A local woman missing- Mary Kubica

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“I shouldn’t be speaking to you,” I say.“If you did this,” he says, “if this was your idea, I’ll ruin you. Do youhear me? I will ruin you.” He enunciates one word at a time. I. Will.Ruin. You.I hang up the phone. My whole body shakes long after I do. Forover an hour I sit at the kitchen table, unable to move. My thoughtsdwell on one thing: How will he ruin me exactly? Will he ruin mycareer? Or will he physically ruin me?Josh comes home with the kids. They’re bubbly, loud. Delilah isexcited. Their classroom is getting caterpillars. When they turn tobutterflies, they’ll release them outside.She hugs me. She’s getting taller. Her arms, when she wrapsthem around me, reach my waist. She asks me, “When can I have aplaydate with Piper and stupid Lily Morris?”“Delilah,” I tell her, “we don’t call anybody stupid.”“But she is,” she pouts.“Delilah,” I warn. My voice is stern.“Fine. But when can we have a playdate? And does Lily Morrishave to come?” she pleads. She sets her hands on her hips. Onejuts out. Only six and already she has a flair for the dramatic. I smileat her, wishing life could only be this complex. I do feel badly for her.I know how hard it is to be left out.“Yes,” I tell her, “Lily Morris has to come. Because we don’t want toleave anyone out. That doesn’t feel good, does it?”Once the kids leave, I tell Josh, “I was just about to start dinner.” Inthe next room, the TV turns on. I haven’t so much as thought aboutdinner.“How about we order something?” he suggests. I like that idea. Idon’t feel like cooking. My stomach is in knots. I don’t even know thatI could eat.Josh is looking at me. He’s incredibly handsome. Josh has alwaysbeen incredibly handsome. He’s dapper. His suit is slim-fitting, navy.He has many suits. While other men collect cigars or license plates,Josh collects suits. Some are tailor-made and others off the rack.He’s always trying to impress. He has a likable personality, agravitational field. People are drawn to him. He’s outgoing. His smilelights up a room. Everyone likes Josh.
I should trust him enough to tell him what happened to theTebows, what’s happening with Dr. Feingold and about thethreatening texts. But he would be disappointed after the fact. Andhe would worry. He would want to know how and why I got myselfinto this situation to begin with. And then he’d want to completelyrevamp the way I do my work, to some other formula where hebelieves I’m at less personal and professional risk. But I love what Ido. I love the way that I do it.I put the Tebows and Dr. Feingold out of my mind. Soon it will bethrough.
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Praise forLocal Woman Missing“I
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Local Woman MissingMary Kubica
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Mary Kubica is the New York Times b
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LeoKateMeredithLeoMeredithKateMered
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PROLOGUE11 Years BeforeThere’s a
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thinking about his car, how warm it
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DELILAHNOWI hear footsteps. They mo
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my belly got to be so bad that I ha
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I do know for sure that there are s
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There ain’t much to work with in
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we ever want to get out of this pla
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when we don’t come, she says, “
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That lady hasn’t fed us since tha
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I bring the candy bar to my mouth.
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I call to Gus to hurry up. I don’
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direction so that soon I’m all tu
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back into the blackness of the shed
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I curl more tightly into my pill bu
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There’s a house outside. It’s b
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through a forest. Like the cornstal
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I shake my head. I don’t know not
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KATE11 YEARS BEFOREMayThere’s a k
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I pull open the door and the wind r
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life, a sense of purpose during tho
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down. In the city, raw sewage is le
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Maybe this was one of those times.
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disappears into the kitchen to keep
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I glance down at the phone in my ha
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think of anything I’ve done to up
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LEONOWTo be straight, I never thoug
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KATE11 YEARS BEFOREMayBea is in bed
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police, and became common knowledge
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me. But now I’m grateful for the
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moon is nearly full, giving off add
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Dad doesn’t know it but I’ve re
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It’s a media circus when we get h
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argument I want to have. I love the
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KATE11 YEARS BEFOREMayThe next morn
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long and straight because somehow,
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LEONOWThat first night in our house
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MEREDITH11 YEARS BEFOREMarchI’ve
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I feel somewhat guilty for unloadin
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yesterday was the first time Meredi
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One by one people get in their cars
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puddles; Bea and I part ways and st
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“I’m so worried,” Cassandra s
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was looking at was human—that the
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and to the front door. She knocks o
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“That’s lovely,” I say.Bea as
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A body has been found.
