I opened up the envelope and removed the photographs. I picked up the one on top. It was of me. I’d taken it in the woods that July day. My eyes so dark and serious, my black hair a mess, as it usually was. Sunflower Lake was behind me, shining in the morning light.

I was still an innocent girl in that picture, with no idea of the horror that lay ahead of me.

“I bought the camera that summer,” I murmured. “I was still getting used to the features. I remembered using the self-timer a couple of times, so I knew there were pictures of me on the roll. Me, and then a few frames later, them. Brink, Kip, Racer. I was in a panic when I couldn’t find the camera. I knew if anyone else found it . . .”

My voice trailed off.

“Why didn’t you tell me that you knew what I’d done?” I asked him. “All you’ve ever wanted to do was control me. Own me. Why not lord it over me that you could expose my secret?”

Ricky’s voice oozed with triumph. “I liked you not knowing. I was a cat with a mouse. I had all the power. Anytime I wanted, all I had to do was swipe my paw to take you down. There were so many times when I wanted to say it. Tell you what I knew. See your face when you found out. Sometimes I’d see a look in your eyes, that little fire when you were ready to fight back, and I’d think: Just try it, Bec. See what happens if you push me too far. But I was in no hurry. When you hold all the aces, you can relax and enjoy the game. So I waited. I waited for the perfect moment. And now it’s here. It’s payback time. You think you can get rid of me? Not a chance. You belong to me, and you always will.”

God, I hated the boasting in his voice. The shallow, arrogant ego. I hated that I’d been a fool for him all those years. I wasn’t going to live with it anymore, not with the fear, not with the abuse. The time had come. I could feel the electricity sizzling in my blood.

“I need a drink,” I said, my voice cool and casual. Like he’d won. Like he’d defeated me. “Do you need one?”

“Sure.”

“Beer?”

“There’s some in the fridge.”

I opened the door of the small refrigerator, which temporarily blocked me from Ricky’s view. That was the opportunity I needed. I found two bottles of Budweiser, and I saw that there was an opener next to the sink. When I had the bottles open, I closed the fridge and brought them over to the bed.