes. Things were simpler last year. Except they weren’t. I was in rehab and I used to wonder if I could ever fight enough to get better. Your dad was working too hard and being too good, acting as both parents to you and providing all the support you needed. You were being brave for me; you never allowed yourself to have problems because I had so many. Even with all the challenges we have now, I still like today better, where I can be your mother and you can be the child. Right?” She shook Rae a little. “Right?”

Rae took three deep breaths and lifted her head. “If this is what growing up is, I don’t like it!”

Almost comical—but so not. “Growing up isn’t always bad. Sometimes it’s finding a good man like your father. Sometimes it’s seeing your little girl be brave and kind even though she’s scared.”

“I am scared.” Admitting it seemed to help her. “What if we find Jamie and she is dead?”

“Then we’ll treat her remains with respect and when your daddy returns, we’ll take her to the mainland to be buried.”

“If she’s dead, she should be buried on the island. She loved it here.”

This smart girl was Kellen’s reward for years of trouble and pain. “You’re right. There’s the Morgade family cemetery. We’ll see that she’s placed there.” Kellen took Rae by the shoulders and stepped away. “Let’s go look for her.”

31

The Conkles’ house looked small, neat, surrounded by herbs, yet closed up, an enigma. In other words, exactly as it always had.

Kellen leaned her bike against the oak in the yard. She pressed her hand on Rae’s shoulder. “Let me go in first.”

“Take Luna,” Rae instructed. “She’ll protect you.”

“I don’t think there’s anything in there that will hurt me,” Kellen said.

“Have you never seen Dead Like Me?” Rae asked in exasperation.

Kellen hadn’t, so she whistled for Luna.

Luna came, nose to the ground, a low growl rumbling through her chest. She was no longer concerned with her socks and garters. She cared only about the smells that to her meant pain and trouble.

Kellen went to the door, latched firmly and with no indication of tampering. Somehow, she felt as if she should knock. So she did.

No answer.

She turned the knob and with the flat of her palm, she pressed open the door.

It didn’t creak.

The smell of heat, blood and pain rolled out.

Kellen’s head swam. She caught the side of the casement.

Rae noticed. “Mommy? Are you okay?”

“I will be. In a minute.” In battle and war, Kellen had smelled death. She hadn’t missed it, but she knew one thing—Jamie was not alive.