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
We’re bound forever by our blood pact, protected by the incantation. No matter what they say or do to us we’ll never ever give up our secrets.
Or each other.
We’re sisters.
Keys jingled.
Nikki stopped.
Someone was coming for her.
As Nikki paced in her cell, Sloan and Jurek drove the short distance on the four-lane highway connecting Morden with Winkler. The two towns were so close they were known as the province’s twin cities.
They headed down Main Street stopping at Winkler Police headquarters, a stone and glass building with blue trim that could pass for a small high school.
“Hey, Bill.” Lowell DeWitt, the commander on duty knew Jurek. Then to Sloan: “Welcome to Winkler, Sergeant Sloan.” Gold crowns flashed as he greeted them. “This is a god-awful case, all over the national news. Let me know if there’s anything else we can do to help. This way.”
DeWitt then led them down a hallway, turning to Sloan. “As you requested before you left Morden, we put her in the interview room to let her wait there for you.”
The three officers stepped into a darkened room with a one-way mirror. They observed Nikki through it, almost glowing in orange prison scrubs in the brightly lit, stark interview room. A fourteen-year-old multiple murderer, alone, head on the table, buried between her outstretched arms, handcuffed at the wrists.
“Can I get you folks some coffee before I leave you to it?”
Sloan shook her head, focused on Nikki as she organized her files.
“We’re good, thanks, Lowell,” Jurek said.
The door opened.
It took a few seconds for Nikki to drag herself up to a sitting position, her head lolling as she eyed Sloan, the cop who’d arrested and charged her.
Her again, what now? Nikki released a bored sigh. Is she going to give me a futile lecture? Nikki’s focus then went to Sloan’s folders and stuff. It’s like she’s prepping for a test. This is useless.
“Hello, Nikki.”
Sloan stood at the opposite side of the table holding folders and a canvas bag.
“You’ve been given your rights and you know this is all being recorded.”
“I don’t care because I’m not talking to you.”
“If that’s your wish. But before I leave, you should know what I have here.” Sloan opened a folder to let Nikki glimpse a photocopy of handwritten pages. “I can’t let you read them,” she said, “but let’s say we have statements from the other girls.”
Nikki knew police could trick you and steeled herself.
I know Janie and Marie would not betray me. I know they’re holding to our pact like me and told you nothing.