Prologue

      The clouds gather thick and furious, shutting out the sun.

      The smell of ozone is intense, warning me more effectively than the grumbling thunder. A storm is coming—a big one, perhaps the worst we’ve had in years.

      The thought of Elliot gets me moving.

      Elliot, with his soft skin and plump cheeks, the darling dimples at his elbows. Just four months old.

      An image of another baby, another time, creeps into my mind, but I push it away, stumbling on the damp sand. The nightgown my husband is enamored with twists and turns in the growing wind, tangling between my thighs. I long to tear off the slick fabric, but I don’t dare take the time. I have to find my child.

      “Elliot!” I scream his name even though he is too young to answer.

      The thunder makes a mockery of my cries, stealing my breath before I can try again.

      It’s no use, anyway.

      The beach is empty.

      Waves throw themselves at the shore again and again, churning themselves into foam.

      The ocean fizzes around my ankles and I climb farther up the shore to keep from getting dragged into the