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Chapters (57)
  1. Welcome to the Game
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. Epigraphs
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. Six months later . . .
  56. Acknowledgments
  57. Back Cover

OAKLAND CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES EMPLOYEE KILLED IN HIT AND RUN ran the headline.

Lonnie Estevez, 36, was hit by a dark pickup truck outside her apartment on Grobbel and Martin. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Police are appealing for witnesses. The suspect vehicle was later found burned out near Belanger Park. Melissa Kaplun, office manager of the Oakland CPS said that Estevez was a valued employee who will be greatly missed. Anyone with information should call Detective Bryant at the DPD where investigations are said to be ongoing.

Johnny Boy gently took the phone from Spencer’s hand. “Terrible how that kind of thing can happen, don’t you think? But hey, good things come out of bad sometimes. At least that should take the pressure off you from CPS, right?”

36

36

Ghosts from the Past

Spencer opened Abby’s door a crack and looked down the hall. He could see Johnny Boy’s legs stretched out on the coffee table and his hand with the TV remote dangling off the arm of the couch. The channel changed and cheering was replaced by the voice of CNN.

Spencer closed the door. He crossed to the window and peeked through the blinds. McGrath’s Mercedes sedan was parked in the apartment lot next to Penny. He could see the Yo-Yo’s hand on the wheel.

“Are you going to call the cops, Dad?”

“What do you think the cops would do for us? Put us in that witness protection program you hear about in movies? Away from all your friends? The cops only help people who have something to give them.”

Abby feared that if she spoke the tears would come, and she wouldn’t be able to finish whatever she started.

“That guy watching TV, those people out there, Abby, they’ll kill us all in a heartbeat. That’s why I brought us here. That’s why I told you to be careful who you spoke to.”

Abby started to weep.

Spencer stared at her, confused. He wanted to punch through a wall. They’d used his daughter as a warning.

And he needed her to stop crying, to stop crying like . . . like that. The last time he’d heard her cry like that had been . . .

Don’t say it.

Had been . . .

Don’t even think it!

It had been the day they’d heard. A normal day to start with. They’d all said their goodbyes but not a warm goodbye. Marielle and he had squabbled the previous night about something stupid.

And he hadn’t actually seen his daughter crying and sobbing like she was right now. He heard her being comforted while he’d lain on his bed, the bed that his wife would never join him on again. He’d been unable to move, unable, almost, to even breathe. It was as if high-voltage cables enveloped him, making his head buzz and hum.