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
It was not uncommon to see police here, but for Nancy, this felt different. She moved to the front window of their second-floor unit. There, in the parking lot, she saw four more police cars and a third unmarked car. Uniformed officers had left the vehicles and taken positions surrounding the building.
Suddenly Nancy heard the familiar jingle of the superintendent’s keys, the clamor of people rushing up the stairs, then loud knocking shook her door. Leaving the chain secured she opened it a crack to the face of a woman.
“I’m Sergeant Lou Sloan, RCMP, and this is Bill Jurek, Eternity Police,” the woman said, holding up a folded collection of pages. “We’re here to execute warrants. Please let us in.”
“Warrants? What? I don’t understand. You’ve got the wrong—”
“Ma’am, let us in now or we’ll force the door open.”
Her mind and heart racing, Nancy opened the door. The woman and man entered followed by four officers in plainclothes. One of them closed the door as the superintendent was attempting a better look from the hall and the neighbor across the hall, Mrs. Devries, had stuck out her head.
“Are you Nancy Gorman, the mother of Nicola Gorman?” Sloan asked.
The other officers, wearing latex gloves, began walking through the apartment, Nancy’s eyes following them.
“Yes. What’s this about? Why do you have warrants? For what?”
“How many people are present in the residence now?”
“Just me, Nikki and Telforde.”
Telforde Rahynes, unshaven, hair messed, wearing jeans and a Winnipeg Jets T-shirt, had emerged.
“What the hell’s all this?”
“Are you Telforde Rahynes, the primary resident?”
“I pay the damn rent and bills if that’s what you’re asking.”
Sloan handed him some of the pages.
“Mr. Rahynes, we have a warrant to immediately search the premises and require that you and Nancy Gorman seek alternative accommodations for the next forty-eight hours.”
“What the hell?” Rahynes looked at the warrant, at Sloan, just as Nikki, wearing sweatpants and a black T-shirt stepped into the living room.
“Are you Nicola Hope Gorman?” Sloan asked her.
“I go by Nikki,” she said, her gaze bouncing among the officers.
“Place your hands in front of you.” Jurek withdrew metal handcuffs.
Reflexively, Nikki stepped away.
“Don’t resist. Hold still,” Jurek said, taking Nikki’s limp hands, placing the cuffs around her wrists, clicking them to the smaller grip.
Nancy’s eyes ballooned with disbelief. “What’re you doing to my daughter?”
“What the hell?” Telforde glared at Nikki. “Did you steal from the mall again, you little—is that what this is? Because I don’t need this. I sure as hell don’t need this!”
Jurek and Sloan exchanged glances, then Sloan nodded.
“Nicola Gorman,” Sloan began. “I’m arresting you for the murders of Royston Tullock, Connie Tullock, Linda Tullock and Neal Tullock…”
“What? Oh my God! No! This is a mistake!” Nancy shouted.