SHE HELD ON to all of it when Seth took her home later. That had been the sensible way to arrange things. Derric and Hayley lived in the same direction, after all. And four people could not fit into Hayley’s truck. So Becca and Derric had parted with a long look at each other and a longer smile. Then Becca climbed into Sammy and patted the ever-present Gus, who roused himself from sleep in the VW’s backseat. She said to Seth, “You were great.”
Seth smiled and asked, “Were you guys even listening? Didn’t look that way to me.”
Becca felt herself blush. “You can kiss and listen at the same time, you know.”
“Whoa,” Seth teased, “too much information!”
He put the car into gear. He honked a couple of times at people he knew who were also leaving the bistro, and he pulled out into Second Street for the quick jaunt over to the Cliff Motel.
“You like him, huh?” he said to Becca.
“I like him a lot,” Becca said.
“Ready to fight half the chicks at South Whidbey High School for him?”
“I guess I am.”
“Even the cheerleaders?”
“Rah rah rah,” Becca said.
Seth chuckled. They made the turn into Cascade Street and zipped along the bluff high above the water. Soon enough they were in front of the motel and Seth was preparing to pull into its parking lot.
At that moment, Becca’s life crashed shut.
A man was getting out of a car in front of the motel. There was something familiar . . . a set to his shoulders . . . the shape of his head . . . He turned to glance in the direction of Seth’s VW. Becca saw him clearly. She cried out.
“Seth! Turn around!”
Seth said, “What the heck . . . ?” and then saw the man himself. “Oh hell,” he breathed. “That’s him? The guy—”
“Yes! Yes! Please, Seth. Go! If he sees me, if he finds me . . . You’ve got to go!”
Seth didn’t need to be told twice. He reversed the car in an instant like a tourist who’d made the wrong turn. He floored it in the opposite direction, back up Sixth Street, heading out of town.
“Take me somewhere,” Becca begged. “Take me someplace safe.”
Seth gave her a look. He measured her panic and made his decision. “How d’you feel about tree houses?” he asked.
“I feel just fine.”
“Done,” he said.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
One major liberty had to be taken with Whidbey Island, and those who live here will recognize what it is: Coupeville General Hospital would not be equipped to care for a patient with Derric Mathieson’s injuries and he would have been airlifted to Harborview Medical Center across the water. Other than that, at the time of this writing of the novel, everything is as described, although locals will recognize that some of the names have been slightly altered.
I’d like to thank Mike Hawley of the Island County Sheriff’s Department for a tour of that facility and of the county jail, as well as for information he provided me about police investigations. Dane Heggenes, Bayley Heggenes, and Trevor Heins were terrific interviewees about their experiences at South Whidbey High School as well as at Bayview School, and erstwhile principal Rob Prosch unlocked actual doors for me at that former facility. I’m extremely grateful to Ralph Hastings for his willingness to become a character in the novel, as well as for allowing me the use of his amazing garden and house as one of the settings. My wonderful personal assistant Charlene Coe researched everything from trees to wildflowers while simultaneously keeping the ship afloat at my home, and my husband Tom McCabe put up with my disappearance into my office to write two novels simultaneously.
In New York, my editor Regina Hayes showed remarkable and endless patience as she guided me into and through the world of young adult fiction, and I’m deeply indebted to her as the learning curve was a steep one for me. As always, I must thank my literary agent Robert Gottlieb for everything he does to support me and to promote my work around the world.
Elizabeth George
WHIDBEY ISLAND, WASHINGTON
Elizabeth George, SW01 - The Edge of Nowhere
Thank you for reading books on BookFrom.Net Share this book with friends