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
But right now her plight was bearing down on her, with fears she was being followed. And, with the anniversary nearing, and every news item in the Canadian media about the case, Emma felt like she was running out of time.
“Emma!” Clara Jean O’Connor approached, waving to her and pointing to TV news cameras. “They want you.”
Emma’s stomach clenched as she threaded her way through the crowd to join Kayla, Clara Jean and the TV people waiting at Ben’s table.
Clara Jean, her face flushed with excitement, indicated the two camera operators and two reporters.
“Wonderful,” Clara Jean said, “everyone’s here. We’re so happy to have two teams from the Santa Ana bureaus of their L.A. stations. This is Maggie and Ron.”
“It’s Rob, Rob Gallo with KRVZ First News.” He offered a dazzling white-toothed smile, shook everyone’s hand with one hand while his other gripped a microphone. “Love your books, Ben.”
“I’m Maggie Shen, with KTKT.” She followed suit. “You’ve got a lot of people waiting for you, Ben,” she said, “so Rob and I decided we could do this together, quickly. Promise to keep it short.”
“Sure,” Ben said.
“Then when we wrap, we’ll talk to you separately, Clara,” Maggie said.
“Wonderful,” Clara Jean said. “This is our opening day. Please don’t forget to tell your viewers we have two more to go.”
“Yes.” Maggie held up her phone. “It’s all here in the news release you sent us.” Then to the Grants: “If you guys could get a little closer together.”
Ben, Kayla and Emma moved closer.
“Great.” Maggie got her microphone ready. “Just look at Rob and me like we’re having a regular conversation. Don’t worry about the cameras.”
The operators hoisted the cameras up on their shoulders.
“Good to go.” Maggie smiled. “So Ben, what brings a world-famous author and his family to this event today?”
“The proceeds go to literacy programs across the county. It’s an effort me and my family support wholeheartedly.” Ben indicated Kayla and Emma, whom he’d noticed had slid on large sunglasses. “We were happy to join the countless volunteers and do our part to launch this three-day event and make it a success.”
“Ben, I have to ask,” Rob said, “it’s been a few years since your personal tragedy. One could only imagine how you, if you ever do, recover from a blow like that.”
Ben nodded, bracing for whatever was coming.
“What I’m getting at is, it’s been years since your last book. Can we tell your readers that another book is coming and when?”
“Yes. Well, what I can say is that a new book is being planned.”
Emma turned her head to him, listening intently.
“I can’t tell you what it will be about, but a new one is being planned.”
“Great, will it be a local case or an international one?”