Chapter One

October 23, 1983

It’s getting late and Mum and Dad aren’t back yet. They said they’d be home before dark. So where are they?

I should be happy. Even though I’m fourteen, I’ve never been allowed to stay alone for more than a few hours, and tonight I’ve got the whole house to myself. I can blast my music, watch whatever I want on TV, raid the refrigerator. But something doesn’t feel right.

This isn’t like Mum. She’s the kind of mother who’ll call and tell me the car has broken down or she’s caught up talking to someone, or that she and Dad have stopped for something to eat. She’s the kind of mother who worries too much and calls too often.

Maybe I misunderstood. Maybe they said they’d be late?

No, I remember Mum walking over to me on the sofa at lunchtime, kissing me and saying they’d definitely be home before dark.

They were going to visit Nanny’s grave in the country, dropping my little brother, Trent, off at Evelyn’s house on the way.

So where are they? It’s seven o’clock already.

I’ll call Evelyn. She’s Mum’s best friend. “Hi, it’s Erin. Have Mum and Dad come to pick up Trent?”

“Not yet. So I get some extra time with him. He’s so sweet!”

“Good,” I say, distracted. “Um, Evelyn? I’m worried.”

But Evelyn tells me not to be. “They probably just got held up, Erin. I’ll have them call you as soon as they get here.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

I hang up. Maybe I am overreacting. Mum says I’