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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

“Is that why you look upset?” she asked. “Are you remembering Katie?”

“No, I’m upset because I’m worried about you. I want to make sure you stay safe.”

“I’m fine!” she assured him with a false lightness in her voice. She made a muscle with her bicep and giggled. “See? Me too strong for Night Bird.”

“This guy isn’t a joke, Lucy.”

“I know.”

“I wish you’d talk to Dr. Stein. Or another psychiatrist.”

“No. The last thing I want is someone else messing around in my head. Really, I’m okay.”

Frost thought she was trying to convince herself. He didn’t believe that she was fine, or that the Night Bird had failed, even if he didn’t know what had happened to her. He also knew that Lucy’s confidence was an act. Deep down, she was terrified.

He took her hand and led her to the apartment window. He pointed at a squad car parked outside on Haight behind his Suburban.

“That car’s not going anywhere,” Frost told her. “You’re going to have protection 24-7 until we find this guy.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Lucy told him.

“Yes, we do. If you want to go anywhere, talk to the cop in the car first, and she’ll go with you. Frankly, I’d feel better if you stayed home. And don’t put on any music or watch television, okay? I don’t want you taking any chances.”

Lucy stared at the floor and looked overwhelmed.

“Do you remember anything more from your missing day?” he asked her. “Did anything else come back to you?”

She shook her head, but her lip trembled. “I don’t think so.”

“You don’t think so? That sounds like you do remember something. What is it?”

“I have this odd memory in my head. It’s a bridge. It’s nowhere I’ve ever been, but I remember it. I feel it. I’m in the middle of this awful gorge, and I can barely hold on. I would do anything to make it go away. I would die to make it stop.”

Her eyes filled with tears.

“This is what he does, Lucy,” Frost murmured. “He plays on your fears. He exploits the things that terrify you. Just tell yourself that it wasn’t real. It was an illusion.”

“How can I remember something that wasn’t real?” Lucy asked. “Because it feels like it actually happened. It’s in my head. If you asked me to swear on the Bible, I’d tell you that I’ve been on that bridge.”

“You can’t trust your memory,” Frost said. “Memories lie. Even the good ones don’t always tell the truth.”

“I just want this to be over.”

“Soon. It will be over soon.”