A local woman missing- Mary Kubica

Recommendations

Info

I picture our own plastic toy chest. It’s maybe two feet high by twofeet wide by three feet long. Leo, at his last exam, was thirty-eightinches tall. If Charlotte’s toy chest is about the same size as ours,that means Leo’s little legs wouldn’t have been able to stretch fullyout inside it. He would have had to bend at the knees. But is thereenough width inside the toy chest for that? And what about the toysinside it? Was he lying on them, too, or did this Brody Parker havethe decency to remove those before forcing Leo in?My mind is racing. But all I can say is, “It’s raining outside,Charlotte. They were playing outside?”“Brody asked if they could get the Nerf guns and bring them in. Isaid yes, because with all this rain, we’re running out of things to do.Brody asked if Leo could help him carry the guns back in. I said yes.Then one of the toddlers wet herself, and I got all caught up inchanging and washing her clothes. I didn’t know that Leo hadn’tcome back in. Brody,” she says by way of explanation, “goes to theelementary school. We walk and pick him up, same as we doDelilah. We didn’t get home until close to three-thirty, and then thekids wanted a snack before they played, so...” Her voice drifts. She’sholding something back.“What are you saying, Charlotte?” I ask.“It was less than an hour that he had Leo locked inside that chestof mine,” and I gasp, imagining Leo trapped in a dark, cold toy chestall alone for an hour.“What grade is Brody Parker in?” I ask, imagining him as akindergartener, like Delilah.“Fifth,” Charlotte says. This would make him ten or eleven. Whatkind of eleven-year-old boy picks on a four-year-old? I wonder if Leowas lured into that toy chest, if he was double-dog dared, or if thislittle hellion picked Leo up and forced him in.“Why wouldn’t Leo just get out of the chest?” I ask. Leo may beshy, but he’s a capable boy. He could have just climbed out.“It has a lock on it.”“Dear God,” I say, pressing a hand to my mouth. I wonder if thereare air holes in that toy chest, how much oxygen it holds. And then,because I can’t get her off my mind for anything, I go back to Shelby
in the trunk, and whether she was dead before we put her in, or ifshe died inside.Charlotte says, “When it came time to clean up, I realized he wasmissing. Leo is always the first to clean up. He’s such a good boy,Meredith. But Leo’s puzzle never got put away, and that’s when Iknew something terrible had happened. I want you to know, I’vealready called Brody’s mother. I told her he’s not welcome hereanymore.”
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 and 254: that I shared with Delilah. My mom
Page 255: MEREDITH11 YEARS BEFOREMay“I have
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?