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Max receives a call from Lauren at the Boston Criminal Investigations Unit: She has checked the DNA presumed to be Matthew’s, but it doesn’t match any missing children. Suddenly, they receive a report that David just left the hospital where Cheryl works.
Pixie remembers meeting Theo five years ago. She has since protected Hayden from consequences, even lying about Theo’s paternity (David). She fears if he knew the truth, he might try to return Theo and ruin the family’s reputation. Pixie reflects on the subjective nature of morality—especially when family is involved—and thinks Hayden should leave the country with Theo.
Max and Sarah are on their way to question Cheryl when Lauren calls: The battered boy found in Matthew’s bedroom wasn’t related to David. Max confronts Cheryl with this fact, and she is stunned. She insists Matthew was David’s son, so he must be alive.
David and Rachel go through Hayden’s photographs of the Merton Pharmaceuticals trip to Six Flags—none of which contain Matthew. They decide to see Tom and Irene, who took the original photograph.
The narrative switches to Hayden’s perspective. In the past, he had been looking for a decoy to replace Matthew and found the perfect candidate in a Balkan orphanage funded by his family—Theo, a boy with a fatal genetic condition.
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By Harlan Coben
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