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
“We don’t want to talk about anything that has anything to do with those people.” The woman stood. “It was a long time ago. No need to stir things up.”
She disappeared into the house, leaving the man alone. He got to his feet slowly.
“My apologies for upsetting her,” Ben said.
“She doesn’t rile easily but anything to do with the Klassyn girl just sets her off.”
“Janie Klassyn lived there. I wasn’t sure.”
“Yes, with her mom and all their problems,” the man said. “The thing of it is, our daughter played with Janie a little bit and we thank the Lord every day that she never got caught up with that crowd.”
“Would you tell me about it?” Ben began taking notes.
The man held up his palms. “We’re not talking to you. I hope you’ll respect that, sir.”
Ben stopped. Saw the resolution in the man’s gray eyes, then put his notebook away and nodded. “I do. Again, my apologies. Thank you.”
Returning to his car, Ben considered the silver lining.
He now knew that Janie Klassyn lived in the duplex, which put Nikki Gorman in The Estates. Another step forward.
At that moment his phone pinged with an email from Darmont Hill College. Emma’s college in Indianapolis. The subject said: Important Please Call Me ASAP. It was from Clinton Parkerfield, Director of Records.
This is strange. Why would Emma’s college need me to call?
Ben dialed Parkerfield’s number.
“Thanks for calling, Mr. Grant,” Parkerfield said. “I’m following up on our emailed response to your recent verification request on the graduation status of a former student, Emma Anne Chance.”
Ben was puzzled. He remembered when he’d first met Emma, how he quietly looked into her background. He’d checked her California driver’s license, her addresses in California, marital history and professional certification. He scoured his memory.
I never checked her college because I saw her diploma in her apartment when we dated and by this time everything else had checked out.
“I’m afraid you’re mistaken, Mr. Parkerfield. I never made such a request.”
“We have it here in writing. Your researcher made it on your official letterhead but I can’t seem to contact her.”
“What?”
“So I decided to try to reach you directly. I used your website contact.”
“I’m not following—you said my researcher?”
For a moment, Ben wondered if it had something to do with the work Tessa Fox was doing for him when Parkerfield continued.
“Yes, a Ms. Susanne St. John. I had trouble trying to reach her.”
Then it dawned on Ben. Susanne was Kayla’s middle name. St. John was Brooke’s maiden name. Kayla had done this. His stomach twisted, he clenched the phone. Biting back on his anger, Ben swallowed.
“Yes, go ahead.”