by Jason Starr
Later, lying in bed unable to sleep even with Ambien, Karen thought, What’re we waiting for? They were miserable here, and the house was starting to feel like a prison. They’d been avoiding the kitchen, so they didn’t have to confront their memories of what had happened in there, and they’d been ordering in food for most of their meals or going out to eat. Why wait to move to New York? Why not leave tomorrow?
She didn’t give it any more thought. Convinced she was making the right decision for her family, she went back online and booked a hotel in midtown Manhattan, close to Grand Central, and she was so excited that she spent most of the rest of the night packing a few suitcases with clothing, valuables and other essentials, leaving space for the kids to add their stuff in the morning. There was less than a month left in the school year, and she’d work out a way for the kids to complete their requirements at their schools, or maybe register them for summer classes at new schools in Manhattan. It could be difficult to coordinate, but she’d do the best she could. They would move into a permanent apartment as soon as possible and then, when the house was sold, she’d hire movers to pack up everything and move the stuff to the new place. Her hope was that, after tomorrow, she’d never have to set foot in the house again.
Karen finally got back into bed at about five a.m., but she only slept an hour or two and she was out of bed by seven, feeling fully awake. Besides being excited about telling the kids the news, and getting on with their lives, she was also eager to leave, if possible, before Mark came home.
In the past few days, Karen had been trying to block Mark out. She’d heard on a couple of news reports that he was expected to recover, and she didn’t want to know anything else. She just wanted to forget about him and all the misery he’d caused her. He’d been texting her from the hospital and calling, leaving voicemails, and even emailing her and sending her messages on Facebook before she blocked him. She had no idea what he was writing her about; she just wanted him to leave her alone, and ignoring him seemed like the way to go.
While Karen felt awful for Mark’s kids, she refused to feel any sympathy for him. The emotional torment he’d put her through had been bad enough, but stupidly trying to play hero and almost getting them all killed had taken things to another level. Deb obviously had had her issues, but Karen understood why she’d had an affair. Being Mark’s wife must have been so difficult, so repressive. Yeah, Mark seemed like a great guy on the surface, but he wasn’t actually the normal, funny, hardworking guy he seemed to be. He was actually selfish, immature, delusional, and had serious emotional problems. Deb had probably felt trapped, disconnected, helpless in her marriage, and then she’d met Owen, who must’ve seemed like the perfect escape. This was understandable too; Owen had been a charismatic kid and, admittedly, Karen had felt an attraction to him herself. Karen wished that after her divorce she hadn’t hung out with Mark so often, and had become better friends with Deb. If she’d had a chance to talk to Deb, as a friend, she could’ve advised her to deal with her unhappiness differently. She would’ve told her to stop acting out, to leave her marriage, and get a divorce. If she’d listened, things could have been so different for everyone.
By noon, Karen had the car packed and the kids in the backseat. Elana was on her iPhone, and Matthew was on his DS. They both seemed giddy, as if they were leaving on a family trip, but Karen knew they were feeling more relieved than excited.
There was no sadness about leaving the house they’d lived in for seventeen years, no final goodbyes. Then, as she pulled away, she glanced in the rearview, and couldn’t believe it. Mark was back there, looking like hell, limping along the road, waving his arms. Jesus, would he ever stop?
She focused straight ahead. She knew the memories of the past couple of weeks would never go away, but she hoped that eventually they’d at least fade, and that she’d never have to see Mark’s stupid face again.
After she turned the bend, she checked the rearview and couldn’t see him anymore. She already felt freer, happier, stronger. With the windows open and the cool air rushing into the car the tension in her body lifted and she was finally able to breathe.
Read other books by Jason Starr
Thank you to my German publisher, Diogenes Verlag, and my U.K. publisher, No Exit Press, for their steadfast support throughout my entire career. Margaux De Weck at Diogenes was a major champion of Savage Lane from the onset, read each draft of the book, and offered keen editorial insight. My parents have always been my biggest fans and were particularly encouraging while I was writing this novel. My daughter always helps me work through the trickiest plot points, and Jana Rosen and Stan Yarmolowitz were my go-to sources for details of Northern Westchester. And big-time thanks to Jason Pinter at Polis Books, for making the publishing experience so enjoyable, and for giving Savage Lane its ideal home in the U.S. and Canada.
Jason Starr is the internationally bestselling author of many crime novels and thrillers, and his books have been published in over a dozen languages. He has co-written several novels with Ken Bruen for Hard Case Crime, and his work in comics for Marvel, D.C, Vertigo, and Boom! Studios has featured Wolverine, The Punisher, Batman, Doc Savage, The Avenger, The Sandman, and Ant-Man. Many of his books are in development for film and TV. Starr’s bestselling novels include Nothing Personal, Hard Feelings, Tough Luck, Twisted City, Lights Out, The Follower, and Panic Attack, all available from Polis Books. He is the winner of a 2004 Barry Award (Tough Luck) and two Anthony Awards (Twisted City in 2005 and The Chill, a graphic novel, in 2011). He was born in Brooklyn and lives in Manhattan. Visit him online at www.JasonStarr.com and @JasonStarrBooks.
The following is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in an entirely fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2015 by Jason Starr
Cover and jacket design by Georgia Morrissey
Interior designed and formatted by:
www.emtippettsbookdesigns.com
ISBN 978-1-940610-65-8
Library of Congress Catalog Number:
First hardcover publication: October 2015
1201 Hudson Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030
www.PolisBooks.com
Table of Contents
Title Page
Also by Jason Starr
About Savage Lane
Dedication
Quote
ONE
TWO
THREE
FOUR
FIVE
SIX
SEVEN
EIGHT
NINE
TEN
ELEVEN
TWELVE
THIRTEEN
FOURTEEN
FIFTEEN
SIXTEEN
SEVENTEEN
EIGHTEEN
NINETEEN
TWENTY
TWENTY-ONE
TWENTY-TWO
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Copyright Notice