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Back Two Truths and a Lie Save as PDF
Chapters (100)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Prologue
  4. June
  5. 1.
  6. 2.
  7. 3.
  8. 4.
  9. 5.
  10. 6.
  11. 7.
  12. 8.
  13. 9.
  14. 10.
  15. 11.
  16. 12.
  17. 13.
  18. 14.
  19. 15.
  20. 16.
  21. 17.
  22. 18.
  23. 19.
  24. 20.
  25. 21.
  26. 22.
  27. 23.
  28. 24.
  29. 25.
  30. 26.
  31. 27.
  32. July
  33. 28.
  34. 29.
  35. 30.
  36. 31.
  37. 32.
  38. 33.
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  40. 35.
  41. 36.
  42. 37.
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  44. 39.
  45. 40.
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  48. 43.
  49. 44.
  50. 45.
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  52. 47.
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  54. August
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  66. 60.
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  70. 64.
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  78. 72.
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  84. 78.
  85. 79.
  86. 80.
  87. 81.
  88. 82.
  89. 83.
  90. 84.
  91. 85.
  92. 86.
  93. 87.
  94. 88.
  95. 89.
  96. 90.
  97. Acknowledgments
  98. About the Author
  99. Also by Meg Mitchell Moore
  100. About the Publisher

She pulled up in front of the house on Olive Street. The front door was locked—that was good. She unlocked and entered. The kitchen light was on, and so was the light in the living room.

But nobody was there.

“Hello!” she called. Nobody answered. She screamed: “Katie! Morgan! Alexa! Where is everybody?”

Nobody was home.

Nobody was home.

She could hardly breathe. She pulled her phone out of her bag and texted Katie:

Where R U.

The reply came immediately. Morgan’s house. Out in front w morgan there’s a police man here.

Ohmygodohmygodohmygod. Katie, Alexa, Morgan, a policeman. I found out who you are.

Coming to get u.

She was leaving the house, locking the door behind her, when she saw Miss Josephine peering out of her own front door.

“All this yelling and banging around!” said Miss Josephine.

“I’m sorry,” said Sherri hurriedly. “I thought Katie was here, but she’s not. I’m so sorry to disturb you.”

“And what on earth did you do to your hair?” barked Miss Josephine. “That color doesn’t suit you at all.”

Sherri was at Morgan’s house in under thirty seconds. And yes: There was a police car in the driveway. Its lights were on. Morgan and Katie were sitting on the front steps in pajamas—Katie’s were unfamiliar—the lights from the police car casting an eerie glow on their faces. When Sherri got out of the car, Katie ran up to her and threw herself into Sherri’s arms. “Alexa’s mom’s car was in an accident,” said Katie. “That’s why the police are here. But Alexa’s mom wasn’t driving it.”

“Who was driving it?”

“I don’t know,” said Morgan. “My mom’s in there now, talking to the police.”

“I want to go home,” said Katie. “I don’t like this. Can we take Morgan home with us?”

“Yes,” said Sherri. “Yes, absolutely we can take Morgan home with us.”

85.

The Squad

When Cam Hartwell’s obituary ran in the Daily News of Newburyport, we all looked at the picture for the longest time. In the picture he was smiling and holding a golf club.

The line for the wake at Twomey, LeBlanc & Conte, the funeral home, stretched a full block down High Street. The service, at Immaculate Conception, was standing room only. We didn’t go; we didn’t know Cam, or his parents. Cam and his brothers hadn’t been through the public school system, and they were older. But Gina’s ex-sister-in-law, Veronica, had once been in a book club with Cam’s mom and she told Gina it was the saddest funeral she had ever been to. Ever. And that Alexa was inconsolable.

86.

Rebecca