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
Ben’s cell phone vibrated and chimed, indicating a text. He picked up his phone from the kitchen table. Thinking the message was from the press, he swiped to delete it when he glimpsed the first words.
Hi Dad.
Catching his breath, he read.
Hi Dad. It’s us. We had phone trouble and got a temp phone and a new number. We’re fine. Talk soon. Love you. K and E.
He opened the photo, his heart lifting, smiling when he saw Kayla and Emma. He sent a response.
Where are you? Something came up. I flew back home and can’t find you. I want to talk. Please call me now on my cell.
One minute passed. Then another. He called the number without a response.
Where are they? Is Kayla really safe?
While waiting, he took stock of the kitchen, his eyes stopping at the key rack on the wall. Something was different.
The hook for the keys to the cabin was empty.
He never touched them. The cabin keys never moved from their hook unless they were going to the cabin.
Ben seized upon a hope: Emma and Kayla had gone to the cabin.
Was Emma hiding to be safe? Or running from something she’d done?
Nearly twenty minutes had now passed without a response. He could no longer bear the agony. Time was ticking down. He had to do something.
The cabin was his best shot—his only shot.
He grabbed his phone, hurried to his garage and pressed the button for the garage door.
With an electronic hum, the big door lifted, like the rising curtain to a latter-day tragedy. Stopping at his SUV door, he looked to the end of his driveway.
A cluster of reporters and cameras awaited the next chapter in his unfolding story. The realization washed over him like a powerful wave, for he knew how his life—his family’s life—was being interpreted, and probably was live right now with the banner Best-selling True Crime Author’s Wife Sought In Murder.
So be it.
Ben took a breath, got in his car, slowly driving off, not caring if they followed or not.
One way or another he would find his family.
Eighty-Three
San Bernardino County, California
Present day
After their SUV left the freeway and began ascending the highway that twisted into the San Bernardino Mountains, Kayla knew their destination.
“We’re going to our cabin, aren’t we?”
Emma nodded, her face brightening but still tense because she knew she was digging a deep hole for herself by telling Kayla lie after lie. She hated doing it but she had to, because Kayla would freak out if she revealed the truth to her right now. Later, when Emma could get a handle on everything, and talk to Ben, she could repair the damage. But right now, Emma had to do all she could to buy time.
“Yes, we’re going to the cabin.”