Summary

The Prologue describes 15-year-old Walker “Walk” and Martha May as they help look for the body of a missing girl named Sissy Radley. Star Radley, Sissy’s sister, was Martha’s best friend. Walk sighted the girl’s shoe just a minute before he saw the body.

In Chapter 1, thirty years later, Walk had become Chief Walker. He stood watching as another house fell, the cliff in Cape Haven eroded and giving away below it. When Walk saw Duchess, age 13, and Robin Radley, age 5, he met them at a run. At their house on Ivy Ridge Road, he discovered their mother, Star, had overdosed again.

Walk stayed with Duchess and Robin at the hospital. He told Duchess that her mother was going to be okay. Walk did not report what had happened to social services. Walk asked Duchess, who wore a bow...