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
Her heart racing, she finished with the groceries, then went to her laptop on the counter and frantically searched for answers, starting with the name Rita Purvis—even though she was unsure of the correct spelling.
Or if that’s really her new name now.
It was hopeless. What’s the point? There were countless hits.
Are they behind the notes? Were they working with Marisa? What am I going to do? She’s extorting me, made contact with me and threatened me. We could be sent back to prison.
Emma would not survive having her past revealed like this. It would destroy her, destroy Ben and Kayla.
Emma stared at her phone.
She could call the police. But was the no-contact condition even enforceable here in the US? What about the Canadian Consulate in Los Angeles? She looked it up. The Consulate General of Canada was on South Hope Street. She could go there, request a confidential meeting, explain that Rita Purvis contacted her, threatened her. Demand they arrange to have Rita arrested quietly, make it all go away, for her family’s sake—for their safety.
But the risk of this leaking out was too great. Police always tip reporters. The connection to Ben would make a sensational story, with overwhelming consequences.
Rita said “we” want a hundred thousand dollars each, but Emma didn’t see the other skull sister, whatever she was calling herself now. Where was she?
Her laptop chimed with a notification of a new email. The subject read Your Answer? She didn’t recognize the sender.
Yes or no, sister? was all the email said.
Shaking with rage, Emma typed a response.
I’M NOT PAYING YOU ANYTHING! STAY AWAY FROM ME AND MY FAMILY!
Emma pressed Send then thrust her hands into her hair.
“I won’t pay. I can’t,” she said aloud.
“Can’t pay what?”
Kayla was standing in the doorway.
Emma’s face turned ashen. She’d forgotten about Kayla.
Kayla surveyed Emma, her computer, then Emma again. “What’s going on?”
Emma cupped her face with her hands and took a breath. “There are things I have to take care of.”
“What things? Can’t pay who? See? This is why I feel like you’re hiding something from me and my dad, Emma.”
“I’m not hiding anything, sweetheart. It’s complicated financial stuff and it’s a little upsetting, that’s all.”
Kayla assessed Emma again.
“Financial stuff, really?” Kayla said. “Okay, Emma, but frankly, you look terrified.”
Sixty-Five
Eternity, Manitoba, Canada
Present day
The stench of death hung in the air.
“That’s the slaughterhouse, still in full operation.” Bill Jurek, Eternity’s police chief, pointed a finger from the wheel as his SUV got closer to the railyards. “Not much has changed, still a sad side of town.”