9 I got to the park early and sat on the bench , watching the still , grey surface of the lake . Joshua arrived alone . He looked thinner , worn down . The confident air he'd had in the bakery was gone . He sat at the other end of the bench , leaving a careful distance between us . Neither of us spoke for a long time . Finally , he broke the silence . " Tricia , what do you want ? " I kept my eyes on the water . " I want a divorce . " I turned to look at him . " And I want my things back . " He was stunned . He had probably expected me to cry , to scream , to yell at him . He never would have expec- ted me to be this calm . " What did you say ? " " I said , I want a divorce , " I repeated . " And I want my money back . " I handed him the envelope . He opened it , his expression shifting from confusion to disbelief to sheer panic as he looked through the papers . His face went white when he saw the bank records and the deed . " Where ... where did you get these ? " " That doesn't matter , " I said . " All you need to know is that if you don't give me back what's mine , all of this goes to the police . " 5/11 11.19 11.19 Chapter 2 His hands were shaking so badly he could barely hold the papers . " Tricia Ashton ! Are you threatening me ? " " I'm not threatening you , " I said , meeting his terrified gaze . " I'm just enforcing the rules . " A simpleton's rules . Joshua left in a daze , stumbling as he walked away , clutching the envelope . I knew he was afraid . Not of me , but of the black and white proof , of the " hero " costume he'd so carefully constructed being ripped to shreds . I stayed on the bench . A moment later , Mr. Peterson emerged from behind a large oak tree nearby , holding a small audio recorder . " You did very well , Tricia , " he said . " I got everything he said on tape . " I nodded . This was our plan . Mr. Peterson said bad kids were slippery , and we needed to have proof . " Now , " he said , " we wait . He'll be in touch . " He was right . Joshua called the very next day . His voice was stripped of all its fake warmth and impatience . All that was left was cold , suppressed rage . " How much do you want ? " he asked , getting straight to the point . " It's not about how much I want , " I said . " It's about how much you stole . " The benefits - the five hundred thousand - you can have it all . But not the condo . That ' for Vivian . " t Even now , he was still thinking of her . I almost laughed . " Joshua , have you forgotten ? " I asked . " That money belongs to ' Joshua Cross , the Hero . ' But you're not a hero . You're a deserter . " Mr. Peterson had told me the real story . Joshua hadn't faked his death for some " special mission . " He'd done . it because he was a coward . His medical unit had been attacked , and he'd panicked , abandoning his team- mates and wounded soldiers to save his own skin . Later , he bribed Mr. Davis to falsify the records and decl- are him dead . He wasn't a hero . He was a disgrace . The other end of the line was dead silent . I could hear his ragged breathing . " You ... you know everything ? " " Yes , " I said . " I know you stole my strawberry , you stole my money , you stole my house , and you stole a hero's name . So , Joshua , it's not just the money you have to give back . " " I want you to return every single thing you stole . " I hung up the phone . Outside , the sky was dark and heavy , threatening a storm .