This is Our Story
Page 26
He was like a cancer in our group, killing us slowly from the inside.
I kept waiting for someone to point at me. Accuse me of shooting him, but no one saw me with the Remington.
I knew we’d all used his gun, knew our fingerprints were all over it. And since I had those pictures of the DA with the money, I knew he would make sure we didn’t get in trouble. Grant wasn’t the only one who could use that picture.
So we made a pact in those woods. There over Grant’s body, we agreed to stand together. We say we didn’t use the Remington. We say we don’t know anything about it. If we all say it, none of us will be in trouble. No one knows anything. Silence was the only thing that would save us.
But I was wrong. Instead of making us stronger, it pulled us even farther apart.
The truth found a way.
When the new district attorney asked for my statement when I pleaded guilty…this was my story.
To my agent, Sarah Davies—thank you for the continued support and guidance. And thank you for introducing me to Megan Miranda and Elle Cosimano, who were first my critique partners and are now my dear friends. I couldn’t do any of this without y’all.
To Laura Schreiber—thank you for loving this book. Seriously—in every edit letter and conversation we had, I could tell how much this story meant to you and that means the world to me. Thank you for pushing me to make it better. And to Mary Mudd, thank you for your incredible insight. This was definitely a group effort! The support and guidance you both gave me are so appreciated.
To Polly Watson—thank you for your careful copyediting and your humor. You made this part more enjoyable than it should be. To the entire team at Hyperion, thank you for all of your support.
To Maria Elias and Tanya Ross-Hughes—words cannot describe how I feel about this cover. It is so amazingly perfect that I cried when I first saw it. Thank you!
This Is Our Story wouldn’t have been a story if my mom, Sally Ditta, hadn’t been summoned for jury duty and Elle Cosimano hadn’t been in my kitchen when she called to complain about it. Somehow that combination led to the idea for this book and to both of you, I’m so grateful for your inspiration and support.
Since I’m not a lawyer, I had a ridiculous amount of help making sure I got the legal part right. Any and all mistakes made and liberties taken are fully on me. I’m lucky I could call my dad, Tony Bruscato, and say, “Hey, I have this idea but not sure it’ll work…” Dad handed the phone to Assistant District Attorney Michael Fontenot, who was sitting right next to him on a bench in the hallway of the courthouse, and as awkward as it was, I asked him how my River Point Boys could get away with murder. Mike was kind enough to take my calls and answer endless questions as I hammered out the first draft. I’m pretty sure I called him once a week for months. Thank you so much for all of your help!
And thank you to every other lawyer friend who I bugged with questions at parties and lacrosse games and anywhere else we may have been, especially Sonny Huckabay and Craig Smith.
To Dr. Baron Williamson—thanks for all the info on macular degeneration. It was so helpful! And again, any and all mistakes made are fully on me.
I had tons of help with the hunting side of this book as well, especially from my husband, Dean. Thanks for listening to every “What if…” I threw at you. And thank you to Bubba Salley, for all the info on wildlife cameras, and to Mary Cecile Hancock and Buzz Hancock, for the bow-hunting demonstrations. They were so helpful!
To Frances Kalmbach, thanks for helping me name Camille! And good luck with your writing!
To my amazing friends: Elizabeth Pippin, Christy Poole, Missy Huckabay, Aimee Ballard, Ashley Hancock, and Lisa Stewart. Thanks for being there for me when I freak out.
Thank you to every reader for all of your e-mails, tweets, blog posts, and Facebook posts! And a special shout-out to: Stacee (aka Book Junkie), Rachel Patrick, Jaime Arkin, Amelie Fleming, and Gray Hodges—you never fail to put a smile on my face!
To Miller, thanks for being my go-to when I have a high school–related question and for setting me straight when you say, “No one does that.” To Ross, thanks for always being my first reader and loving this story as much as I do. To Archer, thanks for being so excited when I talked to your class about writing. It was the best first-grade school visit ever.
And always, the biggest thanks to my husband, Dean. Twenty-five years together and looking forward to twenty-five more. So glad you are mine.
ASHLEY ELSTON is the daughter of an attorney and grew up surrounded by talk of court cases, crazy clients, and the law in general—all of which triggered the ideas in her legal thrillers. Ashley is also the author of The Rules for Dissappearing, a 2014 finalist for the International Thiller Writers: Best Young Adult Novel, and its sequel, The Rules for Breaking. She has a liberal arts degree from Louisiana State University in Shreveport and lives in Shreveport, Louisiana, with her husband and three sons. For more information about Ashley and her books, please visit www.ashleyelston.com.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
Acknowledgments
About the Author