BooksBarbecue
Back The Family Next Door Save as PDF
Chapters (117)
  1. Also by
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Epigraph
  5. PROLOGUE
  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. 55
  61. 56
  62. 57
  63. 58
  64. 59
  65. 60
  66. 61
  67. 62
  68. 63
  69. 64
  70. 65
  71. 66
  72. 67
  73. 68
  74. 69
  75. 70
  76. 71
  77. 72
  78. 73
  79. 74
  80. 75
  81. 76
  82. 77
  83. 78
  84. 79
  85. 80
  86. 81
  87. 82
  88. 83
  89. 84
  90. 85
  91. 86
  92. 87
  93. 88
  94. 89
  95. 90
  96. 91
  97. 92
  98. 93
  99. 94
  100. 95
  101. 96
  102. 97
  103. 98
  104. 99
  105. 100
  106. 101
  107. 102
  108. 103
  109. 104
  110. 105
  111. 106
  112. 107
  113. 108
  114. 109
  115. 110
  116. Teaser chapter
  117. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The sound of your screaming still plays in my dreams, Joby. Sometimes, when I’m on the cusp of sleep, I hear you calling for me, reaching out with your hands, tugging at my clothing the way Cooper tugged your dead body from the tree house when I told him what I had done. But I do not fold your icy fingers into my own warmth. I stamp on them until you cry out and the accusation in your eyes haunts me.

You haunt me.

I hear your voice in the whisper of the wind and the cry of the migrating birds and the sucking earth of your homemade grave. I see your eyes in the eyes of the young boy from next door, your hair curling at his neck. It’s you. I know it is. You’ve come back to me. For years, I’ve been waiting for my punishment. The moment of reckoning. And it is now.

I have lied and lied again to protect myself, but it is time to lay out the truth.

On our wedding day, your father made a vow to love and protect me. Forsaking all others. He kept that promise all his life. And at the end, when the police found their way to us, he urged me to feign ignorance and sacrificed his freedom to preserve mine.

He was a loyal and honorable man.

Birdie was killed because I had begged him to kill her. The scars on my wrist and between my shoulder blades were enough to convince him. But she was still alive as my fingers pushed pellets of rat poison between her lips. Mine was the last face she saw.

We were certain we could forget about what we had done, that we could parcel it up and put it behind us. That hiding her in plain sight was a way to maintain our control.

But you were more observant than I’d realized. On the day of the Grand Reopening, when Natalie Tiernan discovered Birdie’s body in the shop, you discovered the truth about my mother. You had walked past her photograph in our hallway a thousand times and you recognized the watch on her withered wrist.

Do you have questions, my love? I will do my best to answer them. Forgive me for what you are about to hear.

You begged us to go to the police, but how could we do that? I was forced to make a choice. Sacrifice my husband or my son? I chose to save Cooper. Turns out I was more like Birdie than I had realized.

The sirens are crying. They are closing in now, pulling into the driveway. Three cars. Four of them. When I open the door, the police will be here.