The Perfect Shot

It is a hot August afternoon, and Amanda Daine is returning from the swimming pool with her mom and brother, Cory. She sees that her boyfriend, Brian, is still outside playing basketball with his friend, Julius. She refuses to acknowledge him, though, because she is angry at him. Earlier that day, she asked him if she and Cory could play with him instead of going to the pool with their mom, but he told her he wanted to play with Julius instead.

When they pull into the garage, Amanda’s mother gets out of the car. Amanda sees a man emerge from the shadows and say something to her mother, who tells Amanda and Cory to stay where she is. They wait in the car for a moment, and then Amanda sees her mother collapse. She tries to climb over her seat to escape, hoping to get out of the garage and run to Brian for help, but it’s too late. Cory’s car door opens, and two gunshots crack, killing both Amanda and Cory.

The chapter begins seven months after the murders in the spring. Brian is the first-person narrator, and he describes hearing a gunshot and feeling a gun in his hand.