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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

“It’s a scene from Titanic, Owen. You don’t know a thing about historical pop cinema, do you?”

Nothing.

“I watched a lot of movies in prison. I’m a film expert now. An expert in a lot of things… Anyway, once I had the rudiments of reading, I researched the really good parts of computer hacking. It was all part of my evil plan.” She performed a good approximation of Maleficent’s laugh then, pleased with herself, she said, “I admit, I’m not good enough to do a lot of harm, but I am good at breaking and entering without leaving a trace, and hacking a specific computer, and reading a spreadsheet and seeing a single glitch in the shipments to Isla Paraíso. That was it. Once I checked the contents, I knew. A few extra pounds of meat, a few extra vegetables, enough miscellaneous cooking supplies…and three bicycles.” Mara put her hand over her pounding heart. “Three bicycles. Whatever could that mean?”

Owen still didn’t answer.

Mara glanced over. “Honey, look at that. You’ve got your fish.” She pointed. “It’s on your line. It’s leaping. A giant swordfish. How cool is that?” She pulled the long-bladed knife from her belt and used it to cut the line. She turned to Owen. “Sorry. You probably didn’t want to see me use that knife again. It slipped so easily between your ribs.”

Owen sat, his head bowed over his bloody chest, his hands severed and resting in his lap.

“The yacht’s really sinking now. You don’t mind me leaving you here, do you?” Mara was amusing herself now, reciting all her cleverness. “I’m headed for Isla Paraíso. It is isolated, all right, it’s just not easily guarded. All that coastline! What were they thinking?” She tapped her lips, swollen from Owen’s bites. “Probably that they didn’t want to alarm the child. If that was the idea, good plan. Better for me if she hasn’t been warned.” She watched the Pacific Ocean swells swamp the yacht. “This looks like a deep spot to sink a vessel. I doubt if anyone ever recovers it, Owen, or you. So sleep in peace. Sorry to take you by surprise like that. But at least your last moments were strapped in a fishing stool getting your rocks off and never suspecting you’d been a fool. So you died happy.” Mara lowered the dinghy into the water and climbed over the rail and aboard. She started the engine and when it was running smoothly, she pulled away. “Goodbye, Owen. Goodbye!” Mara directed the dinghy toward the island and pushed the engine to its full speed.

She smiled.

She had been looking forward to this for a long, long time.

16