PROLOGUE
Shawna Harding jogged along the trail leading through the forest, making sure to check behind her before she ran into the woods. Living with a vague, but distinct, level of threat had become normal in the past two weeks. She and her school friends hadn’t stopped talking about the girl who’d disappeared a fortnight ago.
They were all feeling scared and unsure, as day after day went by without any news.
Emily Hobbs had always taken the jogging trail that led past the lake. In the past, Shawna had seen her out jogging a few times.
That was why Shawna had changed her route and was now running a different way. Just in case Emily had been grabbed by someone while out on that trail.
As she jogged, enjoying the warmth of the early summer afternoon, she thought about the missing girl. It was possible Emily had run away, but it wasn’t likely. Why would she? She was in Shawna’s class at Chestnut Hill High, and they had some friends in common. Emily was a popular girl, on three sports teams, and she had been first princess in the local beauty pageant last year. You didn’t want to get on her wrong side, though. She wasn’t a bully, exactly. She just didn’t put up with weakness, which Shawna respected and admired. She also knew that to be successful in life, you had to stand your ground.
Shawna, too, aimed to be a success. She was usually in the top ten in terms of grades. She was captain of the debating team, and on a few sport teams. Her parents were on the school board. Shawna knew her father always said that school prepared you for life, and you had to get used to fighting for what you deserved. There was no point in being a nobody, and sometimes being hard on people was the best way. People needed to be tough in life. That was the take-home message that Shawna had learned from her dad.
But being among a popular group and academically successful brought pressure with it. Shawna couldn’t help feeling constantly stressed that she wasn’t good enough, wasn’t well liked enough.
Deep down, Shawna wondered if Emily felt the same. Was she different from the tough, assured person she seemed to be? Running away sometimes occurred to Shawna, even though she always scornfully pushed the thought aside when she realized how weak it made her seem.
No, Emily was not that person. She would not have copped out. Running away was a cop-out. That was what Shawna’s dad said. Someone so successful wouldn’t have done such a thing, would they? Not when her path was already set. Everyone knew Emily was going to be a top criminal lawyer one day, like her mother would have been if she hadn’t moved to this small town.
Weirdly, Shawna felt as if her life was also already mapped for her, as if it was set out in a route she had to follow, and there could be no major deviations from this route.
It was comforting in a way. But in another way it made her feel trapped. As if she was not in control of her future, and was just following a path others had chosen.
At least out here, jogging, she could choose her own path. Although even that was now restricted, because of Emily. What had happened to her? Shawna wondered. She’d been seen at school, and then she’d vanished. And she did like to run the trails in the afternoons.
At that moment, Shawna heard a voice from behind her.
“Come here, my lovely. Come here.”
It was a man’s voice, and it was spoken in a weird, cooing tone.
In fact, Shawna’s first thought was that this guy was calling his dog back to him. That was what it sounded like. Like calling to a pet.
She glanced around.
But then a shiver went through her as she saw there was no pet in sight. Just a man, standing about twenty yards behind her. He was dressed in running gear. And he was looking directly at her. Calling to her.
In fact, as she turned, he made this clear.
“Yes, honey. I’m speaking to you. Will you come to me just for a moment?”
Shawna didn’t reply. She wasn’t going to engage with some creepy guy. Tossing her head scornfully, she turned and increased her pace, and then she heard the man shout.
“Wait, my lovely. I just want to talk to you. I’m not going to hurt you.”
She glanced back. He was still there, about twenty yards behind her, but he was starting to jog toward her now.
Shawna felt a chill of fear.
Obviously, this guy was not a psycho kidnapper. He didn’t look like one. But he didn’t look normal, either. She was wary of strangers right now and there was something very creepy about him.
The best thing she could do was run. As far as possible, and as fast as she could, away from him.
She turned, her heart hammering surprisingly fast.
But this guy was also a runner, it seemed. He was keeping pace with her, and she heard him calling again in that weird, wheedling tone. “No need to be afraid, my sweet. I’m just going to talk to you.”
What should she do? Shawna felt uncertain, an emotion she wasn’t used to. She should stop and threaten him, take his picture on her phone. But the problem was that if she did that, he would catch up with her, and she didn’t like the thought of what might happen next. It wouldn’t be a good idea. She sensed that very strongly.