sometime after 2 a.m.
15
“I need to talk,” Laura said, sobbing, the words barely audible.
16
“I’m sorry, but I had your number. I didn’t . . . know who to call.”
17
Diane rushed over to Laura’s apartment, where she dumped 18
out half-empty bottles of vodka, then listened as Laura talked.
19
For hours, the words poured out in a self-lacerating stream. Laura 20
seemed to assume that Diane knew who she was. Either that or, 21
because of the booze, she wasn’t thinking clearly.
22
“I loved him so much,” Laura said, weeping. “And even 23
with . . . everything that’s happened, I still do. Love him. I can’t 24
believe I’ve done this. I’ve killed the man I love.”
25
“You didn’t kill him, Laura. You had to tell the truth.” She said 26
the words mechanically, patting Laura’s shoulder. One part of her 27
present, comforting, another part taking notes. Her mind was al-28
ready on overdrive, thinking about the book.
29
More than ten years later, she was slightly appalled by the am-30
bitious young woman she’d been. Appalled but also grateful. While 31
all her later books had been bestsellers, her first had been a smash.
32
Eight years after its initial publication, The Vanishing Man was 33
still in print, having sold millions of copies in twenty-three lan-34
guages.
S 35
R 36
4 1
2nd PASS PAGES
13713_01_i-vi_001-344_r4jn.qxd 4/21/03 8:03 AM Page 42
A M Y G U T M A N
1
Diane had emerged from the woods and was back on Harbor 2
Road. She ran past a timeworn wooden barn caving in on itself.
3
She was thinking about what to make for dinner; she didn’t have 4
much at the house. Maybe pasta with red sauce, something sim-5
ple and quick. Then she’d go back to work until it was time for 6
bed. If she could keep up today’s momentum, she might even 7
meet her deadline. Today was, what? April 6. She had almost two 8
months left. If she could just —
9
Happy Anniversary, Diane. I haven’t forgotten you.
10
A thought ricocheted through Diane’s mind, the present and 11
past colliding. She glanced at the date on her Cartier watch. To-12
day was April 6. If the letter came yesterday, as Kaylie said, that 13
meant it had arrived on April 5. It was a date that stuck in her 14
mind, a date she’d never forget. Odd how she’d been thinking of 15
him just before she made the connection. As if her subconscious, 16
leaping ahead, had already found the link.
17
April 5, five years ago.
18
The date of Steven Gage’s execution.
19
h
20
21
That night, Callie was relieved to find that Anna was in good 22
spirits. Between two helpings of roast chicken, she chattered 23
about Harry Potter, seeming to have entirely forgotten their 24
breakfast confrontation.
25
“Mommy, don’t you think Henry looks sort of like Harry Potter?”
26
“Yeah, I think he does.”
27
“Except he’s not a wizard.”
28
“You never know, Anna.”
29
“Mommy, if you went to Hogwarts, what house would you 30
want to be in? If you couldn’t be in Gryffindor?”
31
“But I want to be in Gryffindor,” Callie said playfully. That was 32
Harry’s house.
33
“But . . . you can’t. So which one?”
34
“Well . . .” Callie made a show of serious consideration. “I 35 S
wouldn’t want to be in Slytherin, of course.”
36 R
Anna looked approving.
4 2
2nd PASS PAGES
13713_01_i-vi_001-344_r4jn.qxd 4/21/03 8:03 AM Page 43
T H E A N N I V E R S A R Y
“Maybe Ravenclaw. Isn’t that Cho’s house?”
1
“Uh-huh.”
2
“I could be friends with her.”
3
It was one of the nicest evenings they’d had in quite a while.
4
Not until she’d tucked Anna into bed did Callie realize how 5
tired she was. Lately, she’d had to put in overtime at the Wind-6
ham alumni office. The Fifth Reunion directory was overdue at 7
the printer’s, and with Debbie Slater on maternity leave, it was 8
just her and Martha. The student intern they’d managed to
15
“I need to talk,” Laura said, sobbing, the words barely audible.
