Theyre in a small cafe a few blocks from the church. She followed him over from there, and this is the first restaurant they came to. Rough-hewn floors, exposed brick, hanging plants, stacks of freebie papers, and a community bulletin board. Its crowded with students, yoga moms, soccer dads. Several groups are waiting to be seated, but there was a small table for two in the back, near the kitchen.

The air is heavy with the scent of raw garlic. This could be a problem. Garlic makes Brynn sick when shes pregnant. The taste, the smell, the thought Salivating profuselyfrom nausea, not hunger painsBrynn scans the menu, looking in vain for something palatable. Predictably, she finds plenty of tofu, spelt, and sprouts.

If I eat any of this, Ill throw up.

Then again, if I dont, Im going to throw up anyway.

She orders decaf tea and white toast.

We only have whole grain, the waitress informs her.

Of course you do.

And would you prefer organic juniper berry or Jamaican sarsaparilla tea?

Do you have plain old decaf?

No. But these are detox teas. Theyre very good for you.

Im sure they are, unless you happen to be pregnant.Brynn asks for bottled water instead.

And you, sir? She turns to Isaac.

Just coffee.

Decaf?

h.e.l.l, no. He grins charmingly.

His good looks arent lost on the waitress, who flashes him a return smile before walking away.

The grin evaporates instantly. Isaac checks his watch and goes back to being silent and brooding.

This isnt how Brynn remembers him. He had visited the sorority house only a few times, but Rachel spoke of him often. Their parents were married from the time she was in seventh grade until she left for college, and she was closer to him than to any of her other siblingswhole, half, or step.

Brynn had the impression that Isaac and Rachel were kindred free spirits who shared a pa.s.sion for music, art, and food.

Realfood, as Rachel used to say. She was a meat-and-potatoes girl, much to Puffys delight. The sorority housemother frequently complained that the other girls wanted to eat only salad and vegetables.

Brynn can still picture tiny, skinny Rachel sitting in the dining room at the sorority house, contentedly tucking into a double cheeseburger with the works.

Struck by an unexpected pang of grief, Brynn attempts to reconcile her fond memory with the image of a vengeful murderess. She just cant do it.

Then again A traumatic experience and ten years will transform anyone, she reminds herself. If Rachel is still alive, she isnt the person she once was.

Isaacs coffee and her water arrive.

They sip in silence, and glance at each other.

Uncomfortable, Brynn tries to think of something to say as an opener. Realizing he isnt going to bail her out, Brynn settles on, Rachel would have hated this place.

You got that right. Sh.e.l.l take Arbys any day over health food like this.

Noting his use of the present tense, Brynn comments, Personally, so will I.

They fall silent again.

Brynn takes another cautious sip of her water and wrinkles her nose. There seems to be a metallic aftertaste.

Are you okay? Isaac asks, watching her. You look a little green.

Im just queasy from A pregnancy hormone surge . From this morning. That was rough, at the church. Tildy.

He nods.

Im kind of surprised you came, she tells him.

She was a friend of my sisters.

They werent that close, and its been so many years since Since Rachel disappeared, he fills in for her when she trails off. Yeah, I know.

He checks his watch again and says, You said you had questions for me. What are they? Because Ive got to make a flight in about eighty minutes, so Im sorry. I just wondered if you ever heard anything more. About Rachel.

It sounds so lame, phrased that way.

Apparently he agrees, because his eyes darken and he returns, No, have you?

Me? No! I just thought maybe your family I havent talked to Elise since she got married again and moved to San Diego. That was a few years ago.

Elise is Rachels mother, who was married to Isaacs father for a few years. Brynn met her only after Rachel vanished, when she was distraught and fragile, so she has no real way of judging her personality.

Would she have told you if Rachel turned up?

Sometimes I wonder, Isaac admits with surprising candor, looking down at the table, pushing the salt shaker around with his index finger. But then I remind myself that if Rachel came back, she probably wouldnt know where to find her mother. She might not even know that her father died. But Im still in the same apartment I had ten years ago. Its why I keep it.

So you dont believe shes dead, either?

He looks up sharply.

Either.

The word just slipped out.

