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She couldn't help s at that Little Mermaid was this week's favorite movie That meant they watched it every day if they could

The front door banged open and Marah was houess what happened to me today"

Johnny put down his paper "What?"

"Christopher, Jenny, Josh, and I are going to the Tacoma Dome to see Nine Inch Nails Can you believe it? Josh asked me"

Kate took a deep breath She'd learned to react sloith Marah

"A concert, huh?" Johnny said "Who are these kids? How old are they?"

"Josh and Chris are juniors And don't worry, we'll wear our seat belts"

"When is the concert?" he asked

"Tuesday"

"On a school night? You think you're going on a date, with a junior, to a concert, on a school night" Kate looked at Johnny "That's wrong on so many levels"

"When does it start?" Johnny asked

"Nine We should be home by two o'clock"

Kate couldn't help herself: she laughed She had no idea how her husband could stay so reasonable "Should be ho, Marah You're fourteen years old"

"Jenny's fourteen and she gets to go Daddy?" Marah turned to Johnny "You have to let ," he said "Sorry"

"I'ets to do stuff like this except me"

Kate's heart went out to Marah She rerow up, how sharp that need could be in a girl "I know you think we're too strict, Marah, but sometimes life--"

"Oh, please Not another lame life-is speech" With a snort, she ran upstairs and slammed her bedroom door shut

Kate felt a wave of exhaustion so profound she allad I came downstairs"

Johnny smiled It came easily, too Hoas it that he could do the sae to co with her is always impeccable" He stood up, kissed her "I love you," he said simply

She kneas meant to be a Band-Aid, those words, and she appreciated it

"I'll goto her Give her some time to cool down"

He sat back down, returned to his paper "Call Jenny's mom and tell her she's an idiot"

"I'll leave that to you" She went into the kitchen and started dinner For aletables for stir-fry, andMarah's favorite teriyaki marinade At six o'clock, she tossed the salad, put the biscuits in the oven, and set the table Usually that was Marah's job, setting the table, but there was no point in asking for help tonight

"Okay," she said, co room, where Johnny was sprawled on the floor with his boys, building so in"

Johnny looked up "The Kevlar vest is in the coat closet"

In the cohter, Kate went upstairs At the closed door to her daughter's roo herself, then knocked

There was no answer

"Marah?" she said after a moment "I know you're upset, but we need to talk about this"

She waited, knocked again, and opened the door

In the jumble of clothes and books and

An empty room

With an open

Just to be sure, she checked everywhere--in the closet, under the bed, behind the chair She checked the bathroom, too, and the boys' room and even her own By the ti so fast she felt light-headed At the top of the stairs, she held onto the banister for support "She's gone," she said, hearing the crack in her voice

Johnny looked up "Huh?"

"She's gone I think she climbed out herand went down the trellis"

He was on his feet in a second "Son of a bitch"

He ran outside Kate followed

They stood beneath her bedrooht had broken the white wooden trellis and ripped through the ivy "Son of a bitch," Johnny said again "We need to start calling everyone she knows"

Even on a cold night like this, Tully loved being on the deck of her condo It was a big, stone-tiled space that had been designed to replicate an Italian villa's terrace Big, leafy trees grew fro with tiny white lights

She went to the railing and stared out Frorind of the city far below and smell the salty air of the Sound In the distance, beyond the expanse of gray water, she could see the forested outline of Bainbridge Island

What were the Ryans doing tonight? she wondered Were they gathered around that big old-fashioned trestle table of theirs, playing board gaether, talking about boys Or ether to kiss--

The phone rang in her apart about Kate's family only h the open pocket doors and closed them behind her, then answered the phone "Hello?"

"Tully?" It was Johnny His voice was tight, unfamiliar

She was immediately worried "What is it?"

"Marah ran away We don't knohen exactly, probably about an hour and fifteen o Have you heard from her?"