Chapters (97)
- Cover
- Back Cover Text
- Praise
- Booklist
- Dedication
- Epigraph
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Forty-Three
- Forty-Four
- Forty-Five
- Forty-Six
- Forty-Seven
- Forty-Eight
- Forty-Nine
- Fifty
- Fifty-One
- Fifty-Two
- Fifty-Three
- Fifty-Four
- Fifty-Five
- Fifty-Six
- Fifty-Seven
- Fifty-Eight
- Fifty-Nine
- Sixty
- Sixty-One
- Sixty-Two
- Sixty-Three
- Sixty-Four
- Sixty-Five
- Sixty-Six
- Sixty-Seven
- Sixty-Eight
- Sixty-Nine
- Seventy
- Seventy-One
- Seventy-Two
- Seventy-Three
- Seventy-Four
- Seventy-Five
- Seventy-Six
- Seventy-Seven
- Seventy-Eight
- Seventy-Nine
- Eighty
- Eighty-One
- Eighty-Two
- Eighty-Three
- Eighty-Four
- Eighty-Five
- Eighty-Six
- Eighty-Seven
- Eighty-Eight
- Eighty-Nine
- Acknowledgments & A Personal Note
- Excerpt
Without opening it, Lucy slid the envelope into her bag, withdrew a smaller one and offered it to him.
Devin waved it off. “I don’t want anything from you.”
“I may need more help at some point.”
“I don’t know what you’re planning to do with the information I gave you but I’m sure it won’t be good.”
“Suit yourself.” She returned her envelope to her bag and stood to leave. “But will you help me if I call Gina to reach out to you again?”
“No, I won’t. We’re done.”
She leaned forward, pulled off his glasses and looked into his face. “You will, Devin.” Lucy lifted the newspaper from the table. Under it was her cell phone, which had recorded their conversation. She seized it, took his picture before anger crept across his face. He grabbed her wrist.
“Don’t try anything, Devin, or I’ll scream for those two cops behind you. You’ll be sleeping in custody tonight.”
Devin turned. Sure enough, two NYPD officers were strolling across the lawn.
Devin released his grip and Lucy left the park, her heart hammering.
Fifty
Cielo Valle, Orange County, California
Present day
No one knows the truth about me, that I—
Alone in her room doing math homework, Kayla’s concentration slipped again to Emma’s hidden journal, or diary, or whatever that book was.
No one knows the truth about me, that I—
That phrase, written by Emma right after she’d married Dad, was locked into Kayla’s memory. And Kayla knew that the handwriting was absolutely not her mother’s, or her dad’s. She recognized it as Emma’s from notes she’d left her on the fridge.
What’s the truth? What secrets did she write in that book and why was she hiding them until her death?
Kayla wished she could have read more, that she had taken photos of as many pages as possible but there hadn’t been any time. It had been another close call. So how can I find out what all this means?
If Kayla came forward and said something, she’d be guilty of invading Emma’s privacy. If she told her father, he might not see things in the same light as her and it could all go horribly wrong.
He’d likely send me back to Doctor Hirsch.
Kayla needed more answers, needed to know what Emma had written. And the only way to do that was to read what was in that book.
The next chance I get I’ll retrieve that book and read every word on every page.
Fifty-One
Cielo Valle, Orange County, California
Present day
Emma was no closer to solving the mystery behind the threatening notes. Now Ben was preparing to go to Canada and Kayla wouldn’t stop with her questions about her past.
“Is something wrong, Emma?”