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
Walker took a breath. Preparing a defense would be challenging.
But the trial and verdict were a long way off.
Before that time, Nikki, Janie and Marie were transferred to larger correctional centers in different cities.
Thirty-Six
Cielo Valle, Orange County, California
Present day
“Showtime.” Ben pressed the volume on the remote.
A spurt of dramatic theme music burst from the living room TV as KTKT’s News at Five began.
Once Emma had told Ben and Kayla about being interviewed for a news profile of school counselors, they insisted on watching it together. As the broadcast got going, Emma assured herself that doing the story was for the greater good, yet she couldn’t shed her discomfort at the attention.
Several news items played, while Kayla tapped away on her phone to friends, Tug snuggled at her feet. “When is your story coming up, again?” she asked.
“Maggie Shen said it would be immediately after the second commercial break.”
The second block of TV ads played—shampoo, health food, pet care and insurance. The story was up.
Ben, sitting next to Emma on the sofa, patted her hand when she appeared on the screen. It was strange seeing herself again on TV. The item seemed to go on forever but the entire piece was under two minutes. Still, the airing troubled her because it would reach so many people.
Who else would see this—and see her?
It ended with Ben saying, “Well done, Em.”
“Yeah.” Kayla read her phone. “My friends think it’s cool you’re a celebrity, too.”
Emma’s phone vibrated with a text from Glenda Heywood.
Good job, Emma. Checked off every box. Just what we needed.
“Who’s that?” Ben asked.
“Glenda, my boss. She liked it.”
“Great, then that settles it,” Ben said.
“Settles what?”
“You had a successful TV story and I have book news I want to share. We’re going out to dinner to celebrate.”
They went to a favorite Mexican restaurant of theirs, La Cocina De Mi Prima.
On the way, Emma received more messages on her phone.
Maggie Shen said:
The piece looked good. We’re getting a lot of positive feedback online. People think you’re a hero. Thanks for your help.
As they were seated, she received a text from Carson Clark’s mother, Sonia:
The news report was hard to watch but we feel that if helps one troubled teenager, it was worth it. Your work is so vital, Emma. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Carson sends his thanks, too.
Emma blushed, sent Sonia a quick message of thanks and encouragement, put her phone away, touched the corners of her eyes as she smiled at Kayla and Ben, then picked up her menu. After taking their orders, their server brought them a bowl of tortilla chips and salsa. They dug in.
“Okay, so what’s your news, Dad?” Kayla crunched on a chip.
“We’ve confirmed a story for the next book.”