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
“I’ll try not to take too long. I really need your help. It’s important, okay?”
Janie nodded.
“How long have you babysat for the Tullocks?”
“I don’t know. I started in the spring.”
“So, for four or five months?”
“About that, I guess.”
“Did you like sitting for them?”
“Yes. I liked Linda and Neal.” Janie sobbed.
“You must’ve known the family fairly well?”
“I guess.” She shrugged.
“As far as you could tell, were there any problems?”
“What do you mean?”
“Did they argue or discuss anything that seemed to be troubling them?”
Janie shrugged again, shook her head. “I know they had their daughter, Torrie, put in some institution in Winnipeg.”
“Did they discuss that with you?”
“No. The kids told me, and everyone in town knew.”
“Did you ever meet Torrie?”
“No.”
“Are you aware of any times she may have visited her family?”
“No, her parents would go to Winnipeg to see her.”
Sloan made notes.
“Did you ever hear the Tullocks mention anyone who they disagreed with, or who had an argument with them?”
“No.”
“Do you know of Ritchie Hicks?”
“No.”
“When you sat, did anyone visit the house, or did you have a strange person come to the door? Or receive any strange calls?”
“No.”
“And how did you get along with the family?”
Janie looked at Sloan and her lips trembled. “Fine. I liked Mr. Tullock and the kids.”
“What about Mrs. Tullock?”
Fear flitted across Janie’s eyes and she took a breath. “I sometimes thought she didn’t like me.”
“Really? Why?”
Wiping at her tears, Janie thought. “Because we’re poor and because of where we live.”
Sloan looked at her for a long moment, absorbing her comments, then started a new page in her notebook. “I need you to think hard and help with a time frame, okay? When was the last time you babysat?”
Janie brushed her hair from her face, and her tears. Blinking, she looked at the calendar on her door. “It’s marked there with an X.”
Sloan looked. “So the Wednesday leading to the weekend when it happened?”
Janie nodded.
“That was the last time you were in the Tullocks’ house?”
“Yes.”
“And that was the last time you saw them?”
Janie blinked and nodded.
“You were aware they were going away to Regina to visit friends?”
“Yes, they told me.”
“Do you know who else was aware?”
“No.”
At that moment Sloan’s attention turned to the desk and the ring. She leaned closer to study the colorful skull.
“Interesting ring, Janie,” she said. “Looks like a sugar skull. I saw them on vacation in Mexico. Where did you get it?”
“At The Big Sky Truck Stop.”
Sloan let a few long seconds pass before she nodded and stood. “Cool. Okay, that should do it for now.”