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Prologue

New Orleans

Four years ago…

The hter didn’t look like a killer He sat slus beneath his eyes, a halo ofhis otherwise bald head and jowls that hung lower than his chin There were ed Francis Moreau had done solanced back over the days and weeks since Adele’s abduction and felt as if he was living someone else’s life

The way the case had been going this et worse

The judge pounded his gavel, bringing the noise in the courtroorew so quiet Ro his papers

“The law is very precise on this e announced “The police may have obtained verbal approval froned until after their search of the defendant’s home, which means the evidence found in that search is not admissible in court”

Roasps of his family His parents sat on one side of him, his sister on the other Without that evidence, we don’t have a case The DA had said that over and over

Romain leaned forward to whisper to Detective Huff, who sat a row in front of him “Is this as bad as it seems?”

“Don’t worry,” Huff whispered back But his voice sounded odd, alled, and his expression didn’t promote much confidence When a witness for the defense revealed that Huff had searched Moreau’s house without the correct paperwork, Huff’s face had flushed crimson It was still crimson and several beads of sweat had popped out on his forehead

Although he felt desperate to , Romain was nonetheless distracted when the prosecutor asked to approach the bench The judge waved both him and the defense counsel forward They kept their conversation ested he was in the ument

This case couldn’t get away froht man, Romain told himself But the DA didn’t see down, he searched the crowd, singling out Huff, whoave a look of such contempt Romain could hardly breathe

“They’re going to let him off,” Romain said to no one in particular His sister sat like a statue; his oing to get off!” he repeated, and this tiuarantee a response

Huff twisted around to face hi had been out for two days and the weather had turned unseasonably war his forehead with a handkerchief “I saw the tape”

Romain had seen part of the tape, too—as much as he could bear to watch

Which hy he couldn’t understand this How could the technicalities involved in serving a search warrant take precedence over a child’s life? His child’s life?

“They can’t let hiavel, curtly announced that the DA was dropping all charges and exited the courtroom

Stunned, Roape as Moreau’s watery blue eyes cut to hiht of it o black For a few seconds, there were only the two of the across the courtroom at each other