Eleanor ground her teeth and refused to smile, but she kept her mouth shut as her father told reporters outrageous lies about what had happened to Sam Greeley.

This was what she’d agreed to so that her dad would intervene in time to keep Wilson from killing Sam—her silent presence at his press conference about the event.

Eleanor had carefully not promised to stay silent at any other time, but she doubted she’d have much chance to talk to anyone. Her parents, in a belated response to the assault on Mandy, had signed their whole family up for a week of isolation and mental health care. As soon as this press conference ended, no one but therapists (who couldn’t legally repeat anything they heard) would hear from either Mackey girl for a week.

Her parents were suggestin...

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