Page 18 of The First Hunt (The Final Hunt)
HOLLY
Applause filled the packed downtown bookstore as Holly closed the hardcover copy of her newest true crime release, Behind Closed Doors.
“Thank you,” Holly said into the microphone before stepping aside to allow her publicist, Laurie, to take her place behind the podium. “Thank you so much.”
Holly worked to stifle the yawn that threatened to emerge.
Thanks to Laurie, Holly’s life for the last three weeks had become an endless parade of readings, interviews, and book signings.
Her books would be nothing without her readers—and Holly was grateful for each one of them—but she’d forgotten how energy-zapping these kinds of events were for her.
And this was her biggest book tour so far.
In the last four years, four of her books had been published, each hitting the New York Times ’ Bestseller List. As every advance grew larger, her publisher expected Holly to do more promotion.
It was a balancing act, trying to keep up with her writing deadlines and the demands that came with her success.
Over the last few weeks, she’d fallen behind on the new true crime novel she was writing.
Yesterday, she’d broken down and asked her publisher for an extension—something she’d never done before and hoped she would never have to do again.
“Holly, I think I speak for everyone when I say that was an incredibly moving reading.” A second round of clapping erupted from the crowd gathered inside the main floor of Pike Street Bookstore.
Holly blushed, smiling as her gaze fell across the tightly filled room.
Sometimes, she felt like pinching herself.
Was this really her life? She was in a crowded room full of strangers who’d come to hear her read words from her own book that was being made into a TV series.
A lump formed in her throat as she scanned the strangers’ faces, wishing her sister could be here.
Despite Holly’s success as a true crime author, she was no closer to finding out who had killed Meg.
Laurie paused, waiting for the applause to dissipate before adding, “Holly will now be signing copies at the table near the back of the store. We’ve got quite a large crowd here today, so we ask that you have your cameras ready if you’d like to take a photo with Miss Sparks and be mindful of allowing time for those in line behind you. ”
Holly moved through the aisles to the back of the store, thinking again of the message her mom had left on her answering machine that morning.
The last time her mom had stayed with her was when she got home from the hospital after Jared’s attack, when her mom had been terrified of losing her only living daughter.
But after Holly recovered, her mom had gone back to Spokane and continued their old relationship, making up excuses why she couldn’t visit.
This time it was that Holly’s stepdad didn’t like to be alone, so she couldn’t make the signing.
It was always something. But Holly knew the real reason was there were too many painful reminders of Meg in Seattle for her mom.
Holly was still moving toward the signing table when a tall man striding toward her caught her eye. His white hair was in sharp contrast to his black trench coat, shoulders beaded with raindrops that still pattered against the bookstore’s roof.
“Andy.” Her mouth lifted into a smile. When he got closer, she greeted him with a warm hug.
It had been over a year since she’d last seen him, though she called him periodically with questions related to her true crime writing and to find out if there were any breaks in Meg’s case, which, sadly, there never were.
“Thank you for coming. You didn’t have to.
” She shook her head. “I know how busy you are.”
A shadow crossed Andy’s face, replacing his easy grin with something heavier. “Actually, I came to tell you something. I thought it should be in person.”
The room around her seemed to freeze, like a VHS tape on pause.
She searched his blue eyes. Andy still served on the Green River Task Force, although the team was smaller than it used to be now that the GRK’s killings were much less frequent.
Had they finally caught the Green River Killer? Meg’s killer?
Holly had never convinced Andy that Meg was a Green River Killer victim.
Like Jared, Andy clung to the belief that Meg had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time—another casualty of random, brutal violence.
Holly disagreed. While she hadn’t ruled out the Green River Killer as her sister’s murderer, she suspected another predator was out there, and Meg could be one of his victims. Frustratingly, Andy didn’t buy that theory either.
Laurie grabbed Holly’s elbow, her French-manicured nails glinting in the fluorescent light. “You’ve already got a huge line at your signing table.”
“Just a second,” Holly said, keeping her eyes on Andy. “What is it?”
Laurie cast a worried glance over her shoulder. “The crowd’s getting antsy.”
Holly lifted a finger to her publicist. “I’ll be there soon. Just give me a few minutes.”
Laurie pursed her lips, shooting Andy an annoyed glance before leaving them alone.
“It’s Jared.”
The floor swayed beneath Holly’s feet.
Andy watched her publicist walk away before turning back to Holly. “The parole board approved his early release.”
The room seemed to drop in temperature, an invisible chill sweeping through the air.
“We’re ready for you, Holly,” Laurie called from the back of the room, annoyance permeating her voice.
Holly kept her eyes on Andy, mentally reliving the moment in the courtroom when she pointed to Jared as her attacker, the man who’d tried to choke her to death.
From the pure hatred that seeped through his eyes as he stared back at her from behind the defendant’s desk, there was no doubt in Holly’s mind he wished he’d finished the job.
Laurie’s voice sounded again from the rear of the store. “Maybe it will help if we all call Holly’s name together. Ready everyone?”
Holly swallowed, ignoring the chant of her name from the growing line readers that wrapped around the bookstore. Holly. Holly. Holly.
“When does he get out?” she asked.
“He already is. He got out yesterday.”