What Have You Done(90)
Emotions overtook him, and Sean found himself running toward the fence as his brother waited, leaning on a cane, watching him come. He made it halfway across the yard, close enough to see his brother’s face under the baseball cap he was wearing, before three guards tackled him.
“Liam!” he screamed. “Liam, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry!”
One of the guards twisted Sean’s neck to roll him over onto his back and sprayed him with pepper spray until his entire face felt like it was on fire and he could no longer breathe. Sean turned his head, choking as the guard cuffed him and pulled him to his feet. Through watering eyes he could see the blurry image of his little brother dropping something to the ground, then turning and walking from the fence, limping back toward the woods and out of sight.
“I’m sorry!” He gagged. “Liam!”
“The next time I tell you to get in line, you get in the line!” the guard screamed as he dragged Sean toward the prison door.
At the fence they remained, blowing in the wind that had begun to pick up. They were the colors of the rainbow, perfect in shade and shape. They would remain there until someone from the maintenance crew came by to pick them up and discard them.
A bouquet of paper flowers.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I’ve been waiting a very long time to write an official acknowledgments page in a book that I’ve published. Still feels like a dream. Here goes…
First, to my agent, Curtis Russell of PS Literary Agency. You took a chance on an unsolicited manuscript in your slush pile, and here we are. Thank you for taking a leap with me. I won’t let you down.
To my editors, Megha Parekh and Don D’Auria. Megha, you went to bat for me and the book, and I will be forever grateful. You literally made my lifelong dream a reality. Here’s to the road ahead for both of us. Don, you helped me shape and shift this story into a relentless piece of suspense that keeps pushing the reader forward, which is all I ever wanted. Your insight and suggestions made this story so much better. Thank you for your guidance.
To Sarah Shaw, Gabrielle Guarnero, and the rest of the Thomas & Mercer team. Your enthusiasm for the book makes working with you guys an experience better than I could’ve imagined. Thank you for being my advocate out in the marketplace.
To Jennifer Sawyer Fisher of JSF Editorial. You were my first editor before I even had an agent. You helped shape the story and cut away a lot of the fat so it read with the pace and suspense that would attract an agent and publishing house. It worked. I can’t thank you enough.
To David Prockter, for opening the door to Heavy Metal magazine for me, and to David Boxenbaum, for allowing me to walk in.
To Vincenza Corcoran, licensed clinical social worker and professor at Fordham University. You helped me see the perspective of a serial killer and were instrumental in the dialogue Liam had with Dr. Cain about why killers might do the things they do. The fact that Dr. Cain sounds like she knows what she’s talking about has nothing to do with me and everything to do with you. Thank you.
To Chief Inspector Christopher Calabrese, Westchester County Police. I’ve known you since I was a kid when you worked with my father, and you’ve always been willing to help. I appreciate the insight you gave around some of the police procedures I was struggling with. Police families are an extension of blood families, and you’ve always been a good example of that.
To Chris Iervolino, who helped me with the technical scenes surrounding computer hacking, rainbow tables, blunt force, and more. I still have no idea what any of it means and want to emphasize that if I misrepresented what these systems or techniques do, that’s not Chris’s fault. That’s all me. Thanks, buddy.
To Martin Farrell (a.k.a. Dad), sergeant, retired, Pleasantville Police Department. Thank you for putting up with the random calls at all hours of the day and night to pick your brain about what a police officer would do or say in certain situations. You’re always spot-on and have helped make the dialogue in the book stronger as a result. I also appreciate you hanging up right away before I lose my thought, ha ha. You’re the best.
To my mother, Mary. There isn’t enough space here or words to properly describe what a positive influence you’ve had on my writing. We all grew up in a house full of books, and that rubs off in so many fantastic ways. For me, it was writing, and your encouragement never wavered. You’d sit at a typewriter and type out stories I wrote by hand in the sixth and seventh grade, and you’d be my beta reader in the years to come as I honed my skills. You always pushed me forward and never once dismissed my dream as a fantasy. I love you.
To my family, Mandy, Mark, Michelle, Pedro, Marie, Angelo, Sabrina, Maria, Mark P., Ray, and all of my nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts, and uncles. Thank you for your continued support and love. It means a lot.
And most importantly, to my wife, Cathy, to whom this book is dedicated, and my two daughters, Mackenzie and Jillian. Throughout the years there have been countless nights, endless weekends, and too many vacations where I was sitting alone in a room, writing stories without an agent, without a publisher, and with only a dream. Never once, not once, did you suggest I give it up and move on with my life. Not many people would tolerate my excuses of “I have to go write” when there was nothing to write for except hope. Your unwavering support and encouragement have made this long process an easier one to bear. I love you more than I can properly describe. My heart and my life are complete with you in them. I’m proud to be your husband and your father.