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
She began a text to her dad but abandoned it.
I’m definitely on my own here.
At Valley Meadow High School, a few people noticed the scrapes on Emma’s face as she got on with her morning, meeting with students, taking care of appointments, returning calls, completing reports and evaluations, struggling to focus on her work. At midmorning she went to the teacher’s lounge to get an apple from the fridge. The few people there were all watching a breaking TV news story. Orange County Coroner personnel were moving a gurney holding a body shrouded in a sealed bag out of Suntrail Sky Park and loading it into the coroner’s van. The camera pulled back to a reporter Emma recognized: Maggie Shen, with KTKT. She was holding a microphone and reporting from the crime scene tape.
“KTKT can confirm the body is that of a woman and sources tell us this is a homicide…” Maggie touched her earpiece connecting her to the news anchor. “No other details are available but we’ll continue to follow this story.”
Emma slowly lowered herself into a chair. She reached into her pocket to run her fingers over the skull ring.
Seventy-Two
Orange County, California
Present day
The bell sounded and classes changed.
As Kayla threaded her way through the busy halls from math to history, she checked her phone. A new message had arrived in the Yahoo email account she’d created for BenjaminGrantBooks.
She stopped.
It was from Darmont Hill College in Indianapolis—finally—an attachment of an official letter in response to her request on behalf of her dad. Students bumped into her as she opened and read.
Dear Mr. Benjamin Grant:
I am pleased to provide this document as verification that Emma Anne Chance graduated from Darmont Hill College. She successfully completed all required coursework…
The letter went on detailing Emma’s completion date, her being awarded a Master’s Degree and her accomplished rank among all students in her graduating class, adding that a transcript would follow in the regular mail. It ended with:
If you have questions, please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely
Clinton Parkerfield
Director of Records
Kayla read the letter a second time, a mixture of confusion and disappointment rippling through her. This was not the result she’d expected.
She covered her mouth with her hand.
This proves that Emma’s telling the truth and I was wrong.
But what about the deadly phantom restaurant fire? Maybe it did happen and she’d simply failed to find a record of it. What about Emma’s concern about Dad’s book and reading stories about an anniversary and killers? And Emma’s journal? “No one knows the truth about me”?
Perhaps she had misinterpreted it, and it was nothing more than a personal reflection.
Kayla was jounced by a few more students, then the chaos of the hall subsided, leaving her staring at the message, conflicted.