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The coffee shop is new to me. It ha
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pay much attention to me that night
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An image of her husband forms: cyni
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the door. Other officers are inside
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The midwife replies, “Yes, of cou
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Later, early in the evening, we wat
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impression of a small castle. As lo
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Dad asks if you want him to tuck yo
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That’s when Mom turned the knife
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I write back, All first-time mother
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would be angry if the police showed
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Dad tells her, “I should have cal
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recollection I’d been hoping for.
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gray. Her eyes are gray. She has de
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He says reluctantly, “They found
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It’s as if Josh can read my mind.
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“What do you think, then,” he a
Page 137 and 138: quickly than most.“Thanks,” he
Page 139 and 140: play with Delilah. She makes fun of
Page 141 and 142: her face for signs of bruising. The
Page 143 and 144: I ask again. “Did he hurt you?”
Page 145 and 146: This is what you told the police: y
Page 147 and 148: MEREDITH11 YEARS BEFOREMarchDinner
Page 149 and 150: remember, Leo, how this happened?
Page 151 and 152: KATE11 YEARS BEFOREMayThe next morn
Page 153 and 154: MEREDITH11 YEARS BEFOREAprilOver th
Page 155 and 156: The kids and I still stand outside,
Page 157 and 158: Bea stops me there. She takes charg
Page 159 and 160: KATE11 YEARS BEFOREMayDr. Feingold
Page 161 and 162: knot. We picked them out together,
Page 163 and 164: “Yes, sir,” I say, shifting my
Page 165 and 166: “She had a baby recently. It was
Page 167 and 168: I’m flat on my back. I can’t se
Page 169 and 170: MEREDITH11 YEARS BEFOREAprilShelby
Page 171 and 172: Within an hour a nurse comes in to
Page 173 and 174: “Of course,” I say.“I think S
Page 175 and 176: What his patients like about Dr. Fe
Page 177 and 178: the next contraction, he instructs
Page 179 and 180: I turn on the car and begin to driv
Page 181 and 182: Bea takes a cursory glance in the s
Page 183 and 184: go home. I can’t lead this indivi
Page 185 and 186: I spent a lot of time on those miss
Page 187: MEREDITH11 YEARS BEFOREMayThe Tebow
Page 191 and 192: There’s more urgency about gettin
Page 193 and 194: MEREDITH11 YEARS BEFOREMayI haven
Page 195 and 196: I regret my choice of words immedia
Page 197 and 198: “Cassandra, if Marty is seeing an
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Page 201 and 202: Piper Hanaka is your age. She’s t
Page 203 and 204: KATE11 YEARS BEFOREMayThe rest of t
Page 205 and 206: conversation—spoken in some other
Page 207 and 208: it that left me feeling violated an
Page 209 and 210: Outside the storm rages. It’s mor
Page 211 and 212: to see Bea’s expression, I see he
Page 213 and 214: house, so close to the circuit brea
Page 215 and 216: MEREDITH11 YEARS BEFOREMayI can’t
Page 217 and 218: I won’t tell him now. I don’t w
Page 219 and 220: dancing has made him thirsty. Our d
Page 221 and 222: I’m the only one who doesn’t ha
Page 223 and 224: KATE11 YEARS BEFOREMayThree things
Page 225 and 226: parking lot, a 1970s neon sign flas
Page 227 and 228: MEREDITH11 YEARS BEFOREMayMy eyes a
Page 229 and 230: Babies,” I tell her. I’d just g
Page 231 and 232: “I know her, Bea,” I say, and I
Page 233 and 234: We haul Shelby to the back end of t
Page 235 and 236: grimace. The coloration of her skin
Page 237 and 238: trees were here before the homes. T
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“It’s not your fault,” Dad sa
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MEREDITH11 YEARS BEFOREMayThe next
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if I told the truth, it might get b
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I obsess over this. I try to replay
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LEONOWBefore bed, Dad comes into my
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MEREDITH11 YEARS BEFOREMayI can’t
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She pauses for effect. “It’s ti
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that I shared with Delilah. My mom
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MEREDITH11 YEARS BEFOREMay“I have
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in the trunk, and whether she was d
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But the longer he stares at those p
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better than that. You’re never su
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MEREDITH11 YEARS BEFOREMayIn the mi
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Who would care for her special need
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Bea comes fully into the garage.
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Another change comes over Bea. She
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hands. Her hair spills across her f
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It’s taking a long time for you t
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Bea is in the driver’s seat. Bea
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hers, gathering dollar bills. She l
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vacant or nearly vacant right now,
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friendship has waned over the years
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the building, and it’s upstairs.
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My question goes unanswered.Where a
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to climb, their movements in sync.
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remembers that when Bea came back,
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I hang up before she can say more.
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ISBN-13: 9781488073960Local Woman M
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A local woman missing- Mary Kubica

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