A local woman missing- Mary Kubica

Recommendations

Info

like a sore thumb. Except that on the picture taken yesterday, there’sno cleft chin. None at all. Not even a small one.The bell rings. I look around and the halls are empty. We’re late forclass.Piper is backing away from me. She hugs her books to her. “Don’tbe mad at me, Leo,” she says before she turns around and runs.
MEREDITH11 YEARS BEFOREMay“I have a confession to make,” Charlotte says. She’s on the otherend of my phone. Her tone is somber. It’s evening. Josh and the kidshave been home for hours. They’re in the next room, watching TVtogether on the sofa. Josh has a book open on his lap, but he’slaughing at the TV. It warms my heart, that a thirty-six-year-old mancan find humor in preschool TV.Charlotte says, “Something happened,” and there’s the sense thatshe knows what Bea and I did. I go into a flat spin. I’m losing control.I’m in the kitchen when it happens. I’ve just finished washing dishesand wiping down the table. I pull out a chair and sink into it.“What’s that?” I ask. I’m short of breath. My heart pounds in mychest.She says, “Someone has been picking on Leo,” before her voicecracks and she comes apart at the seams, saying, “Oh God,Meredith, I’m so sorry. I feel awful about it. I should have known.”My mind doesn’t change course so quickly.“How would you have known?”“It’s my job to know these things. Especially after you called aboutthe bruise. I should have paid more attention after that. I should haveput more stock into what you said, but instead I cast it off as kidsbeing kids. I’m so sorry, Meredith. I wish I’d known sooner that hewas being picked on.”“Picked on how?” I ask, still breathless. “And by whom?”“Brody Parker,” she says.The name doesn’t ring a bell. “What did this boy do to Leo?”“Well,” she says, chastened. “I’m ashamed to admit this, Meredith.I hope you’ll forgive me, but this afternoon he locked Leo in theoutdoor toy chest.”
Page 3 and 4:
Praise forLocal Woman Missing“I
Page 5 and 6:
Local Woman MissingMary Kubica
Page 7 and 8:
Mary Kubica is the New York Times b
Page 9 and 10:
LeoKateMeredithLeoMeredithKateMered
Page 11 and 12:
PROLOGUE11 Years BeforeThere’s a
Page 13 and 14:
thinking about his car, how warm it
Page 15 and 16:
DELILAHNOWI hear footsteps. They mo
Page 17 and 18:
my belly got to be so bad that I ha
Page 19 and 20:
I do know for sure that there are s
Page 21 and 22:
There ain’t much to work with in
Page 23 and 24:
we ever want to get out of this pla
Page 25 and 26:
when we don’t come, she says, “
Page 27 and 28:
That lady hasn’t fed us since tha
Page 29 and 30:
I bring the candy bar to my mouth.
Page 31 and 32:
I call to Gus to hurry up. I don’
Page 33 and 34:
direction so that soon I’m all tu
Page 35 and 36:
back into the blackness of the shed
Page 37 and 38:
I curl more tightly into my pill bu
Page 39 and 40:
There’s a house outside. It’s b
Page 41 and 42:
through a forest. Like the cornstal
Page 43 and 44:
I shake my head. I don’t know not
Page 45 and 46:
KATE11 YEARS BEFOREMayThere’s a k
Page 47 and 48:
I pull open the door and the wind r
Page 49 and 50:
life, a sense of purpose during tho
Page 51 and 52:
down. In the city, raw sewage is le
Page 53 and 54:
Maybe this was one of those times.
Page 55 and 56:
disappears into the kitchen to keep
Page 57 and 58:
I glance down at the phone in my ha
Page 59 and 60:
think of anything I’ve done to up
Page 61 and 62:
LEONOWTo be straight, I never thoug
Page 63 and 64:
KATE11 YEARS BEFOREMayBea is in bed
Page 65 and 66:
police, and became common knowledge
Page 67 and 68:
