Chapters (73)
- Cover
- Dedication
- Prologue
- Part IAnnie
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Part IIHarry
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Part IIIAnnie
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Part IVHarry
- 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
- Part VAnnie
- Forty-Nine
- Fifty
- Fifty-One
- Fifty-Two
- Fifty-Three
- Fifty-Four
- Fifty-Five
- Fifty-Six
- Fifty-Seven
- Fifty-Eight
- Fifty-Nine
- Sixty
- Sixty-One
- Acknowledgments
- About the Author
- Also by Linwood Barclay
- About the Publisher
What kind of city was it, where a kid could crawl out on a balcony and think he could fly?
What kind of city was it, where someone could mow down a total stranger in broad daylight and suffer no consequences?
All of which was to say, this was why Annie Blunt wanted to take a goddamn break from this goddamn city, and who the fuck knew whether she and her boy were ever coming back?
Three
“You won’t believe this,” Finnegan told Annie over the phone. “I found you a place.”
She had been walking back from Charlie’s school. There might come a day when she’d let him walk there and back on his own, but, hey, this was New York, and that day was a long time off. She was turning onto Bank Street when her cell started ringing in her purse. She saw Finnegan’s name and took the call.
“Where is it?” Annie asked after he’d delivered his news.
“Upstate. Near Fenelon, which, I have to admit, I have never heard of. But it’s near Castle Creek, in case you’ve heard of that.”
“I haven’t.”
“Yeah, there’s a gas station there or something. Anyway, it’s about a three-hour drive out of the city.”
Annie and John had gone several years without a car, but as their fortunes improved, they’d bought a small, sporty BMW SUV for errands and out-of-town trips. They kept it at a garage one block south on 11th Street.
Annie liked the idea but wasn’t ready to commit. “Maybe Charlie and I will drive up and have a look at it on the weekend.”
“About that,” her editor said. “I hope I haven’t overstepped here, Annie, but I’ve gone ahead and set it all up for you.”
“What?”
“You were right, you need a break, we want you to have a break, and I couldn’t see you having to go to all the aggravation of looking for a place. It’s all ready to go. I’ll send you a link to the listing so you can check it all out, just in case you hate it, but I really believe you’re going to love it. And if you don’t, you’re not obligated to take it. Christ, I’ll take it. I’ll spend the summer there.”
“Fin, you really shouldn’t—”
“No, I should. This is something we want to do for you. It’s kind of northwest of Binghamton. There’s places there where you can pick your own blueberries.”
“I get my blueberries from Gristedes.”
“Not for the next three months, you won’t. And you’re the one who said she wants out of the city, so don’t be throwing Gristedes at me. Anyway, the larder’s already full. Got someone local to stock the fridge. You got wine, you got beer, you got yogurt.”