Editorial Reviews
"The characters were great in this book and I could absolutely connect with most of them." ~ Novel Ink
"I think all teens should read this book to see the struggles everyone goes through. It might help bullies see what they are really doing to others as well as the ones that are being bullied feeling more empowered." ~ Paradise of Pages
"I recommend this book for those who like an uncomplicated, character driven mystery without a lot of graphic violence or for those who enjoy a mature YA mystery with an edge to it." ~ The Book Review
"A strong young adult mystery with a side of romance that moves from the opening pages." ~ Adventures in Writing
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"A good read, whether you're in the obvious target demographic or even, like me, more than just a few years past." ~ Big Al's Books & Pals
Driving home from a bonfire party, eighteen-year-old John Hawk crashes, killing his girlfriend, Riley. Bullied and tormented at school, his guilty conscience crushing him, John transfers to a school in a little town on the banks of the Mississippi River in eastern Iowa, where he attracts the eye of the principal’s daughter, Megan Jones. Though he’s reluctant, she convinces him to be her prom date.
The morning after prom, Principal Jones reports Megan missing. Four days later, her body is recovered from the river, and John becomes the prime suspect in her death, the police accusing him of rape and murder.
Charley Cotton, Megan’s best friend, knows that Megan had a secret, but she doesn’t trust John because of his past. John is desperate to avoid adding to the shame and guilt he carries for Riley’s death—it’s destroying his life. With Charley’s help, he learns that others in Megan’s life have a motive to keep her quiet. But every effort they make to uncover the truth edges them closer to a desperate murderer with everything to lose.
ONE
John Hawk
Riley's drunk, and it's all my fault. Swaying near the blazing
bonfire with a dozen other kids, she's guzzling beer from a red Solo cup. They
laugh, jostle, and slop beer over themselves.
Damn! I should have been paying more
attention to her. I should have kept better track of time. You idiot, John! I need to get her home and tuck her into bed—now—or we'll both be in deep crap. I
step up behind her in the brilliant firelight. The heat feels good on my face
and arms, but the smoke curls into my nostrils, and I cough. Someone must have
piled wet logs onto the blaze.
I touch Riley's shoulder.
"We better go."
She whirls. "Where have
you been?"
"Checking out Brian's
weightlifting equipment. I forgot the time. Sorry."
Flames leap and crackle into the crisp night air, casting
flickering shadows across Riley's face. Her eyes glitter like stars in the inferno.
A few kids rotate, trying to keep all sides warm. Earlier, we roasted hot dogs,
bratwurst, and marshmallows over the oak blaze.
"What time is it?" she asks, her words slurred a little.
"Midnight." I’d
promised her folks I'd have her home already. I don't need them yelling at me again.
Or breaking us up. That thought jars me. I'd rather lose an arm and a leg than
lose Riley. She's the only thing good in my life, except wrestling.
"They never come home
before two or three," she says and gulps her beer.
"Let's throw that away.
You've had enough to drink."
She smiles, her mouth crooked.
"Look who's talking."
"I haven't had a
sip." True statement. I never drink the night before a wrestling
tournament. I dump Riley's beer but hang on to the cup—I don't litter. I also
help little old ladies cross the street. "I can do without your folks
being pissed at me. They already don't trust me."
"Yes, they do." Riley
grabs my free hand and squeezes.
After planting a kiss on her
forehead, I say, "C'mon, pretty lady. Home we go." I guide her by the
elbow away from the fire.
The party was a spring break
bash at Brian Holdorf's parents' farm pond. Dense woods block out half the sky,
and a breeze ripples the treetops. My arm around her waist, I guide Riley
across the pasture to my car, which is parked by the farmhouse. A squatty barn and
a tall silo loom close by. Brilliant stars and a huge moon light our way.
Laughter drifts up from the pond, and the scent of pigs floats in the air.
Opening the car's passenger
door, I toss Riley's cup in the back. Then I slip her into the seat and close the
door. After I climb in, I close my door and poke the lock button to make sure
we're secured. "Buckle up."
Rather than take Interstate 80,
I drive a ribbon of country blacktop that twists through hilly farmland. I think
I can drive the blacktop faster than the highway—hardly any traffic and less
chance of the cops picking me up for speeding. I don't need another face-off
with them.
"I'll bet my parents
aren't home," Riley says after we've been on the road a minute or two. She
leans over and kisses my cheek. "Let's park somewhere. This road's
dark." Her hair smells of wood smoke, her breath of stale beer.
I smile. I wouldn't mind
parking for an hour or so and making out. "We need to get you home and into
bed."
Wisps of fog curl in my
headlights. I'm zooming downhill toward the Des Moines River, and the curtain of
fog thickens quickly. I cut my speed from seventy to fifty, then to thirty. I don't
want to be going too fast if a deer darts into the road. Fifteen…
The fog turns dense—a gray,
billowing wall that reflects the glow of my headlights back into my eyes. I
squint and dim the car lights. I swallow and slow the vehicle to a crawl: ten
miles per hour. I glue my eyes to the yellow center line and guide the car's
left fender along the line.
"Why are you slowing
down?" Riley asks.
"Can't you see how soupy
it is out there?"
I'm not sure when I cross the
bridge over the river. The fog is too thick to see even the side rails. But
when I head uphill, my grip on the wheel eases. I fill my lungs and exhale
slowly. I've escaped the danger. The moment I can see ahead of me though—still
going ten miles an hour—I spot headlights racing toward me. They blind me. I
barely have time to swear.
This can't be!
Even Riley sees the headlights.
She screams, and the next sound is the wail of my horn and the hideous grinding
shriek of brakes as I try to swerve and evade the headlights.
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