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CHAPTER31Ipictured the scene as I started the car. Miriam in her sweeping black dress,her face full of hate and secret hurt. I saw her crumpled beneath the shiningcross, hands clenched as she damned God in his own house and shunned thehelp of an honest priest. I thought I understood, saw the ugly bits of it. It wasGrace, in perfect stillness, head tilted skyward as Danny’s aunt said, I understandthat he loved you very much. And it was Miriam’s face beyond her, thesudden slackness, the dark glass that covered her eyes as those words rolledover Danny’s coffin and mournful strangers tipped their heads in silent condolencefor a great love lost.She’d told the preacher that she and Danny were going to be married.She’d said the same to me, but about Gray Wilson.He was going to marry me.Danny Faith. Gray Wilson.Both were dead.Everything took new meaning; and while nothing was certain, a sense of287
JOHN HARTdread overtook me. I thought of the last thing the preacher had told me, the lastwords Miriam had said before she fled the church and its minister.There is no God.Who would say something like that to a man of faith? She was gone. Lost.And I’d been so willing to not see it.I tried to call Grace, but got no answer. When I called my father’s house,Janice told me he was out after dogs again. No, she said. Miriam was not there.Grace either.“Did you know that she was in love with Danny?” I asked.“Who?”“Miriam.”“Don’t be absurd.”I hung up the phone.She knew nothing, not a damn thing, and I drove faster, accelerated untilthe car felt light beneath me. I could still be wrong.Please, God, let me be wrong.I turned onto the farm. Grace would be there. Outside, maybe, but she’d bethere. I crossed the cattle guard and stopped the car. My heart hammeredagainst my ribs, but I did not get out. The dog on the porch had tall triangularears and a filthy black coat. He lifted his head and stared at me. Blood soakedhis muzzle. Teeth glinted red.Two more dogs came around the corner of the house, one black, the otherbrown. Burrs and hitchhikers infested their matted coats, snot ringed their nostrils,and one had shit caked in the long fur on his back legs. They loped alongthe wall, kept their snouts down, but teeth showed at the sides. One lifted hishead and panted in my direction, pink tongue out, eyes as eager and quick asdarting birds.I looked back to the dog on the porch. Big. Black as hell. Bloody rivuletsdripped from the top step. No movement in the house, door closed fast. Theother dogs joined the first, up the stairs and onto the porch. One passed tooclose and suddenly the first was on it, a whirl of black fur and gnashing teeth.It was over in seconds. The interloper made a noise like a human scream, thenscuttled away, tail down, one ear in shreds. I watched him disappear aroundthe house.288
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Excerpt ofTHE LAST CHILDIncluded!
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ALSO BY JOHN HARTThe King of Lies
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This is a work of fiction. All of t
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTSadvocate and collabo
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JOHN HARTthe wheel, Manhattan a sin
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JOHN HARTgreen. The needle touched
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JOHN HARTHe looked me over again.
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JOHN HARTyears ago you were the cro
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JOHN HARTfeet of solid metal with a
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JOHN HARTThe doors slipped shut beh
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JOHN HART“Robin—”“Never min
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JOHN HARTof it was my fault. “Wha
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JOHN HARTI rubbed my hands over my
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JOHN HART“No rest for the wicked,
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JOHN HARTAnd then he’d kissed her
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JOHN HARTseeing it; but it must hav
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JOHN HARTA: He is my stepson. His f
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JOHN HARThalfway in the river. The
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JOHN HARTsen to miss, that in the l
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JOHN HARTit.” He squeezed my shou
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JOHN HARTof it. I was feeling the p
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JOHN HARTsleep with you under any c
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JOHN HART“Do you have a wife?”
