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Cedar Creek, Nevada

Tuesday, July 4, 1995 The Day Of . . .

ANNABELLE LIFTED THE NIKON FM10 AND SQUINTED THROUGH THE viewfinder. She twisted the lens to bring Charlotte into focus and snapped off three photos in quick succession as her daughter lay on the blanket. Folks walked past on the sidewalk behind her and smiled while they pointed at Charlotte, who was dressed in an adorable Fourth of July outfit complete with a red-white-and-blue bonnet.

“How adorable,” one woman commented on the way by.

“Thank you,” Annabelle said, forcing a smile and trying to look as natural as possible. Inside, though, she was terrified.

Since Preston had told her what he’d found at the firm on Sunday night, and what Sheriff Stamos had discovered about Baker Jauncey’s death, Annabelle had been a nervous wreck. Preston’s plan—to act as normal as possible and get through the Fourth of July and the Cedar Creek Gala without tipping anyone off about their impending escape from Cedar Creek—had her both giddy with excitement and paranoid at the same time. She wanted nothing more than to get away from this crazy town that Preston’s family controlled, but she knew it wouldn’t be as easy as packing up and leaving. There would be repercussions for Preston attempting to lead a quiet life far removed from the Margolis political machine. But that was a long-term problem they’d deal with at some point. For their immediate plan to work, they needed to make their getaway under the cover of darkness. With July Fourth falling on a Tuesday, and the Margolis Margolis offices closed for the week, there was no better time to skip town. It would be days before anyone knew they were gone. Preston wasn’t due back at the office until the following Monday, and by then most of their plan would not only be set in place, but well under way.

Annabelle looked around. Sailboats cut through the creek and a band played Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” from a stage behind her. Annabelle continued to take photos of Charlotte and the gala. She ran through a roll of film and loaded another into her camera. She hoped the ruse was fooling anyone who might be watching her. The plan was for Annabelle and Charlotte to stay at the gala and make their presence known while Preston slipped away to pack their things at the house. She wondered what was taking him so long.

She spotted Stella Connelly walking her way. Annabelle turned quickly, grabbed the handle of the stroller, and pushed Charlotte in the opposite direction. Narrowly avoiding a run-in with Preston’s ex, she took a deep breath to calm her nerves, and then reminded herself that they were leaving tonight. Annabelle hoped they would never look back.