Little Lost Dolls

LITTLE LOST DOLLS AN ABSOLUTELY GRIPPING CRIME THRILLER WITH A SHOCKING TWIST M.M. CHOUINARD BOOKS BY M.M. CHOUINARD Detective Jo Fournier The Dancing Girls Taken to the Grave Her Daughter’s Cry The Other Mothers Her Silent Prayer What They Saw Little Lost Dolls The Vacation AVAILABLE IN AUDIO Detective Jo Fournier The Dancing Girls (Available in the UK and the US) Taken to the Grave (Available in the UK and the US) Her Daughter’s Cry (Available in the UK and the US) The Other Mothers (Available in the UK and the US) Her Silent Prayer (Available in the UK and the US) What They Saw (Available in the UK and the US) The Vacation (Available in the UK and the US) CONTENTS Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40 Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43 Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46 Chapter 47 Chapter 48 Chapter 49 Chapter 50 Chapter 51 Chapter 52 Chapter 53 Chapter 54 Chapter 55 Chapter 56 Chapter 57 Chapter 58 Chapter 59 Chapter 60 Hear More from M.M. Chouinard Books by M.M. Chouinard A Letter from M.M. Chouinard The Dancing Girls Taken to the Grave Her Daughter’s Cry The Other Mothers Her Silent Prayer What They Saw The Vacation Acknowledgments For Bianca CHAPTER ONE Madison Coelho cranked up the heat in her mother’s beat-up Camry and stared out through the darkness, eyes glued to the house’s lit windows. She tried to shrink down into the seat but grunted when her belly wouldn’t let her—she still wasn’t used to the ever-growing bump. But they couldn’t see her anyway, she was pretty sure; even if they glanced out of the wide-open curtains they’d only see their own reflections. She clenched her teeth at the cozy tableau shining out through the cold fall evening—such a pretty domestic picture. He sat in the living room, watching some sitcom on the huge TV, sipping whiskey from a tumbler. She set the dining room table beyond him, periodically disappearing into the kitchen. Dripping gold CHAPTER TWO “Madison was late again tonight.” Naomie Alexander watched Madison’s navy jacket disappear into the bistro’s bathroom before she responded to the comment. “It’s just an exercise class, Julia. Give her a little grace.” “I have.” Julia Gagnon’s dark eyes followed Naomie’s gaze. “She was late to one session last week and missed another completely.” “She has so much on her plate, and our Friday klatch should be a safe space. Don’t get on her about it.” Keeping one hand on her belly, Naomie braced herself with the other as she slid onto the ice-cream-parlor-style chair, hoping the little flutter she’d just felt would repeat. “Everything okay?” Julia’s razor-sharp professional gaze bounced between Naomie’s face and belly. Naomie pulled her mahogany waves up to let