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"I didn’t kill Frankie, patrón," he said "You did that"

The old man’s tiny supply of blood collected in his cheeks "How dare you"

"Maybe you didn’t hold the murder weapon," Ralph said, "but that doesn’t matter Frankie died because he hated you He toldto happen I just didn’t understand"

"I trusted you--"

"To save hihts before he wasHe said he’d had an argue for him"

White closed his eyes, his face like paper "It was for his own good"

"Frankie confessed tothose woer He wished you’d sent him away, like you did Madeleine He said Madeleine was the lucky one to get away frouards all wore the same expression--as if they’d just stepped into a nest of rattlesnakes

"Frankie wanted out," Ralph said "He was going to keep killing until somebody killed him or you were forced to send hi it About killing hi to ht Mission Road would be the best place"

Ralph looked at Madeleine, his eyes full of sympathy, as if she were the one with the terminal disease "I’m sorry, chica Some people can’t be saved I’ve kept that in mind ever since Frankie died Every time I had to hurt somebody, kill soine you felt the same way"

The specks of paint on Madeleine’s face, the streak in her hair, made me think of the portrait in Frankie’s closet--a twelve-year-old girl, coot closer We were losing too ht noasn’t sure I could make it to Maia

"I should kill you," Mr White said With his translucent skin and the air tube around his nose, he looked like soht to the surface for the first ti, patrón," Ralph said "Let us go Let us help Maia"

Alex raised his rifle "LetHis eyes were colorless in the ht

At that moment, I knew Alex would make the call for him We would die As soon as he shot Ralph and me, Alex Cole would come into his inheritance He would become Guy White’s willpower, his voice, his decision- Alex down anda break for it--when Madeleine said, "Alex, put down the gun"

Guy White had trouble focusing on his daughter "Madeleine?" he said hazily "Go to your room"

"My room is on fire, Daddy"

It was the first ti but sir

She took a set of car keys out of her pocket, threw them to Ralph "Go on Help your friend"

"What?" Alex protested

"Madeleine" Mr White’s face eary and pale "You have no right--"

She wheeled on hiht" She turned toward the guards "My father isn’t well I’ll watch after hio to the front yard Wait for the police"

One of them said, "But--"

"He isn’t well," Madeleine repeated, "so you’re going to listen to hter I am responsible Understand?"

"Theseat Ralph and me His tone sounded watery, petulant "They burned my house, they killedto suhts trailed off, lost in the s with an audible roar

Madeleine raised an eyebrow at the guards They got the hter and left the gazebo, heading toward the front yard

"The keys are for the white Lexus," Madeleine told us "Hurry"

"This is bullshit," Alex growled "They move an inch--"

"Alex," Madeleine said, "you will stand down Arguello, Navarre--go"

Eainst the trees, maybe a block away

We had no ed over the frozen grass Every step, I expected to be shot betweenus alive was Madeleine’s sheer force of will

Somehow, her willpower held We made it to the corner of the house We found the white Lexus By the ti up Contour Drive, ere a block away, a colu behind us frodom

Chapter 19

HERNANDEZ AND MAIA WERE WAITING on the shoulder of Mission Road

Hernandez sat on the hood of Maia’s car He was ier in his eyes--just a chill, dangerous calm

Maia stood two feet in front of him She wore her black wool pantsuit, a Band-Aid on the cut under her eye Hernandez and she ht have been mistaken for a rich couple, broken down on the side of the road on their way houn on Hernandez, but thatthere if she saw any chance of overpowering him

"Plan?" Ralph asked me

My throat felt raw Neither of us was ar firear with a killer, in a place where he had killed before

"It’s you he wants," I told Ralph "Stay in the car Let me talk to him"

"He’ll kill Maia"