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 slid the strap of her bag over her shoulder, got out, crossed the street and began walking toward the woman, growing more confident with each step. The woman was the same age, had the same build and hair color as the woman in the video. She had the pink sneakers. As Emma drew closer, she was certain it was her.
Do it now, head-on.
“Excuse me, do you have a moment?” Emma said.
The woman stopped; the dog pulled on the leash.
“You’re Marisa, right?”
A mix of surprise and confusion blossomed on her face. In that moment, up close, Emma tried to recognize the woman, who appeared to be the same age as she was. But nothing about her was familiar. The woman was a stranger.
“You’re Marisa Joyce Narmore, right?”
“Yes.”
“And that’s your green Ford Focus parked down the street?” Emma recited the plate number.
“Yes, what’s this about? Who are you?”
“This won’t take long. I need to show you something.” Emma held up her phone.
“I really don’t—”
“Please, it won’t take long. It’s important.”
Emma played the school security video on her phone, holding it for Marisa to view.
“See,” Emma said when it ended, “that’s you placing a note on my SUV where I work, isn’t it?”
The color drained from Marisa’s face and her dog barked.
“This note.” Emma stepped closer, invading Marisa’s space, pulling the note from her bag, holding it before her to read. Then Emma thrust the note into her bag, letting Marisa see the gun she had there, as she slid her hand around it, while keeping it in her bag.
“Now, I want you to tell me who the fuck you are and why you’re threatening me?”
Marisa swallowed and looked around.
“Tell me what I need to know, Marisa. And don’t lie because I’ll find out.”
“How did you? I can’t—I just—I don’t know–”
“You’re not a cop—cops don’t do what you did. Are you a reporter?”
“No. I—please, I can’t—just leave me alone, please.”
“Do you know the others?”
“The others? Who? What? No, I don’t know anything.”
The dog barked and was answered by another dog’s barking.
“Hi, Marisa, hi, Bailey. Everything all right?”
They both looked to a silver-haired man across the street with a leashed German shepherd.
“Tell him you’re okay,” Emma whispered.
“Hi, Burt, thanks! It’s all good!”
“Mind if Skipper and I join you for a walk?” The man started to cross the street to them.
“This isn’t over,” Emma said to Marisa before she left.
“Sorry if I interrupted,” the man said to Emma as she strode away.
She said nothing, knowing he’d fully intended to intervene.