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JOHN HART“What doesn’t?”She u
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JOHN HARTback there, that was five
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JOHN HARTWe stared at each other. S
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CHAPTER6It was a short drive. I pas
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JOHN HARTIt was happening again.“
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JOHN HART“You were with her. You
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JOHN HART“I want you to give him
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JOHN HART“I never knew the boy th
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JOHN HARThe looked at the caller ID
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JOHN HART“Can we see her yet?”T
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JOHN HARTThe cops got nothing.Back
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CHAPTER8Ilooked for Jamie as we hit
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JOHN HARTGeorge hesitated. “The h
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JOHN HART“Adam?”“You found a
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JOHN HARTI slammed my open palm aga
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JOHN HARTMy friend.He ducked low an
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CHAPTER9They stuffed me in the back
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JOHN HART“Talking a bit.”I nodd
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JOHN HARTupon her shoulders like a
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JOHN HARTthe time. Then something c
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JOHN HARTIt was a good offer. He me
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JOHN HART“Maybe a good thing you
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JOHN HART“Because she’s going t
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JOHN HART“What kind of mythology?
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JOHN HART“If this had been in the
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JOHN HARTmy father, sensing this, t
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JOHN HART“Mom wants you,” she s
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JOHN HART“I did what I felt I had
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JOHN HARTMy father’s face went wh
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JOHN HARTraised a hand and said som
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JOHN HARTwas in trouble, but he nev
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JOHN HART“That’s about what I f
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JOHN HARTlooking for arrowheads. Th
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JOHN HARTAnd there was something el
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JOHN HARTme. She’d chosen her mom
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CHAPTER13We drank bourbon in the st
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JOHN HART“On what grounds?” Dol
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JOHN HART“I thought that this was
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JOHN HART“I’m asking,” Granth
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CHAPTER15Iwoke at five and saw ligh
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JOHN HARTI searched for something t
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JOHN HART“Get some rest,” I tol
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JOHN HART“Your stepmother was slo
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JOHN HARTHe studied the group, and
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JOHN HART“I didn’t mean it, you
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CHAPTER16Idrove to the farm, took t
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JOHN HART“She looks bad.”An eye
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JOHN HARTMy father looked at Dolf.
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JOHN HART“Any message?” I asked
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JOHN HARTlooked like river bottom.
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JOHN HARTto her.” There was laugh
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CHAPTER17She left me without anothe
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JOHN HART“How so?”“Grantham w
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JOHN HART“Why?”“Nothing could
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JOHN HARTThe disquiet slid off Dolf
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JOHN HARTthought he was in Florida.
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JOHN HARTto look up. “The police
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JOHN HART“If I share my informati
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JOHN HARTa second. I opened my arms
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JOHN HART“It won’t happen like
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JOHN HARTWhen my father came out of
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JOHN HART“A warrant for whose arr
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JOHN HARTshattered. He kept an arm
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JOHN HART“I appreciate the though
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JOHN HARTDolf ’s name, and the ba
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JOHN HARTParks stood out in his imm
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JOHN HART“I’ll make some calls,
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JOHN HARTyou’re being overheard,
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JOHN HART“You need him.”Dolf wa
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JOHN HARTI stared.“That was his o
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JOHN HARTI heard Dolf ’s voice in
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JOHN HART“It was a strange thing,
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JOHN HART“I’ve got to go,” I
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JOHN HART“Let me get dressed.”S
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JOHN HARTtruck was gone. He was sti
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JOHN HART“Somehow, I don’t thin
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JOHN HART“And Dad doesn’t know?
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JOHN HARTShe withdrew further over
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JOHN HARTslipped the scrap of paper
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JOHN HART“You can have one minute
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CHAPTER23My father was drunk. He wa
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JOHN HARTHe waved a hand. “I can
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JOHN HARTsmiled broadly, hands on h
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JOHN HARTHe gave me the same unforg
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JOHN HARTThen he turned and was gon
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JOHN HARTThe facts on Danny’s dea
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JOHN HARTsomething to do.” She pa
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JOHN HARTmay be a bigger player tha
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JOHN HARTtimes before voice mail ki
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JOHN HARTfrom his shirt collar. Swe
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JOHN HARTmen smelling of smoke and
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JOHN HARTShe raised her hand to the
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JOHN HARTI crossed the Salisbury li
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CHAPTER25It was still dark when Rob
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JOHN HARTHe was clearly shaken, and
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JOHN HARTShe pulled up when we were
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JOHN HARTup. “I always knew he ha
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JOHN HART“I checked with the util
Page 247 and 248: JOHN HART“Grantham’s smart. I
Page 249 and 250: CHAPTER26Icalled Jamie and got his
Page 251 and 252: JOHN HART“He owns the Laundromat
Page 253 and 254: JOHN HART“Look, there’s not muc
Page 255 and 256: JOHN HART“Three hundred thousand.
