When I reach Beacon Street, I take out my phone and call my father.
“You can’t just abandon Mom,” I say.
“Muffin, I know you’re a problem solver, both by nature and by trade, but our marriage isn’t yours to fix.”
I think about trying to argue with him, but he’s right. Stepping into the lobby of my building, I run into my Realtor, who is at the reception desk with Manny.
She’s all smiles. “We got an offer.”
I look at Manny, who busies himself returning the spare key to a lockbox.
“Did they meet our asking price?” I say.
“They came in over asking.”
“When can they close?”
“It’s a cash deal,” she says. “They’re ready whenever you want to move out.”
“I’ll start packing in the morning.”
I go upstairs and look around my living room—at the midcentury modern furniture: a $15,000 cowhide Egg Chair; an $8,000 plum Pelican Chair; a $9,000 walnut-and-lacquer credenza. It all seems so ridiculous—stylish and smart, but ridiculous. In my bedroom, I open the door to my closet and survey the contents. Tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of Armani suits, Fendi bags, Prada shoes. Wherever I end up living, it’s unlikely that I’ll have space for all of this stuff.
I grab my tote, get in the car, and call Kevin.
“Do you have a guy at the Registry?” I say.
“What do you need?” he says.
“Change of address info for Tyson Clarke.”
Kevin doesn’t comment or probe.
“Give me three minutes,” he says.
Two minutes and fifty seconds later, he calls me with the information. I program Ty’s new address into my GPS and head up Beacon Street. It’s late, but Kenmore Square is teeming with college students, entering and exiting the bars. They look carefree and happy. I can never quite imagine how that must feel.
I locate Ty’s new apartment building, a triple-decker, and circle the block until I find a parking space. Standing on his front porch, I worry about what to say and how he’ll react when he sees me. I hope he’s here and that he’s alone.
I press on his buzzer, wait a minute, and buzz again. There’s no sign of anyone. As I consider whether or not to leave, I hear footsteps, and the doorknob turns.
Ty opens the door. My heart sinks as he gives me a blank stare.
“I miss you,” I say.
“I miss you, too.”
Ty takes my hand and leads me upstairs. I survey the living room: the wallpaper is faded, the furniture is shabby, the rooms are cramped, and there’s no place I’d rather be.
Acknowledgments
Victoria Skurnick, my fabulous agent at Levine Greenberg and Rostan, thank you for your insight and expertise. And thanks to everyone at Minotaur, especially the supremely talented Kelley Ragland and Hector DeJean.
Thanks to my generous community of writers in Boston, especially Bonnie Waltch, Lisa Borders, and my Grub Street classmates.
Joan Rater, Tony Phelan, Jenny Kane, Beth White, Chris White, Erin McDonough, and Alex René—thanks for your friendship, enthusiasm, and all-around awesomeness.
A shout-out to my former colleagues and friends in the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, the Boston Police Department, the Massachusetts Trial Court, the Attorney General’s Office, the Massachusetts State Police, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the FBI. Especially Ursula Knight, who has been so supportive and a constant sounding board.
Billy Bob Thornton, thanks for sharing your wisdom and for inspiring me to keep telling my stories.
And to my father, Henry Wechsler, and my brother, Peter Wechsler. I’m so grateful for your infinite supply of encouragement, confidence, and counsel.
Also by Pamela Wechsler
MISSION HILL
About the Author
Pamela Wechsler grew up in the Boston area and is a graduate of Tufts University and Boston University School of Law. After spending seventeen years as a criminal prosecutor at the local, state, and federal levels, she moved to Los Angeles to work as a legal consultant, writer, and producer for network television shows. Her credits include Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Law & Order: Trial by Jury, Conviction, Canterbury’s Law, Doubt, and Bull. She is the author of Mission Hill. You can sign up for email updates here.
Thank you for buying this
St. Martin’s Press ebook.
To receive special offers, bonus content,
and info on new releases and other great reads,
sign up for our newsletters.
Or visit us online at
us.macmillan.com/newslettersignup
For email updates on the author, click here.
Contents
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Chapter Forty-Seven
Chapter Forty-Eight
Chapter Forty-Nine
Chapter Fifty
Chapter Fifty-One
Chapter Fifty-Two
Chapter Fifty-Three
Chapter Fifty-Four
Chapter Fifty-Five
Chapter Fifty-Six
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Chapter Fifty-Eight
Chapter Fifty-Nine
Chapter Sixty
Chapter Sixty-One
Chapter Sixty-Two
Acknowledgments
Also by Pamela Wechsler
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
THE GRAVES. Copyright © 2017 by Pamela Wechsler. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.minotaurbooks.com
Cover design by David Baldeosingh Rotstein
Cover photographs: columns © Dreamstime;
woman © Arcangel Images; cityscape © Maglara/shutterstock.com
The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
ISBN 978-1-250-07788-2 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-4668-9022-0 (e-book)
e-ISBN 9781466890220
Our e-books may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension 5442, or by e-mail at MacmillanSpecialMarkets@macmillan.com.
First Edition: May 2017
<
center>
Pamela Wechsler, The Graves