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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

Max stared after their usually cheerful, loving daughter. “What the hell?” He turned to Kellen and spread his fingers. “What the hell?”

Breathe. Relax. Breathe.

Verona stepped into the doorway.

VERONA DI LUCA:

FEMALE, 67YO, 5'10", 130LBS, HANDSOME RATHER THAN BEAUTIFUL. A MATRIARCH OF THE DI LUCA FAMILY, MOTHER TO MAX AND HIS SISTER IRENE, GRANDMOTHER TO ANNABELLA AND TO RAE. AMERICAN WITH ROOTS DUG DEEP INTO ITALIAN TRADITION. IMPRESSIVE AND AUTHORITATIVE.

“Here we go,” Verona said.

“Here we go—where?” Max asked.

“Puberty has begun.”

“Puberty?” Max almost shouted. “She’s only ten.” He turned to Kellen. “She’s only ten, right?”

Kellen nodded—and breathed.

“She’ll be eleven next year,” Verona said. “Don’t you remember your sister at eleven?”

Max froze, transfixed with alarm.

Verona said to Kellen, “She was exactly like that. A lovely child one moment, the next a temperamental, shrieking virago.”

In desperation, Max said, “But Rae is so mature. So calm. So capable. So kind. So—”

“So flooded with hormones.” Verona was enjoying herself. “When she was motherless, she was forced to mature early. Did you think you would never pay for all that maturity? Now she has a mother, everyone is well—” she nodded at Kellen “—and she can regress. She’ll be by turns rude, cruel, secretive—”

“Were you like that, Kellen?” Max asked.

Kellen shrugged her shoulders. Yes, the exercises had helped, the constriction had eased, but she still didn’t trust herself to speak.

“I certainly was.” Verona smiled like the wicked queen in Sleeping Beauty. “Ah, Maximilian, how I will enjoy this.”

“Maybe not close up,” Kellen whispered. She could speak. Not loudly, but she could speak.

Max pointed up the stairs, then pointed at Kellen. “And you want to tell that demon the truth of what’s happening?”

He did have a point.

Verona was a smart woman; she caught his comment and pounced on it. “What is happening?”

“Mom, you heard about last night’s crime in Cape Charade’s mortuary.” Max wasn’t asking a question.

Verona sobered. “Of course. So awful. Is it…that woman who…?”

“There can be no doubt.” Max rose, went to his mother’s side, and put his arm around her. “Kellen and I are taking Rae now, today, and going away.”

“Now?” Verona sounded as incredulous as Kellen felt.

“There’s no time to waste,” Max said.

“Rae was screaming because she has to leave during the last week of school?” Verona looked up as if truly comprehending Rae’s tantrum. “She’s going to miss all the fun!”

“Mom, this woman, this Mara Philippi, is a psychopath, a serial killer.” Max’s voice got stronger, then quieter. “She cuts off people’s hands when they disappoint or betray her.”

Verona breathed deeply, as if she was fighting an asthma attack brought on by shock and fear. “What about Luna? Rae won’t leave without Luna.”