Page 257 and 258: CHAPTER27The address for Zeb Faith
Page 259 and 260: JOHN HARTand stole the doll off the
Page 261 and 262: JOHN HARThouse. I pulled in behind
Page 263 and 264: JOHN HARTHe turned the key. I stood
Page 265 and 266: JOHN HART“You dated him?”“We
Page 267 and 268: CHAPTER28Isat up fast. Dead-of-nigh
Page 269 and 270: JOHN HARTbitter swell of it in the
Page 271 and 272: JOHN HARTdrinking day and night, su
Page 273 and 274: JOHN HARTThe door stood open a crac
Page 275 and 276: JOHN HART“The gambling is my prob
Page 277 and 278: CHAPTER29We spent the next six hour
Page 279 and 280: JOHN HARTHe walked straight up to m
Page 281 and 282: JOHN HART“I was in New York.”Hi
Page 283 and 284: JOHN HART“Did he kill his own son
Page 285 and 286: JOHN HART“Yes,” I said.“All r
Page 287 and 288: CHAPTER30Dinner was painful. I foug
Page 289 and 290: JOHN HART“What time did you have
Page 291 and 292: JOHN HARTShe levered herself out of
Page 293 and 294: JOHN HARThere, canoe at the dock. I
Page 295 and 296: JOHN HARTShe measured me, debating
Page 297: JOHN HARTHe moved to stand beside m
Page 301 and 302: JOHN HARTjaws two inches apart. The
Page 303 and 304: JOHN HART“I’m sorry,” she sai
Page 305 and 306: JOHN HARTThe pistol wavered. Miriam
Page 307 and 308: JOHN HARTfrom the truth of what Mir
Page 309 and 310: JOHN HARTyou to do something for me
Page 311 and 312: JOHN HART“You’re missing the on
Page 313 and 314: CHAPTER33Icalled George Tallman at
Page 315 and 316: JOHN HARTI tried to stay calm, but
Page 317 and 318: JOHN HART“I told her,” he said.
Page 319 and 320: JOHN HART“Get Janice,” I said.
Page 321 and 322: JOHN HARTMy father.My stepmother.Sh
Page 323 and 324: JOHN HARTI placed the card on the e
Page 325 and 326: JOHN HART“Maybe tomorrow.”I tho
Page 327 and 328: JOHN HART“I’ll make it.”“Da
Page 329 and 330: JOHN HARTIt was Dolf who finally ex
Page 331 and 332: JOHN HARTtrees spread above the nei
Page 333 and 334: JOHN HARTand shook like a leaf in h
Page 335 and 336: JOHN HARTwill. Jamie still had his
Page 337 and 338: An excerpt fromTHELAST CHILDbyJOHN
Page 339 and 340: John Hartsales type in a wrinkled s
Page 341 and 342: John HartThe boy spit chewing gum i
Page 344 and 345: Chapter OneJohnny learned early. If
Page 346 and 347: THE LAST CHILDJohnny studied the do
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THE LAST CHILDA hundred bucks.Food
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THE LAST CHILDhe was supposed to pi
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THE LAST CHILDHe waited.Johnny trie
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THE LAST CHILDHe put the car in gea
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THE LAST CHILDened her still had it
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THE LAST CHILDthat curved between t
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THE LAST CHILDdid not help neighbor
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THE LAST CHILD“Uncle Steve.”“
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THE LAST CHILDand level. He had thi
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THE LAST CHILDday she disappeared:
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THE LAST CHILDsaw recognition snap
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THE LAST CHILD“Johnny—”“The
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