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But Frankie White had ruined everything As usual, the Whites got in the way

Etch picked up the black velvet box from the sill

He opened it and stared at the white gold engagehteen years ago

He hadn’t had the courage to propose that night--not after theaway He never found the right moment He feared that she would say no

Lucia never saw the ring

Like so ot tucked away, a secret what if he never showed to anyone It was all Frankie White’s fault The bastard had deserved every hit with the nightstick

Lucia spoke to him: It isn’t the Whites you’re uello

"You’re wrong," Etch said

You’re mad at me Because I couldn’t be there for you, not one hundred percent

"That wasn’t your fault"

It’s still true, love You meant to kill Ana As soon as she looked into the case, you stole that poison fro about how to stop her

"No"

Don’t kill her, Etch

"She betrayed you She left you She doesn’t deserve anything from me"

Ana’s words odda her

Etch had no choice He hadn’t chosen any of this

He made Lucia a silent deal: If you want it stopped, you’ll have to stop e in his coat pocket

He closed up his eined that his steps were erasing the no trace of the path he’d walked for the last eighteen years

Chapter 16

SO MUCH FOR BIOLOGICAL CLOCKS

When I woke up, it was already light outside I was upside-down in Frankie White’s much-too-comfortable bed The clock read 9:02

I cursed and ripped off the covers My head felt like it had been used as a guaca the silk pajao for the door, but the tiled floor was like ice I tiptoed my way to the closet and searched for shoes

Frankie’s too-small football cleats? Wouldn’t fit

My only other choice: the teddy bear slippers I sed ured they’d be quieter than cleats

I went to the door and tried it--still open Virgil was still standing outside, bleary-eyed, reading a NASCAR azine

He turned, stared atsil"

Then I ra me to clonk him on the head and roll him into the room He curled into fetal position on the tiles andto be running relay races anytiized, and was about to leave when I thought, Shoes

I checked hi, I was stuck with the teddy bears

I locked Virgil in Frankie’s roouard outside The hallas clear in both directions

I suppose I should’ve felt honored Virgil chose my door to stand outside He’d obviously concluded that I was the more lethal threat, or maybe he simply didn’t want to listen to Ralph snore And Ralph does snore

I rapped lightly on the door--Para bailar La Barunt, then silence

I rapped again Ralph doesn’t sleep ets to deep REM, he tends to stay there

Finally his voice: "You better have breakfast"

"A 38 or a baseball bat," I ive ht key and unlocked his door He earing black sweatpants and a T-shirt His hair was frizzy, tied in a haphazard ponytail like the Wicked Witch of the West

He looked down at my animal slippers "Nice"

"There’s a story behind those"

"When the rabbed the bat "Which way?"

We headed for the s: First, that I could find my way back to the service entrance in the kitchen I y? It had worked for Titus Roe Second, I was hoping the White household wasparty Finally, I was hoping we could find a car and get off the property alive

All those hopes pretty much fell apart e ran into Madeleine

WE WERE CROSSING THE BALCONY OF the ht of stairs, when she eht next to us

I’over un

Her jeans and oversized button-doere spattered with acrylic paint She sreen freckles on her cheek and a slash of sky blue in her hair