16
“I’m sorry, but I had your number. I didn’t . . . know who to call.”
17
Diane rushed over to Laura’s apartment, where she dumped 18
out half-empty bottles of vodka, then listened as Laura talked.
19
For hours, the words poured out in a self-lacerating stream. Laura 20
seemed to assume that Diane knew who she was. Either that or, 21
because of the booze, she wasn’t thinking clearly.
22
“I loved him so much,” Laura said, weeping. “And even 23
with . . . everything that’s happened, I still do. Love him. I can’t 24
believe I’ve done this. I’ve killed the man I love.”
25
“You didn’t kill him, Laura. You had to tell the truth.” She said 26
the words mechanically, patting Laura’s shoulder. One part of her 27
present, comforting, another part taking notes. Her mind was al-28
ready on overdrive, thinking about the book.
29
More than ten years later, she was slightly appalled by the am-30
bitious young woman she’d been. Appalled but also grateful. While 31
all her later books had been bestsellers, her first had been a smash.
32
Eight years after its initial publication, The Vanishing Man was 33
still in print, having sold millions of copies in twenty-three lan-34
guages.
S 35
R 36
4 1
2nd PASS PAGES
13713_01_i-vi_001-344_r4jn.qxd 4/21/03 8:03 AM Page 42
A M Y G U T M A N
1
Diane had emerged from the woods and was back on Harbor 2
Road. She ran past a timeworn wooden barn caving in on itself.
3
She was thinking about what to make for dinner; she didn’t have 4
much at the house. Maybe pasta with red sauce, something sim-5
ple and quick. Then she’d go back to work until it was time for 6
bed. If she could keep up today’s momentum, she might even 7
meet her deadline. Today was, what? April 6. She had almost two 8
months left. If she could just —
9
Happy Anniversary, Diane. I haven’t forgotten you.
10
A thought ricocheted through Diane’s mind, the present and 11
past colliding. She glanced at the date on her Cartier watch. To-12
day was April 6. If the letter came yesterday, as Kaylie said, that 13
meant it had arrived on April 5. It was a date that stuck in her 14
mind, a date she’d never forget. Odd how she’d been thinking of 15
him just before she made the connection. As if her subconscious, 16
leaping ahead, had already found the link.
17
April 5, five years ago.
18
The date of Steven Gage’s execution.
19
h
20
21
That night, Callie was relieved to find that Anna was in good 22
spirits. Between two helpings of roast chicken, she chattered 23
about Harry Potter, seeming to have entirely forgotten their 24
breakfast confrontation.
25
“Mommy, don’t you think Henry looks sort of like Harry Potter?”
26
“Yeah, I think he does.”
27
“Except he’s not a wizard.”
28
“You never know, Anna.”
29
“Mommy, if you went to Hogwarts, what house would you 30
want to be in? If you couldn’t be in Gryffindor?”
31
“But I want to be in Gryffindor,” Callie said playfully. That was 32
Harry’s house.
33
“But . . . you can’t. So which one?”
34
“Well . . .” Callie made a show of serious consideration. “I 35 S
wouldn’t want to be in Slytherin, of course.”
36 R
Anna looked approving.
4 2
2nd PASS PAGES
13713_01_i-vi_001-344_r4jn.qxd 4/21/03 8:03 AM Page 43
T H E A N N I V E R S A R Y
“Maybe Ravenclaw. Isn’t that Cho’s house?”
1
“Uh-huh.”
2
“I could be friends with her.”
3
It was one of the nicest evenings they’d had in quite a while.
4
Not until she’d tucked Anna into bed did Callie realize how 5
tired she was. Lately, she’d had to put in overtime at the Wind-6
ham alumni office. The Fifth Reunion directory was overdue at 7
the printer’s, and with Debbie Slater on maternity leave, it was 8
just her and Martha. The student intern they’d managed to
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