“Dig in,” Andi yelled. “Trust yourself.”

Seven, six, five.

“Do it!”

Four, three…Fuck it!

She clenched her fist as tight as she could in the gap and jumped with all her strength, her hand slapping the top of the wall. She brought her other hand up and fought to pull herself chin high. The anchor lay right in front of her face, but her arms were failing her.

She threw one arm out, her wrist slapping hard against the stone. Her feet scuffed against the wall until her toe found the crack. She jammed a foot in as far as it would go. It gave her the boost she needed to hoist herself onto her elbows. She reached out, grabbed the anchor, and pulled herself over the top of the wall.

Exhausted, she lay on her back, gasping, her ears ringing, her forearms burning. Her stomach felt so tight that she wasn’t sure she could move, but she managed to roll onto her side to peek over the edge. Andi was jumping up and down in celebration, a huge grin on her face.

Lila rose up on shaky legs and screamed her excitement, the sound filling the valley and bouncing back from the Wisconsin side of the river. She had done it. She had conquered the wall, and the wave of chemicals that rushed through her made her feel invincible. But there was something else, something she couldn’t quite put a finger on, something that hadn’t been there when she started her climb—and it filled every cell of her body.

From below, a chorus of whoops and cheers caught Lila by surprise. The riverboat, the one that Lila had passed on her way to the wall, now floated down the river, its passengers lining the rails, waving to Lila and cheering. Lila nearly exploded with exhilaration. She raised her arms above her head, punched her fists into the sky, and howled her triumph.

Chapter 44

Bright and early on Monday morning, Niki and Matty executed a second search warrant on Gavin’s house, this time hoping to find something that might lead them to the Ford Bronco. After her meeting with Alice Kempker, Niki spent some time examining the Bronco’s history through the vehicle’s registration and found that it had once been owned by a well-drilling company from Glencoe. They told her that they had owned three black Broncos, all purchased new in 1986, and all sold at an auction in the mid-nineties, one eventually finding its way through a maze of used-car lots to Gavin Spencer.

According to the company, all three vehicles had sported magnetic door signs featuring the company’s logo. The owner wasn’t sure if the signs had oxidized the paint, telling Niki that his mechanic took care of the vehicles before auctions, but he said if there had been a stain it would have been in the shape of a drop of water.

A stoplight camera a few blocks from Bebe’s Salon had caught what looked to be a black Bronco driving nearby on the evening Sadie disappeared. The grainy footage showed the vehicle at a poor angle, but Niki convinced herself that she could see a tear-shaped stain on the passenger door. Niki knew that wasn’t enough—the photo was like one of those trick images that could be either a frog or a horse, depending on the viewer.