Stephen King

"An unspeakable crime. A confounding investigation. At a time when the King brand has never been stronger, he has delivered one of his most unsettling and compulsively readable stories. An eleven-year-old boy's violated corpse is found in a town park. Eyewitnesses and fingerprints point unmistakably to one of Flint City's most popular citizens. He is Terry Maitland, Little League coach, English teacher, husband, and father of two girls. Detective Ralph Anderson, whose son Maitland once coached, orders a quick and very public arrest. Maitland has an alibi, but Anderson and the district attorney soon add DNA evidence to go with the fingerprints and witnesses. Their case seems ironclad. As the investigation expands and horrifying answers begin to emerge, King's propulsive story kicks into high gear, generating strong tension and almost unbearable suspense. Terry Maitland seems like a nice guy, but is he wearing another face? When the answer comes, it will shock you as only Stephen King can."--

An eleven-year-old boy's violated corpse is found in a town park. Eyewitnesses and fingerprints point unmistakably to one of Flint City's most popular citizens:  Terry Maitland, Little League coach, English teacher, husband, and father of two girls. Detective Ralph Anderson orders a quick and very public arrest. The case seems ironclad, especially when Anderson and the district attorney are able to add DNA evidence to go with the fingerprints and witnesses. But Maitland has an alibi, and it turns out his story has incontrovertible evidence of its own. How can two opposing stories be true? -- adapted from publisher info

The outsider

Erika Kodama

I woke you up, she said. You didn't. Come in. She hesitated, then stepped into the room and sat in the single chair lil W: while he put on his pants. 

Holly exhaled and stood up, hair windblown, suit coat hanging down on one side, shirt untucked. Ralph thought she looked both adorable and horribly fragile. 

 I had bad dreams after Brady Hartsfield, too. Both times: She touched his hand very lightly, then drew her fingers back. There were a lot at first, but fewer as time passed.

'Goodbye, Ralph. Goodbye! He paused and added, I love you, Holly but not until he ended the call. It was the way he always did it, knowing if he actually said it to

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