Summary

In Irvine, 1986, McNamara relates Janelle Cruz's tragic life. She was drugged and raped by one of her father's friends when she was fifteen, and she went on to withdraw, dress in black, cut herself, and have multiple relationships with older men. Her mother sends her to a YMCA camp and a short term psychiatric hospital. On May 3, 1986, her mother and stepfather leave on vacation. Linda Sheen, a realtor from Tarbell Realty, visits Janelle's house, which was to be sold to a prospective buyer. Linda finds her body dead in bed and calls the police. She had been beaten to death. Several of her former partners are suspected, but her boyfriend, Mark Martinez, confesses to his friend Tom Hickel that he had murdered her, just to see if he was capable of doing so. Tom tells the police, but Mark insists that he...