I sit down in the little wooden chair in front of the principal’s desk. It’s the first time I’ve ever been sitting here. I’ve never been in any real kind of trouble during my time in elementary school.
I look up at the police officer, wearing a blue uniform with a badge on his chest. Unlike the principal, he looks really young. Like, younger than my parents or any of my teachers. They stuck him with the job of coming to talk to me, I guess.
“Nora,” he says. “I’m afraid your parents are in some trouble.”
“What trouble?” I say.
“They’ve…” He scratches at his neck. “We’ve had to take them both to jail, unfortunately. And it may be a while till they get out.”
“Your grandmother will be coming to pick you up,” Mrs. O’Leary says quickly.
I look down at my hands. My nails are bitten almost to the quick. I can’t even remember biting them. I always used to have nice nails.
“Nora?” Mrs. O’Leary says. “Are you all right, dear?”
“Yes,” I say.
Mrs. O’Leary is giving me a strange look. She probably thinks I should be more upset than I am. Or asking why my parents were thrown in jail. Wouldn’t an ordinary kid have questions? So I must not be an ordinary kid. She’s already psychoanalyzing me.The daughter of that monster is also heartless. She didn’t even cry when she heard what happened! She just sat there, like she didn’t even care.
It’s not my fault I’m not like everyone else. But that doesn’t mean I’m likehim.
“Are you sure you’re okay, Nora?” she presses me.
I clear my throat, trying to work up the nerve to ask the question I’ve been thinking about all morning. I’ve got to ask. I can’t stop imagining that scared blue eye staring out at me. I need to know.
“Is Mandy Johansson still alive?” I blurt out.
Officer Varallo looks taken aback by my question. It’s probably the last thing he thought I would ask. He scratches at his neck again and drops his eyes.
“No,” he says.
She’s dead. I was too late.
And then I burst into tears.
Chapter 45
Present Day
“Nora…”
The voice sounds very far away. All I can focus on is Philip’s body, tied to the chair with rope. He’s slumped forward, unconscious. Or dead. But no, I heard that moan. He must be alive.
Also, his left hand has been severed.
“Nora…”
I somehow manage to rip my eyes away from what’s in front of me. I swivel my gaze, and there she is. She’s not lying dead somewhere. She’s not tied up or bleeding. She’sfine. Better than fine. She’s got a gun in her right hand and it’s pointed at me.
“Harper,” I say. I feel like I’m choking. “What are you doing?”
Harper laughs. Her eyes are so blue, but at this moment, they look very dark. “What do you think I’m doing? It’s pretty obvious, isn’t it?”
“But…” My head is swimming. A dizzy sensation comes over me, and for a moment, I feel like my legs might give out under me. It takes all my strength to stay upright. “I thought you liked Philip…”
“Likedhim?” She gives me a scathing look. “Please. Philip is an arrogant prick. The only man I care about—the only man I ever cared about—is Sonny. And you took care of him, didn’t you?”
“Took care of…” I shake my head, which makes the dizziness even worse. “What are you talking about? I barely even know Sonny.”
