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Back The Night Bird
Chapters (60)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. Dedication
  4. CONTENTS
  5. Start Reading
  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. FROM THE AUTHOR
  59. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  60. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

“Hell if I know,” Jess said, shaking her head. “I tried to figure out a way to prove that Newman planted the evidence. There was nothing. Leon Willis’s attorney knew he didn’t stand a chance with a jury, so he took a plea. Chief made me go and apologize to Newman, and all the time, the guy was laughing at me because we both knew he killed her. Not only that, but he must have planned it, too. At first, I figured it was a crime of passion, but the DNA matching Willis? No, he knew what he was going to do for weeks. Same thing was probably true in Wisconsin and Colorado. He’s smart. Merrilyn Somers didn’t stand a chance.”

“And we haven’t been able to touch the guy,” Frost said.

“That’s right. I don’t like it. If Newman is the Night Bird, he’s still laughing at us. It’s time to take this guy down.”

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Frost took Lucy upstairs to check that her apartment was safe. She’d been excited to see him when he came to pick her up at the hospital, but by the time they were alone at her place, a shadow had replaced her smile. She sat on the bed and ran a hand over the dress she’d planned to wear to meet him at Alembic. Her knee bounced nervously. He knew the look of someone who had something important to say but was scared to say it.

“I’m sorry about last night,” she murmured.

“Don’t be.”

“I shouldn’t have run. It was stupid.”

“You were scared,” Frost said. “I get it.”

She got off the bed and stood in front of him. When she tilted her chin, their eyes met. He watched her swallow hard. “I guess you know that I like you. I’ve been pretty obvious about it.”

“I like you, too,” he said. “You’re sweet, and you’re special.”

She shook her head. “I never think of myself that way.”

“Well, you should. You don’t have to conquer the world to be a special person. You have a good heart. I knew that as soon as I met you.”

Lucy gave him a sad smile. “We’re talking about different things, though, huh? You don’t like me the way I like you.”

“If you mean romantically, then no. I’m sorry. I should have said something before now. I really do like you, Lucy. Being with you brings back a lot of memories for me. Memories of my sister.”

“Oh.”

“I know that’s not what you want to hear, but for me, it’s something really important.”

“Well, I never had a brother, so I don’t know what that’s like. I bet you were a good one to Katie.”

“We were very close when we weren’t driving each other crazy,” he told her, smiling.