me. But now I’m grateful for the
Page 69 and 70:
moon is nearly full, giving off add
Page 71 and 72:
Dad doesn’t know it but I’ve re
Page 73 and 74:
It’s a media circus when we get h
Page 75 and 76:
argument I want to have. I love the
Page 77 and 78:
KATE11 YEARS BEFOREMayThe next morn
Page 79 and 80:
long and straight because somehow,
Page 81 and 82:
LEONOWThat first night in our house
Page 83 and 84:
MEREDITH11 YEARS BEFOREMarchI’ve
Page 85 and 86:
I feel somewhat guilty for unloadin
Page 87 and 88:
yesterday was the first time Meredi
Page 89 and 90:
One by one people get in their cars
Page 91 and 92:
puddles; Bea and I part ways and st
Page 93 and 94:
“I’m so worried,” Cassandra s
Page 95 and 96:
was looking at was human—that the
Page 97 and 98:
and to the front door. She knocks o
Page 99 and 100:
“That’s lovely,” I say.Bea as
Page 101 and 102:
A body has been found.
Page 103 and 104:
The coffee shop is new to me. It ha
Page 105 and 106:
pay much attention to me that night
Page 107 and 108:
An image of her husband forms: cyni
Page 109 and 110:
the door. Other officers are inside
Page 111 and 112:
The midwife replies, “Yes, of cou
Page 113 and 114:
Later, early in the evening, we wat
Page 115 and 116:
impression of a small castle. As lo
Page 117 and 118:
Dad asks if you want him to tuck yo
Page 119 and 120:
That’s when Mom turned the knife
Page 121 and 122:
I write back, All first-time mother
Page 123 and 124:
would be angry if the police showed
Page 125 and 126:
Dad tells her, “I should have cal
Page 127 and 128:
recollection I’d been hoping for.
Page 129 and 130:
gray. Her eyes are gray. She has de
Page 131 and 132:
He says reluctantly, “They found
Page 133 and 134:
It’s as if Josh can read my mind.
Page 135 and 136:
“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 and 188:
MEREDITH11 YEARS BEFOREMayThe Tebow
Page 189 and 190:
I should trust him enough to tell h
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
Page 199 and 200:
holding hands. I’m appalled that
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
Page 239 and 240: “It’s not your fault,” Dad sa
Page 241 and 242: MEREDITH11 YEARS BEFOREMayThe next
Page 243 and 244: if I told the truth, it might get b
Page 245 and 246: I obsess over this. I try to replay
Page 247 and 248: LEONOWBefore bed, Dad comes into my
Page 249 and 250: MEREDITH11 YEARS BEFOREMayI can’t
Page 251 and 252: She pauses for effect. “It’s ti
Page 253: that I shared with Delilah. My mom
Page 257 and 258: in the trunk, and whether she was d
Page 259 and 260: But the longer he stares at those p
Page 261 and 262: better than that. You’re never su
Page 263 and 264: MEREDITH11 YEARS BEFOREMayIn the mi
Page 265 and 266: Who would care for her special need
Page 267 and 268: Bea comes fully into the garage.
Page 269 and 270: Another change comes over Bea. She
Page 271 and 272: hands. Her hair spills across her f
Page 273 and 274: It’s taking a long time for you t
Page 275 and 276: Bea is in the driver’s seat. Bea
Page 277 and 278: hers, gathering dollar bills. She l
Page 279 and 280: vacant or nearly vacant right now,
Page 281 and 282: friendship has waned over the years
Page 283 and 284: the building, and it’s upstairs.
Page 285 and 286: My question goes unanswered.Where a
Page 287 and 288: to climb, their movements in sync.
Page 289 and 290: remembers that when Bea came back,
Page 291 and 292: I hang up before she can say more.
Page 293: ISBN-13: 9781488073960Local Woman M
show all

A local woman missing- Mary Kubica

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?