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
“Could’ve been a coyote from the park that triggered the sensors,” the guard with the tag Hawkley on his vest said. “We’ve had a few coyote reports last couple days. Trash and loose food draws ’em in. Make sure all your garbage containers are secure. All clear now. Good night, folks.”
After thanking them and locking up, then checking the locks again, Emma returned to the kitchen.
“It’s been a long day,” Emma said. “We’ll finish talking another time. I’m going to bed.”
“Sure, whatever,” Kayla said, without looking from her phone.
Upstairs, in her bed, hours went by with Emma unable to sleep. She was assailed with thoughts of Kayla’s questions, her fear that she was getting closer to the truth, and her stomach knotted.
The knife in her hand brought it all back—the screaming, the blood.
Ben was in Eternity and the truth was rising to the surface.
Sixty-Two
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Present day
Ben stepped into the elevator at 201 Portage, got off on the twenty-second floor, walked into the reception area of Levitt, Rhodes and Bristol Law Firm and asked for Ian Bristol.
“Please have a seat, Mr. Grant. He’s on a call. I’ll let him know you’re here.” The receptionist indicated the sofas by the wall lined with law books and a large aquarium.
Glimpsing the colorful tetras, rainbows and killifish floating tranquilly, Ben set his briefcase aside. After landing the previous day, he’d rented a car and checked into a Holiday Inn. Before he made the drive to Eternity, he first wanted to meet the lawyers who’d represented Girl A, Girl B and Girl C, as they were known to the court.
All three attorneys were in Winnipeg. Two were still practicing. All three had agreed, albeit with some reluctance, to meet with Ben individually.
He checked his phone. His service was fine in Canada—he had no pressing messages.
“Mr. Grant. Ian Bristol.”
Ben stood and took the extended hand of a man about his height, midfifties, shaved head and a salt-and-pepper Van Dyke. Bristol led him to his plush, dark wood office with the view of the city. They sat on opposite leather chairs.
“Welcome. When did you get in?”
“Yesterday.”
“Direct flight?”
“No, L.A. to Calgary, then here.”
“All right, let’s get to it. You’d like me to reflect on the case for your book?”
“Yes.”
“I hesitate to do that for several reasons. First, I’m still bound by lawyer-client privilege.”
“I understand, but the case concluded years ago.”
“True, but given the age of my client at the time, many aspects of it remain protected, and will remain protected, under our young offender legislation law, now called our Youth Criminal Justice Act, to be precise. Moreover, my hands are tied. But believe me, there are a lot of things I’d like to tell you about how that whole thing unfolded.”
“Such as?”