Page 32 of Confessions of the Dead

[Nods, then seems to recall previous instructions] It’s just like I knew what happened in the Heatons’ kitchen, even though I wasn’t there. Same with Ellie at the library.

Sordello:

But youdon’tknow what happened at the Tatum house? You don’t know whether Josh or Lynn killed the children?

[Silence]

Analysis Note: Slight spike in Maro’s blood pressure and oxygen intake. Unclear if this is deception or something else. His baseline readings do not appear to be atypical.

Along with the files for Hernandez and Jones, Sordello added Edgar Newton and Arwa Gilmore. She hesitated with Malcolm Mitchell, then dropped his folder in there, too.

Maro:

I could really use that water.

23

Hannah

DANNY GROANED AND LEANEDover the steering wheel of his Ford Fusion. “Geez, what’s up with all the traffic?”

Hannah looked up from the playlist she was compiling on her phone. Route 112 was at a standstill. Cars were stopped bumper to bumper for as far as she could see. “Maybe there’s an accident or something.”

He slumped back in his seat. “I was hoping to get us to Boston by lunch. Guess that plan is shot to shit.”

“So you’re going to let a little traffic get you down?” Hannah reached over and stroked his thigh. “You can’t be depressed on such an epic occasion.”

He clearly had no idea what she was talking about.

Hannah pulled her hand away. “Do you have any idea what today is?”

Danny thought about it. “Sunday?”

“Today is officially our 111th date, Mr. Jones.” Hannah wentback to her phone and added the latest Lady Gaga song to her growing list. “One, one, one.”

They’d started going out about a month after Hannah transferred to Hollows Bend High from Connecticut when her dad took a job with an engineering firm in Barton. Hannah had been a freshman and Danny was a junior and captain of the varsity basketball team, and holy hell, was he good-looking. When he first approached her in the hallway near her locker, she only heard about half the words that came out of his mouth. She’d gotten lost in his green eyes, and for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out why this guy was talking to her. The other girls had watched in awe as he asked her out. He smiled when the wordyesfell from her mouth, told her he’d see her around, and walked off. That had been that, and they had been inseparable ever since.

Danny curled his index finger around a loose strand of Hannah’s dark hair and tucked it behind her ear. “One, one, one. You’re right, that is a milestone. I can think of at least a dozen ways you can demonstrate your appreciation for me, but you may want to stretch first. I’d hate to see you pull something, Ms. Hernandez.”

---