Don't Make a Sound (Sawyer Brooks #1)(84)
PSYCHO: Amen.
BUG: I read that the police were able to restore Brad’s videos, revealing images that the mayor of Sacramento is calling some of the most disturbing footage he’s ever witnessed.
LILY: Correct. And the best part, drumroll, please: one hour ago, Brad was leaving the hospital when authorities cuffed him and put him in the back seat of a police vehicle. The reporter said he would be taken straight to jail, no passing “Go.”
BUG: Yes! And hundreds of men and women had gathered at the hospital and were there to greet him with picket signs, letting him know they were standing with Bug and Psycho and against him and his waiter friend, sending a clear message to every predator out there who thought they could use and abuse and get away with it.
PSYCHO: Nice.
LILY: If it weren’t for his ridiculous pleas to social media for justice, I don’t know if things would have turned out so well.
CLEO: Hallelujah.
BUG: Not to piss on this party or anything, but I’d like to remind everyone that my reunion is coming up fast. Who’s in?
PSYCHO: I’ll be there.
CLEO: Let’s start planning.
LILY: I’m ready to go.
Harper placed her hands on her belly. Boy or girl? she wondered. She thought of Nate and Lennon and Ella. It made her stomach queasy to think about what might happen if she were ever caught. Would Nate forgive her? The children had grown up in a bubble of love. How could they possibly understand? Sawyer was moving out, so she wouldn’t be a problem, but what about Aria? She had eyes in the back of her head. Since returning from River Rock, Aria hadn’t said a word about her comings and goings while Nate was gone. Neither had she commented on the book Harper had told her she was writing. Maybe Aria was so relieved and happy to have all three of them back in Sacramento she’d decided to let it go?
Or maybe she was watching her every move.
Dennis Brooks might be dead, Harper thought, but what he’d done to her would live inside her forever. Someday soon she hoped to practice what she preached and let it all go. But today wasn’t that day. Harper reached for the keyboard and typed her answer.
MALICE: Count me in.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
My writing journey has been a long one. So many late nights, tears, and rejections, leaving me to wonder at times if my dream was too big. But determination, perseverance, and endless hours alone, clacking away at the keyboard, paid off in the end. As often happens in life, the struggles only served to make me stronger and more determined than ever to get my books out there in the world.
Don’t Make a Sound is my fourteenth thriller with Thomas & Mercer. I am grateful for all the editors, past and present, whom I’ve had the good fortune to work with. After working with Liz Pearsons for three years, we finally met in person. Thank you, Liz, for all you do! I’m grateful to have you on my side. I’m also super lucky to again have had the chance to work with Charlotte Herscher. I don’t know if I’ve ever met anyone who works harder. She knows more than most about characterization and plot and what makes a decent thriller. I think she’s brilliant. Thank you to my agent, Amy Tannenbaum, for your knowledge and for being my sounding board for quite a while now. You might have the toughest job of them all. Cheers to Sarah Shaw for her never-ending enthusiasm. I’m also grateful for amazing copyeditor Karen B. Many thanks to super-helpful Sacramento detective Brian McDougle. He’s always ready and willing to answer all my questions. My newest heroine is a journalist, and I must mention Bryan Gruley, an awesome thriller author, who has offered his forty years of journalism experience to help me out. All journalistic errors are his! Just kidding. I asked him one question, and he said, “No. Don’t do that.” If I’d had more time, I would have spent hours picking his brain. Next time!
No acknowledgment is complete without mentioning my sister, Cathy Katz. She’s been reading my work and offering endless support and inspiration from day one. She is the female version of George Bailey on It’s a Wonderful Life. Without her, the whole world would be less sunny and bright. My youngest daughter, Brittany Ragan, graphic designer and first reader, is the gift that just keeps giving. She’s a natural at telling me which parts of my book suck and need to be fixed immediately. Thank you, Brittany! Thank you also to Morgan Ragan for being my social media expert and so much more! And to Joe Ragan, my husband of nearly thirty-three years, I give my appreciation, thanks, and much love for always being available to brainstorm and figure out how to get my characters and me out of a pickle.
To my readers, thank you for the thoughtful emails and kind reviews. Many of you have been reading my books since Lizzy Gardner and friends first made an appearance. I hope to continue to entertain you for years to come!