Part 1 (1/2)
Point Last Seen.
Blood Will Tell.
Henry, April.
FOR JAKE KELLER,.
WHO WOULDN'T LET ME DEDICATE.
THE LAST BOOK TO HIM.
Whatever [the criminal] touches, whatever he leaves, even unconsciously, will serve as silent evidence against him. Not only his fingerprints or his footprints, but his hair, the fibres from his clothes, the gla.s.s he breaks, the tool mark he leaves, the paint he scratches, the blood or s.e.m.e.n he deposits or collects-all these and more bear mute witness against him. This is evidence that does not forget. It is not confused by the excitement of the moment. It is not absent because human witnesses are. It is factual evidence. Physical evidence cannot be wrong; it cannot perjure itself; it cannot be wholly absent.... Only human failure to find it, study and understand it, can diminish its value.
-Paul Kirk, Crime Investigation.
CHAPTER 1.
NICK.
SUNDAY.
BLOOD AND BONES.
Freshly spilled blood is wet, s.h.i.+ny, and startlingly crimson. Newly exposed bone is a pearly, glowing white.
Blood and bones. Before the night was out, Nick Walker would see things that would drop him to his knees. Before the week was out, he would do things he would have said were impossible. And he would learn truths that he would desperately wish were lies.
CHAPTER 2.
MARIANA.
SUNDAY.
A GOOD GIRL.
In a little over an hour, seven-year-old Mariana Chavez would be lying in a ditch, her unseeing eyes staring at the stars.
But for now, Mariana lay on her back looking up at the lights on Home Depot's faraway ceiling. She was stretched out on a low, flat cart topped with curved bars that looked like an orange jungle gym. She lifted one of her legs so she could admire her new rain boot, red with black dots. The best part were the toes, decorated with eyes and antennae. The boots looked just like ladybugs.
”Why is this so confusing?” Mariana's mom muttered as she scanned the rows of little round pieces of s.h.i.+ny metal and black rubber that would somehow fix the drippy kitchen faucet. ”And why must Mr. Edmonds be so”-she paused and Mariana knew she was skipping over a swear word-”so useless?”
Mr. Edmonds was their apartment manager. He was the one who was supposed to fix things. Only two years ago he had tried to fix the leaking toilet and just made it worse. And after that, Mariana's mom had started just trying to fix anything that broke herself.
Mariana also didn't like Mr. Edmonds, but for different reasons. When her mom wasn't watching, he sometimes stared at her. And said things to her, too, about how pretty she was, about how she seemed older than seven. It wasn't that she minded being told those things. She just didn't like to hear them from Mr. Edmonds, who looked a little like a tanned lizard.
Finally her mom picked something and paid for it. When they drove home, it was already growing dark. Mariana helped carry in the groceries they had bought before going to Home Depot, staggering a little under the weight of the bags.
”You're a good girl, Mariana,” her mom said, resting her hand briefly on her shoulder. ”You're a good helper.”
Helper reminded Mariana of what would come next. Putting away the groceries and then holding a flashlight while her mom swore at the wrench and the faucet and Mr. Edmonds and complained that Mariana wasn't holding the light still.
”Can I go over to Hector's to play?” Hector was her best friend. He lived in the next apartment building.
Her mom was already shaking her head. ”I don't think so, honey.”
”Please...” Mariana drew the word out.
Her mom relented. ”Okay. I guess you've earned it.”
But when Mariana knocked on the door to Hector's apartment, no one answered. It was fully dark now. She knocked again, but there were no sounds from inside. She was dragging her feet back down the walk, not at all eager to go home and hold the flashlight, when she spotted something that made her stop.
A kitten. A little black-and-gray-striped kitten. It took one startled glance at her and then ran around the corner.
Mariana loved kittens. And if she brought this one home, maybe this time her mom wouldn't say no. Not when it was right there in their apartment and already best friends with Mariana.
Hands outstretched, Mariana ran around the corner and into the darkness.
Ninety minutes later, Mariana's mom called Hector's mom to say it was time for her daughter to come back. And learned that the family had only been home for fifteen minutes-and that they had not seen Mariana.
CHAPTER 3.
NICK.
SUNDAY.
AGAINST HER WILL.
When the text lit up his phone, Nick was doing his homework. Or, to be more accurate, he had his history textbook open while he watched YouTube music videos on his laptop.
911 a.s.sist near Gresham-Missing 7 yo-Meet @ 2100 The text was from Mitch.e.l.l Wiggins, Nick's team leader in the Portland County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue team.
Homework now completely forgotten, Nick texted Ruby McClure. ”Any chance I can get a ride?” He, Ruby, and a girl named Alexis Frost had all joined SAR at the same time and become friends. Ruby was the only one with a car. Once you were notified, SAR gave you just an hour to get your gear and a.s.semble at the sheriff's office. On a Sunday night, TriMet buses were few and far between.
Ruby texted back a second later. ”Sorry. At chamber music concert with parents. Already cutting it close.”
Nick jumped to his feet. He needed to change into outdoor gear and grab his SAR backpack and red helmet. And to persuade his mom to let him borrow her car. There was no sense in asking to use his brother's car. If Nick needed to borrow the car to drive to the emergency room or he would die from a collapsed lung or something, Kyle would probably still say no.