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Back Until I Find You Save as PDF
Chapters (60)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  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. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. EPILOGUE
  56. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  57. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
  58. Also by Rea Frey
  59. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  60. Newsletter Sign-up

“Okay.” I can barely breathe, I’m so nervous.

The scan begins. There’s a loud beep, then silence.

I draw a bottomless breath and await my fate.

39

CRYSTAL

The playground at Wilder is transformed. Somehow, in the span of a few hours, a small stage has been erected with twinkle lights hanging from a pergola. A podium with a microphone sits center stage.

Crystal checks her watch. It’s only six-thirty, but people are already gathering. The excited buzz of neighborhood drama pulls people from their homes. It’s like the parade all over again, as neighbors vie for their prime viewing spot. She hunts for familiar faces in the sea of strangers, ball caps, and high ponytails.

Caroline steps behind the podium. She folds her thin hands in front of her pressed mulberry pants. She leans in and the crowd hushes. “We will get started in exactly thirty minutes. Thank you all so much for coming.” Her voice booms across the playground. She presses her hands to her lips in an invisible kiss and opens them in a gracious thank-you. Diamond-encrusted bangles travel up her wrists toward her elbows. The jewels twinkle as they catch the last remnants of sun. Caroline’s eyes reveal nothing behind her Dior sunglasses. Is she wondering where Rebecca is too?

Crystal scans the crowd again, but she doesn’t see her. After she left Bec this afternoon, her mind spun on a continuous loop. The station had been quick. She told Officer Toby exactly what happened when Bec arrived at her house and that Jackson had been in his stroller the entire time. It had made her uncomfortable how much Toby had probed her about Rebecca’s character, but she told them what an amazing mother she is. She left the station feeling like she’d done something wrong—like they weren’t pumping her for information to find Jackson—more like they were building a case to take him away. She almost called Bec to warn her, but she didn’t want her to worry about one more thing.

Back at home, Crystal had looked at her daughter with fresh eyes. She wasn’t angry about her stealing Paul’s things. She just wanted to know why she felt the need to lie.

Instead of interrogating her daughter or getting lost in a sea of work emails, they’d made an early dinner and baked cookies, and then Pam had started a movie for Savi when Crystal had to leave. She’d ignored the knife twisting her gut. Was Savi right? Did she always leave?