The Ex(88)

She wanted him to connect enough dots to realize that all of this was his fault. She probably counted on the police to at least question her father, and calling me afterward was almost certainly part of the plan. Forcing Jack to accept help from the woman he’d always loved more than her mother was a nice chunk of the intended punishment. But my best guess is that she never expected him to be arrested, let alone convicted. She thought I’d save him. She pleaded with me to save him.

But four years later, Jack was still in prison, and he knew exactly why. I no longer thought of Jack on a regular basis, but he was in my calendar as an annual event. Every year, I would check.





Author’s Note


THE EX IS set in the real New York City, with very slight modifications. The football field is a larger, fictionalized version of the sports courts south of Pier 40, and Olivia and Melissa had a more classic college dorm than the actual student housing at Columbia University. Though every legal process in Jack’s case is authentic, some of the bumps along the way are not typical of the run-of-the-mill trial. Café Lissa isn’t real, but oh, how I wish it were.





Acknowledgments


Writing is a solitary exercise, but the completion of The Ex was a collective effort. My editor, Jennifer Barth, is a smart and loyal perfectionist with a careful eye and sharp instincts; she forces me to be a better writer. My agent, Philip Spitzer, remains my biggest champion. NYPD Lt. Lucas Miller, Nic Wolff, and Roy Simon generously allowed me to pick their very impressive brains for information.

I am endlessly grateful for the support I receive at the Spitzer Agency from Lukas Ortiz and Jennifer Woodason; at HarperCollins from Amy Baker, Erica Barmash, Jonathan Burnham, Heather Drucker, Michael Morrison, Katie O’Callaghan, Kathy Schneider, Leah Wasielewski, Erin Wicks, and Lydia Weaver; at Faber & Faber from Angus Cargill and Sophie Portas; and from Jody Hotchkiss.

I’d especially like to thank readers. Until a book is read, a story hasn’t really been told. Your imagination is what completes the process, so thank you for sharing it with me. Some of you have gone even further by telling friends about the books, serving as volunteer photographers and tour guides at book events, and acting as informal publicists, advisors, life coaches, and dog trainers in the online “Kitchen Cabinet” on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. I’m humbled and grateful for the support.

Finally, I don’t know how I’d stay (relatively) sane without the love, support, and patience of my family and friends. And hey you, Sean: Happy tenth anniversary.



About the Author


ALAFAIR BURKE is the New York Times bestselling author of ten previous novels, including the stand-alones Long Gone and If You Were Here, as well as the Ellie Hatcher series: All Day and a Night, Never Tell, 212, Angel’s Tip, and Dead Connection. She is also the coauthor of the New York Times bestselling Under Suspicion series with Mary Higgins Clark. A former prosecutor, she now teaches criminal law and lives in Manhattan.

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