His only withness

r hot tea and glan

f fire trucks had

egun to slip behind

ross the sandy

ives had come an

or heard anything

r faces and mainta

t, the ease of lyin

ht herself capabl

rs, yet she'd had

d heard the explosi

n't seen a thing

been in his bedroo

h chick

Neither of the of

h Tom, taking her

o avoid the boy's

anted to qu

d when the whisper inside her,

en would make

O ran away, her c

hunter green pic

the private lane

When the driver e

er breath caught.

afraid she might

ed out to her s

sion video game.

tairs fo

, M

n's whine would

only concern now

Wade as

y from the wind

cross her slate

s way past her c

er b

the center hall,

d off the power

n morphed into

humb toward the

ust as Wade's kn

nt

d the top step before she put her

teadyin

is

ly well who it i

ooking out

the

oor open, three ye

nside her. "You're

ows lifted, but h

ht the urge to shi

er, an effect he'd

y'd fir

around his eyes

ed, and his rich,

mer of gray at his

made him more h

e thought and re

ry effectively smothered any linge

sked, hoping her

wasn't getting acr

mind, he lifted

d her focus to his

ing of t

to his face, his expression ha

ear about

e answered. I've

ve got nothing

dark evebrows lif

is jaw gr

dditional reaction out of her features.

u saw me and you

er head. unable to force a suitable response out of

ce. Behind the houses

ut through th

le W

," she muttered

ed down the sta

her and the doo

r son into an emb

lf at

appearing from hi

ruffled her Son

he c

at little squirt w

Kerri caught he

sketb

d become a rare c

led to br

n if the cause w

eath. The

in." she said. pull

om and followed

ed," he whispered

d past he

glare as she clos

use of her old n

rd him, he had an

d day in hell bef

on back into either

EN Such fury in t

ven in the days fol

es had been full

buried John and their friendship

rief with a ha

years earlier when Wade thought

ship, but his best

ng out the fiery r

the courage t

n and Kerri fall

He'd watched them

s, financial stress

ri bury her hus

bye to h

eep breath and h

ight not have bee

nger in Kerri's on

could h

ded to g

d if he had to use Kerri aga

into a ch

mirrored his movement

then placed a sleeve cookies in

tion enveloped

o

oments, the past three years slid a

cident, Befor

it brought him crashin

en my new site

as she dropped into the cha

t's great for

curbs hadn't gone in until see earl

en to the s

Kerri spoke b

ous question. He's forbidd

h

We'r

s construction sites

hell as Tommy dropped his chin

directed the question at Tom, wil

ust

errupted her, his tone g

r chair back aga

. "I think yo

n was critical

u saw anything at

pol

boy frowned, fee

kid, but growing d

ought Tom might

fted his gaze to

erious for som

y in th

Kerri ad

ah, the guy in t

ybody

usly from Wade t

a

ade." Kerri's voice shook wit

standing toe to

r. "If he saw something, he's our o

n stop whoev

ened, and Wade t

greeing, when the

o her stub

flatly, You'r

nd anger battled

taliation, no one b

know. We'll keep i

ri's eyes. So he'd hi

ought us enough

grip and moved to

de goodbye. You need to g

es, but he did as he was told. Aft

e ag

er your loss, right? Le

want to teach h

perate instead of tryin

cheeks. "Don't ever

s well have

word, Kerri move

the front door,

n doo

you care at all about Thomas and

n't co

to the site? You

't y

dropped his skateboard and ran w

e slowly shook he

l. You need to

erri's voice, but Wade spotted mor

enough to know

re ly

stepped nearer,

soft scent

y son into this. Is that u

you." He hesitat

'd never let anyth

t you tr

s if she couldn't believe he'd asked

t Liberation did this,

av

onto the front st

d him. He'd give h

e'd won the battl

rude aw

T yOu want

brain as she Cracked open the top

thyst heart lay

still tucked into

fter all of

moments Over th

friend. Her schoolgirl crush had b

d her and

r expressed an interest in her. She

en her this on Valentine's Day, just

irst

bbon tight and dropped it into the jewelry box, repl

given her a son she loved more than life itself, a son so much like his

ago, and the he'd let her down, be

er to trust him

fe

off her bedroom l

e Pinelands, she w

t Wade again. But on

took to protect her So

later,

night, she

rds at b

to hel

from the skillet

. "

e said I'm the

olice knew tha

w that, too. Kerri wasn't naive enou

ld keep that

his without y

the determined e

out cooperating with the police. Was she wrong

ade Sorenson s

all, his reputation had taken a hit

omestic terrori

p that reputation

tigation resolved,

or W

't worried abo

m. Anyone who wa

witnessed, was n

eant keeping the

ang, she answere

readout. Her stoma

f Wade'

you s

by" she l

a w

romm the skillet

. "

e said I'm the

olice knew tha

w that, too. Kerri wasn't naive enou

ld keep that

his without y

the determined e

out cooperating with the police. Was she wrong

ade Sorenson s

all, his reputation had taken a hit

r not wouldn't do a thing to help

tigation resolved,

or W

't worried abo

m. Anyone who wa

witnessed, was n

eant keeping the

ang, she answere

readout. Her stoma

f Wade'

you s

by" she l

a w

ross the line, and K

e your decisi

myself perfectly

sponse as a fresh sil

nspector died

and she leaned agains

de spoke with an intensity she'd ne

rri. In you

ruction site,"

t three

er lungs, sending her memory racin

wish that horrific reality on

ve to find out wh

d so

ice was barely mo

at

e. What guarantee do I have that

table, Tom straig

s eyes. He was t

ifference between

novels and

my word"

he urge to tell

ook. Tom didn't ne

ped Wade like the

ght h

an come to u

me in. I'll pick you up and w

f, thanks. Just te

hand-painted cloc

e ll be ther

, the better. Once Tom made his ID

Sorenson could fa

ere he b