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
“Why’re you doing this?” Marlene pleaded. “We didn’t do anything.”
Sloan stood before Janie as Jurek moved to handcuff her.
“Jane Elizabeth Klassyn,” Sloan began, “I’m arresting you for the murders of Royston Tullock, Connie Tullock, Linda Tullock and Neal Tullock…”
Tears rolled down Janie’s face.
Marlene, white with terror and confusion, attempted to rush to Janie but was held in place by two officers.
“Murder? My God, no!” Marlene’s voice broke as she struggled in vain. “No, no, no, this is wrong! This is a mistake!”
“Marlene Klassyn.” Sloan handed her documents. “We have a warrant to search your property now.”
As the handcuffs snapped on Janie’s wrists, her eyes met her mother’s and in that instant, something between Marlene and Janie strained and broke.
A sudden gust blew, kicking up dirt, carrying the stench of the slaughterhouse and the thunder of the freight cars switching, like the closing of a prison door as Marlene watched her fourteen-year-old daughter being placed into the back of a police car.
Flashing red lights painted Marlene’s face as Janie, sitting between the big officers, turned to gaze back at her.
Twenty-Nine
Eternity, Manitoba
2000
Late Sunday afternoon, Ned Mitchell stepped into his driveway, sipped cold beer from a can, then popped the hood of his truck and prepared to change the oil in his Chevy’s diesel.
Ned sucked air through his teeth. The beast was showing her age, damn starter had a loose post. He’d order a new one Monday. Had to take care of his Century Wrecker; he earned his living with it. He glanced at the old RV up on blocks, thinking it was time to sell it.
Starting work, Ned belched and turned on the radio, catching Marty Robbins singing, “El Paso.” Then came commercials followed by the news.
“Good afternoon, you’re listening to Ten-Forty Primrose Valley and these are the headlines. Arrests have been made in the multiple murder case in Eternity…”
Ned stopped working to concentrate on the report.
“Sources have confirmed to Ten-Forty that two arrests were made this morning in the recent mass murder of a family in Eternity. Two people face charges in the deaths of Roy and Connie Tullock and their two children, Neal and Linda, in a tragedy that has shocked the province. No other information is available. Investigators from Eternity and the RCMP are conducting an ongoing investigation.”
How about that?
Ned raised his beer in celebration before taking a swig, glad they got the assholes who killed the Tullocks. He felt a connection to the case because he was called to help move the family’s vehicles from the house on Old Pioneer to the Eternity Police impound lot with a Mountie riding with him—something about chain of evidence. The RCMP’s forensic people were going to go through them.