Brynn backpedals, feebly. I mean, its not that I think shes alive for sure, you know, but Ive always hoped Isaac is watching her intently, as though hes wondering if she knows something he doesnt know.

And, Brynn realizes uneasily, as thoughhe knows somethingshe doesnt.

Having crossed through Newton and reached Interstate 95 on its western loop around Boston, Ca.s.sie heads north. If she were going home, shed pick up the westbound Ma.s.s Pike a few exits up. From there, its about two and a half hours home to Danbury.

But, apparently, she isnt going home.

Alec has probably been trying to call her ever since she hung up on him, but of course, she doesnt have to listen to her phone ring Because I threw it out the window.

G.o.d, that felt good.

Her only regret is that now she cant tell Alec right away that shes made up her mind to call off the wedding next month.

Shes come to realize that anythingeven hurting Alecis better than going ahead with their plans as though nothing has changed.

Everything has changed, these past few weeks.Shes changedon the inside, anyway.

Now you just have to find the nerve to change the outside.

Since Rachels birthday and Tildys death, shes spent a lot of time, too much time, looking back. In the process, shes seen her life for what it really is: testimony to someone elses dreams, first her parents, and now, Alecs.

Maybe shed be soul-searching anyway, on the cusp of thirty.

Maybe shed be dredging up the past, examining every misstep that led her to where she is now.

Faced with the constant, overwhelming reminder of her own mortality She simply cant go home now.

Maybe not ever.

You tried to run away already, and you couldnt go through with it,she reminds herself.You would have gone home eventually even if you hadnt found out about Tildy that morning.

But this time, there can be no turning back, even if she changes her mind.

Not after what happened to Tildy, and with her own birthday looming tomorrow.

Cold fingers of fear clutch at her as she boldly bypa.s.ses the exit for the Ma.s.s Pike.

She keeps a close eye on the rearview mirror to make sure she isnt being followed.

Its hard to tell.

She picks up speed, changing lanes a few times. Then, driving in the right, she impulsively veers off a Lexington exit at the last minute, without signaling, just in case But no other car follows her down the ramp.

And no other car follows her as she drives a little ways down the road, just to be sure. Satisfied shes on her own, she pulls into the first bank she sees and uses an ATM to make a maximum withdrawal from her checking account. There. That will tide her over for awhile, at least.

After consulting a road map, she follows a meandering route back up to I-95. Still, there isnt a suspicious car on the road behind her.

Back on the interstate, Ca.s.sie continues north, uncertain where shes headed.

She only knows that she isnt being followed. Without her cell phone, no one can possibly reach her; by using only cash, no one will be able to trace her.

This time, she has to get away to a place thats much farther from home.

A place where no one will ever find her.

Not her parents, not Alec Not the silent, invisible stalker whose presence seems to dog her every move.

This is, by far, the hardest part: the waiting.

Knowing that you have to get through another night, and part of another day, before you can accomplish the monumental task ahead.

Keeping up a cool demeanor, going about your business as though this was any other Sat.u.r.day afternoon, making sure no one would ever in their wildest dreams guess whats going on in your head.

So far, so good.

The party supplies are tucked away; the gift-wrapped box is ready. Inside it is a special memento selected for the occasion. Ca.s.sandra wont have the chance to open it, of course, but thats all right.

She doesnt need a reminder.

She knows what she did.

Is she wondering, even now, if shes going to die tomorrow?

Does she realize that its only fair?

Thats the tricky part.

If she suspects, she might try to get away.

Go ahead, Ca.s.sie. You can run from me.

And you probably think you can hide, too.

Maybe you really can From the rest of the world But what you dont realize is that you can never hide from me.

CHAPTER 16.

For Brynn, Sunday morning dawns just as the others have: with a tide of nausea that propels her straight to the bathroom.

Already weary of the routine only one week in, she brushes her teeth and wonders how shes possibly going to keep her pregnancy from Garth when she gets home.

He might not wake up in their bed every morning, but hes bound to notice her morning sickness. The walls are thin and the house is small.

The same thing is true of this one.

So she shouldnt be surprised to step out of the bathroom and find her stepmother standing there wearing her jogging clothes and a knowing expression.

Brynns heart sinks.