The Last Echo (25 page)

VIOLET STOOD AT THE CHAIN-LINK FENCING
outside the park, curling her fingers through it as she stared at the playground beyond. After a minute, she checked the time on her cell phone.

It was 2:53. She was seven minutes early.

She had no idea what to expect from this appointment. No idea why they weren’t meeting at his office, why he’d insisted they meet at the park down the street from the elementary school in Buckley . . . the same one she and Jay had brought her cousins to on a day that felt like it could have been a lifetime ago.

But it was Dr. Lee, and she figured it was just another form of alternative therapy he was trying out on her.

She sort of thought he might not want to see her anymore, since she’d formally announced she was quitting the team and all. It had been hard to tell Sara, but at least she’d made it easy on Violet. She’d understood, of course. It probably wasn’t the first time Sara had seen someone survive something traumatic and come out of it with a new perspective on life.

Gemma had been practically giddy about Violet’s decision, unable to hide her smug grin, and Violet had almost taken it back, had almost decided to stay just to wipe that triumphant look from Gemma’s face.

Of course, telling the others had been damn near impossible. Especially after everything Krystal had done for her.

Violet knew now how it had happened. Why it had taken so long for Krystal to find her.

He’d told her.
Caine
. Violet was almost certain it had been him . . . even though Krystal didn’t see them as corporeal, the ghosts. She couldn’t match his human form to his spirit one.

But Violet knew.

Krystal said he’d come to her that night, telling her where to find Violet. Telling her he didn’t want Violet to be left alone. Not his girl.

Those were the words he’d used:
his girl.

Violet still felt sick thinking about it. About him. She didn’t understand why he’d helped her, why he’d gone to Krystal to save her . . . especially after she’d killed him. But he had. For whatever reason, he’d sent help.

That made it even harder for Violet to quit them. But she’d done it. And here she was . . . free. Safe.

She stood across a grassy field from the playset, watching the kids take turns on the swings, on the slide, on the monkey bars. The unearthly backdrop of the music box seemed somehow more eerie here, while children dug in the sandbox. She watched as a wispy-haired blonde girl scurried up a wooden ladder.

Violet strained, trying to get a better look, almost sure it was little Cassidy . . . her cousin.

She looked around for her aunt Kat just as a voice interrupted her. “Adorable, aren’t they?”

It was Dr. Lee, and Violet turned to see him approach. She frowned. This wasn’t the Dr. Lee she knew.

Instead of his pressed jeans and cardigan, Dr. Lee wore a simple black suit over a fitted black turtleneck. The jacket was tailored perfectly, hugging his lean body and his broad shoulders. He looked like some sort of hit man, minus the dark sunglasses.

“What are you . . . ? Why did you want to meet . . . ?” Violet couldn’t think clearly. Something was off, and it wasn’t her. “What’s going on?” she finally managed.

Dr. Lee ignored her gaping stare and stepped up to the fencing. He clasped his hands behind his back and gazed out thoughtfully. “I just thought we should talk, Violet. About your decision to leave the team.”

Violet’s brows furrowed, knitting tightly. “Okay . . .”

“You should reconsider—”

But she didn’t let him finish; she was already shaking her head. “No. Sara said I could take as much time as I wanted.”

Dr. Lee’s smooth expression never cracked, and his stance never relaxed. “They come here every day, you know. Your aunt and your cousin. She lets Cassidy play while they wait for Joshua to get out of school.” He looked down at her now. “Every day.”

Violet’s stomach tightened. She hated the way he made her feel, his rigid posture, his unflinching stare, his strange clothing. There was something menacing . . . threatening about him. About his statements.

“What are you saying?”

The corner of his mouth inched up. “You asked me once who I worked for, and I’ll tell you this: They’re very powerful, the men who employ me . . . who employ us. They don’t want you to quit, Violet. In fact, they insist that you stay. It’s not a request. And if you need me to be more clear, then I will. It’s a threat. Against you, against your friends, and against your family.” He turned and nodded toward the playground. “You’ll continue to be part of the team. You’ll continue your sessions with me . . . call it checking in. And you’ll tell no one—
no one
—about our conversation today. Have I made myself clear? Do you understand what I’m telling you?”

Violet nodded numbly. Of course she understood. How could she possibly misinterpret any of that? “What about my parents? What am I supposed to say to them?”

Dr. Lee pivoted on the heel of his immaculately shined black shoes. “You’ll figure it out. I have total faith in your ability to handle them.”

And then he walked away, leaving her standing on the sidewalk, listening to the spectral sounds of the music-box echo.

In the past few years I’ve come to realize just how many people are involved in the creation of a book, and I have more than a few of them to thank for
The Last Echo
.

As always, I have to thank my stellar, and I mean stellar(!), team at HarperCollins for everything you do for me and for my books. How many brilliant editors does one girl need, anyway? Thankfully I have more than my fair share in Farrin Jacobs, Kari Sutherland, Catherine Wallace, and Sarah Landis, not to mention the fabulous copyeditors, who meticulously remind me that I still don’t understand the difference between “farther” and “further” or “lay” and “lie.” I also have to thank my publicist Marisa Russell who puts up with my launch-time email barrages without ever batting an eyelash, and Sasha Illingworth for nailing it (once again) with this fabulous cover.

I also want to thank Laura Rennert, my agent extraordinaire, for always having my back. You are simply the best agent in the business and I can’t imagine going through any of this without you. Thank you, Laura!

To the Debs, the Tenners, the Smart Chicks, and the Body Finder Novels Fan Site, along with all my other online friends. Thank you for encouraging me when I need it and distracting me when I don’t.

To the people who keep me sane on a daily basis, starting with Shawn (also known as “Mama Shawn”) who I have to thank for, well, pretty much everything. Without you, nothing would ever get done and of course we would all starve to death. I also have to thank Tamara, Jacqueline, Carol, and Tammy, not only for your day-to-day support, but also for keeping me sane(ish) during launch season. I hope all of you know just how much I appreciate your friendship.

Then there are my go-to friends, who also serve as my professional resources: Bryan Jeter, John McDonald, and Randy Strozyk. Thank you for letting me pit you against one another in email competitions when I need to know the logistics of a car crash or where a suspect would be held during a murder investigation. You guys are wicked smart, crazy reliable, and just plain awesome!

And of course a special thanks to my family. Thank you for standing by me, even when I have to lock myself away for days (or weeks) at a time. I’m not sure what else I can say, except, I love you all!

Finally, to Josh . . . thanks for keeping me safe and warm. No one else gets me like you do!

About the Author

THE BODY FINDER

DESIRES OF THE DEAD

Jacket art © 2012 by Gustavo Marx/MergeLeft Reps, Inc.
Jacket design by Sasha Illingworth

The Last Echo

Copyright © 2012 by Kimberly Derting

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

www.epicreads.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Derting, Kimberly.

    The last echo / Kimberly Derting. — 1st ed.

p. cm.

Summary: Violet, a high school junior, discovers the body of a teen killed by “the collector” and is determined to solve the case, but the serial killer is on the lookout for a new “relationship” and Violet may have caught his eye.

ISBN 978-0-06-208219-0

[1. Psychic ability—Fiction. 2. Serial murders—Fiction. 3. Dead— Fiction. 4. Best friends—Fiction. 5. Friendship—Fiction. 6. High schools—Fiction. 7. Schools—Fiction. 8. Washington (State)—Fiction.] I. Title.

PZ7.D4468Las 2012

[Fic]—dc23

2011044633

CIP

AC

12 13 14 15 16 LP/RRDH 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

EPub Edition © March 2012 ISBN: 9780062082213

FIRST EDITION