shielded Saran.
Mom shrieked, ““What are you doing?!
Jason’s finally home! I made all his favorite
foods! And you’re pregnant, Sarah! He needs
to eat!“”
“That’s all you care about?! Where’s Ashley?!”
Mom rolled her eyes. “She’s out with friends.
If she doesn’t want to be here, why should I care? It’s not like I owe her anything.”
Dad’s eyes were red–rimmed. ““She’s…dead,
Carol.”
Mom froze. “John, that’s not funny!”
<
Jason’s face went white. “Is she…is she just
saying that because she’s still mad at me?
Dad, is she really…?”
Mom grabbed Dad’s arm. “John, tell me she’s
just being dramatic! She’s always pulling
stunts like this! She’s probably just mad
about Jason! She loves to lie!”
Dad slapped her hard across the face. His voice trembled. “Ashley doesn’t lie!
Remember the Rain Killer case I told you
about? The one from last week? That was Ashley, Carol.“”
Mom shook her head, refusing to believe him. ““No…that’s not possible… She called me… she…” Her voice trailed off, her face paling.
く
She remembered. My desperate plea for help.
Dismissed as another lie. The sound of my
phone being crushed…mistaken for me
hanging up. She’d cost me my life.
Silence descended. Dad’s phone rang. Miller.
They’d caught him.
Dad looked at them, his voice flat. “Come
with me, if you want to know the truth.”
They stood outside the interrogation room,
watching through the one–way mirror. The
attacker was taunting Dad, yelling his name.
Dad was granted permission to enter.
The attacker gripped when bact
