Murder Road (27 page)
Authors: Simone St. James
Except for the sign.
It was ten feet high, at least six feet wide, overpowering the road. It had a drawing depicting a building of cream brick and glass, with gaudy brass-colored doors. In the drawing, the sprawling building was surrounded by a landscape of parking lot. The lettering across the top read:
watch this site! future location of the coldlake falls mall!
“A mall,” Eddie said, shocked. “They’re building a mall.”
I tried not to shudder. There was no money, no power on earth
that would get me to walk through the fake-brass doors of the Coldlake Falls Mall. Not now, not ever.
“This is what Quentin was talking about,” Eddie said.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
He pointed up and down Atticus Line. “In order to build this mall, they’re going to dig. Everywhere.”
There have to be more bodies. Don’t you agree?
When they found them, Detective Quentin would be waiting. Whoever was out there, lost and forgotten—he’d find them and remember them again.
Eddie started the car and put it in gear. He took my hand in his. And we drove
away.
Thanks to the team at Berkley who put so much dedicated work into my books, especially Michelle Vega, Danielle Perez, Claire Zion, and Danielle Keir. Thanks to the marketing, sales, and PR staff who do such a stellar job. Thanks to the art department for the covers that hit it out of the park every time. Thanks to the copy editors and proofreaders who catch my embarrassing mistakes. Thanks to Orli Moscowitz and the amazing team at PRH Audio for bringing my books to life in audio. Thanks to my agent, Pam Hopkins, who believed in me from the very beginning, when she received my paper query letter in her slush pile.
Thanks to my husband, Adam, and thanks to my family, for being in my corner. Thanks to Molly and Stephanie for being my best friends.
Thanks to the booksellers and librarians who recommend my books. Thanks to the reviewers, Bookstagrammers, BookTokers,
and other excited readers who pass my books around. Thanks to the readers who send me kind messages, fascinating insights, and encouragement. Thanks to anyone who took the time out of their day to come to one of my signings. I dedicated this book to readers, and I’m thanking them, too. Thank you, readers. Without you, books don’t happen.
Simone St. James
is the
New York Times
bestselling author of
The Sun Down Motel
and
The Broken Girls
. She spent twenty years behind the scenes in the television business before leaving to write full-time.
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