Page 69 of The Girl Who Was Taken

Now Matt smiled casually. His was better than Nicole’s, more convincing as he walked slowly toward her. In one quick move like he’d used hundreds of times on the wrestling mat, he grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her face to within an inch of his.

“Talk to Megan, and you’re going to see a side of me you’ve never known.” He pushed her away again. “Now get off my boat.”

The fake smile came back to her face, and she used the backs of her hands to wipe her tears. “You’re such a loser.”

She hurried up the dock, passing Tyler and Mike, who took awkward glances at her on the way by.

PART V

“People know me as the girl from my book, or as the girl

from before the abduction. I’m neither anymore.”

—Megan McDonald

CHAPTER 34

October 2017

Thirteen Month’s Since Megan’s Escape

It was Friday before Livia could get back to Emerson Bay. As Megan sat in the passenger seat while they headed to West Bay, the horizon seared with the last efforts of the setting sun.

“Who is this guy?” Megan asked.

“A piece of work,” Livia said. “The problem is, he might be useful.”

Earlier in the week Livia had caught Megan up on her findings from the evidence room—the green fiber match to Casey Delevan’s clothing, and the missing fork that Ted Kane had expertly identified as the tool used to end his life. Both findings created a link between Casey and Nicole on the night she was taken. By association, the findings had snared Megan as well.

Livia pulled through the light when it turned green, turned onto a side street a few minutes later, and stopped the car in front of the dilapidated house she had visited two weeks before.

“Useful how?” Megan asked.

“Here’s the thing,” Livia said. “When we go to your dad, I want ammunition. We’ve got the ketamine and the fibers and the missing fork. But for your dad to get on board, I need more. I need to convince him that Casey Delevan was taking girls.”

“You mean Nancy Dee?”

“Maybe others, too.”

“Other girls? Who?”

Livia pointed to the house. “I’m hoping to find out tonight.”

They climbed out of the car and knocked on the rickety screen door. Daisy went wild, barking and clawing. Nate Theros held her at bay while he cracked open the door.

“Nate. It’s Livia Cutty.”

Nate smiled as he stared past Livia.

Livia followed his glance. “This is Megan McDonald.”

His eyes unblinking, Nate carried the starstruck grin of a fan meeting his favorite movie star.

“Maybe you should put Daisy away,” Livia said, interrupting Nate’s moment as he gawked and grinned at Megan. “So we can talk?”

“Yeah,” Nate said, nodding. “I’ll be right back.”

While Nate dragged Daisy to her crate, Livia spoke over the barking. “This guy was a member of the club I told you about. The one that studied missing persons cases. He’s enamored of your presence. You’re as famous as they get.”

---