Free Immoral by Brian Freeman

this is different,” Lissa argued.
    “How is it different?”
    “It’s not dangerous or anything. It’s just a bracelet.”
    “Yes, and it’s a bracelet that belongs to somebody else, who’s probably going to come looking for it,” Heather said. “Now put it back where you found it.”
    “You mean I can’t keep it?”
    Heather sighed. It was always this way with Lissa and jewelry. “No, you can’t keep it. It belongs to someone else. Put it back right now.”
    “I don’t think they’d want it anymore,” Lissa complained. “It’s all dirty.”
    “Well, then, why do you want it?”
    Lissa didn’t have an immediate answer. She thought about it. “I could clean it up,” she said.
    “And so could the person who owns it. Now no more arguing. Put it back.”
    Lissa gave up fighting and walked away unhappily, back toward the rear of the barn. Relieved, Heather turned her attention back to her camera. She looked through the viewfinder again.
    Perfect
.
     
     
    Behind the barn, Lissa reluctantly put the bracelet back where she found it, which was in a muddy patch near the edge of the field. It didn’t really seem fair, though. She didn’t believe that anyone would be coming back for it.
    “But Mommy said so,” Lissa murmured to herself.
    After putting it back, Lissa continued exploring. She already had a successful collection, including several interesting rocks and pretty blue flowers, all of which were stuffed in her coat pockets. She wasn’t aware of time passing. It seemed only an instant later that she looked up and realized the sun had dipped below the trees.
    Just then, she heard her mother calling. “Lissa, come on, it’s time to go!”
    For once, Lissa didn’t need to be told twice. She started running out of the field toward the barn again. As she did, she had to pass right by the puddle, where the bracelet was.
    “Lissa!” her mother called again.
    Lissa thought about it. She really wanted that bracelet, and it was pretty careless of whoever owned it to leave it here. Besides, she could keep it and clean it up, and if the owner ever wanted it, she would be keeping it safe and sound. And she still thought maybe the person had simply thrown it away.
    Mommy just didn’t understand. She didn’t like jewelry anyway.
    Quickly, Lissa bent down, grabbed the bracelet, and crammed it deep into her pocket. “I’m coming,” she called, and ran for the front of the barn.
     
     
     

PART TWO

Chapter 8
     
     
    Bird Finch paced the shadows of the studio, lifting his stilt-like legs over the cables stretched across the floor. No one talked to him. They had all learned long ago that Bird never said a word in the last few minutes before a live broadcast. He was too high. His emotions were churning. He was psyching himself up.
    Tonight the ratings would be sky-high again.
    After three weeks of courting them since Rachel’s disappearance, he had landed the first live interview with Graeme and Emily Stoner. For the first time, they were ready to talk about losing their girl. And they wouldn’t be alone. Joining them on the set was another grieving family, Mike and Barbara McGrath, who had spent more than a year searching fruitlessly for their daughter Kerry. Two families would sit down with him, purge their emotions, and send the police a message.
    There’s a killer stalking the north shore and snatching teenagers off the street.
    Find him.
    Bird stopped and crossed his arms. On the brightly lit set, Graeme and Emily Stoner sat in comfortable chairs while two makeup artists fluttered around them, dabbing at their faces. He saw the McGraths walk up to the Stoners and watched the two families exchange awkward greetings.
    “Two minutes,” a voice on an overhead speaker announced.
    Bird emerged out of the darkness of the studio and crossed the set with the grace of a large cat. He stood like a black tower over his guests, who stared up at him from their four chairs. He smiled at them, revealing