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
Emma has been lying to me all along. I’ve been such a fool.
Ben’s anger rose in his chest. He wanted to punch something. He took a shaky breath and scrolled through his phone.
Again he read Emma’s last message to him:
Whatever happens I love you and Kayla with all my heart.
He went to Kayla’s last series of texts to him when Tug was missing.
Emma found Tug in mom’s spot, like you guessed, but she came home a bloody mess. Says she fell on the trail. She’s acting SO STRANGE! WTF Dad?
Setting his phone down, Ben cursed under his breath, swallowed and dragged both hands over his face.
Ben looked to the clouds, remembering when he first met Emma in Pasadena, signing books at a conference. How she’d told him she loved his work.
“You have a deep understanding for everyone touched by the crime—even the killers.”
Even the killers…even the killers.
He couldn’t believe what was happening. This was a nightmare.
The sun had set and the plane traveled in the twilight.
Examining his situation, Ben was looking at his phone when it vibrated with a message from Cecil May.
Hi Ben. Got an update. Can you talk?
I’m on a flight and can only text. Go ahead.
Del Brockway, your ‘fan,’ has been removed and it appears other investigators are working on the case.
Is it related to one of my books? Am I the target?
No & no. From what I’ve learned, it’s your wife, Emma.
Ben went completely still, before resuming.
Do you know why?
Not yet. Working on it. You have any ideas?
Ben’s mind raced with questions and fears.
Could the PIs be working for a news agency? Could they possibly know what I know about her? Given the anniversary of the murders, maybe someone’s trying to track her down—like what I was doing for my book. That would also explain Emma’s behavior.
But Ben kept his thoughts to himself. He replied:
No, no idea. Maybe her rescuing her student is tied to a lawsuit or insurance claim?
Could be, I’ll keep checking.
Ben had another concern and a thought, but he didn’t want to involve police—not yet anyway.
Cecil. This is making me a little uneasy. Can I impose upon you further?
Impose away.
I’m out of town, having trouble reaching my wife and daughter. I’ll be home late. Could you go to my house to check on them and get back to me? Say I asked you because I’m a big worrier. Could you do that?
Sorry, buddy. Out of town myself. I’m in Sacramento for a meeting.
Ben bit his bottom lip then texted: OK no problem.
Why don’t you call Orange County for a welfare check?