“If I can, I will.”
“Thank you for your time, Detective.”
Lucas cut off the call and said, “One accidental death six and a half years ago spiraled out of control, resulting in the deaths of three other people—and the attempted murder of three more. Why? Why did Rachel Wagner go to these lengths to protect her reputation? How did she manipulate people into helping her? Those are answers I don’t have. On Friday, I’ll be interviewing Professor Henry Clarkson of the Criminology and Criminal Justice Department and Dr. Edith Vlansky, a forensic psychiatrist and honorary professor here at NAU. Maybe between them, we’ll find answers.
“But even if we have answers as to why, that doesn’t discount the lives lost. We have answers, and we might have justice, even though Rachel Wagner was killed and families won’t be able to face her in court. But do we have closure?
“I don’t know. What is closure, anyway? People we care about are still gone. Justice may be served, but justice doesn’t fill the hole in the hearts of those who loved Candace and Adele.
“The Swain family and the Overton family know what happened to their daughters, but they may not be at peace. Yet, this is all that we can do. Sometimes, it has to be enough.”
Lucas caught Lizzy’s eye. She nodded to him, and he nodded back. “I’m going to end with one final thought. In her journal, Candace quoted Martin Luther King Jr. He said, ‘It’s always the right time to do the right thing.’ Candace died by that motto, but she didn’t die in vain.”
Acknowledgments
Sixteen years ago, my first book was released into the world. Now, forty books later, I feel so blessed that I can continue to do what I love—write stories that entertain.
My early books I wrote without much thought about research—largely because when I asked questions, people would look at me oddly （i.e., How can I disable a car? What poison will immobilize a person but not kill them?） Everything I learned then I learned from books.
Over time, I’ve been lucky to find people who can answer questions and don’t think I’m plotting a real-life murder. It started with friends and neighbors, and now I’m comfortable reaching out to people I don’t know. I still do most of my research by reading, such as the history of Flagstaff, a memoir about growing up on the Navajo reservation, and my well-used Writer’s Digest Book of Poisons. But I still had questions that couldn’t be found in a book or on the internet.
So a special shout-out to Dr. Luis Fernandez, the chair of the Criminology and Criminal Justice Department at Northern Arizona University. He answered numerous questions about their program, the capstone project all seniors are required to complete and general questions about the university. I’m sure I got some things wrong, and I took a few liberties for story purposes, but his information was invaluable in helping me create a plausible background for my character Lucas Vega.
I also reached out to the NAU Police Department, and Officer Tanner Carson, community relations officer, was gracious enough to answer questions about security, how they approach missing-persons cases and the general role of campus police. Again, some liberties needed to be taken, but I tried to get the details right!
Finally, fellow author Martin Roy Hill bailed me out for some much-needed medical information that I needed immediately. I can’t tell you how grateful I am to him and other experts at the Crime Scene Writers loop. They are always there to help me not look bad. Thank you!
The writer’s life is often solitary, but there are many people involved in bringing a book to publication. First is my agent, Dan Conaway, who has guided me for coming on twelve years （I don’t think he even knows we’ve been together that long!）。 He’s been a rock and much-needed sounding board. Dan’s superorganized assistant, Lauren Carsley, has made the administrative end of my business seamless, even when she had no office to go into. She’s a saint!
The team at MIRA is fabulous. My covers have been among my favorite in my career, the editing has been stellar, and their enthusiasm for my stories keeps me well-motivated! Kathy Sagan is an editor who loves editing, which helps me craft the best book I can write. I cannot underscore enough the need for an author to have a good editor. It makes all the difference in the world. Nicole Brebner and Margaret Marbury steer the ship with insight and big-picture guidance. The entire design, sales, and marketing teams are amazing, but a special shout-out to Justine Sha, who keeps me up to date on reviews, social media activities, book signings, and more. If she doesn’t have an answer, she finds who does. She is enthusiastic and genuinely loves her job, which I can tell by her liberal use of exclamation points in her emails to me!