4 DAYS BEFORE BOOKER LANE RELEASE

TUESDAY, JANUARY 4, 2022

4:32 PM

Lily Reed: Hi I'm bored and also have a few ideas about the release. Can you come over?

Tiff Rosswell: I can in like 45 minutes. I have a 9-5 job Lil.

Lily: I always forget about that. Fine, when are you leaving the office?

Tiff: Probably around 5. I can be to you by 5:15, 5:20 at the latest.

Lily: I guess that works. Love you.

Lily tossed her phone onto the couch beside her and groaned, staring up at the ceiling. Tiff having a regular job was incredibly annoying, even if it meant that Lily's books got published and her books were sold, and her bills got paid. Being a full-time writer made it difficult to have friends with normal, adult hours. Lily had developed her perfect routine over the past few years post-quitting her day job and committing to her writing, but the routine only lasted until about lunchtime, and then everything was up in the air.

            But the routine up until lunchtime? Sacred. If she strayed from it, a terrible day full of angry editor's notes and unscheduled napping would undoubtedly ensue.

            Lily was meticulous about her routines, and everyone close to her was well aware. She and Barry had been together since she was nineteen, and he had learned long ago that Lily was a much more enjoyable person to be around when she was on task and organized.

            Luckily for everyone in her life, Lily was nothing if not on task and organized.

            She pulled her laptop onto her lap and stared at the page in front of her. The prick of anxiety that ran through her chest didn't miss her attention, but it also wasn't prevalent to the task at hand. It felt odd, writing something that she knew would never make it to print. Especially when the words surrounding it had already made it to print. When they were set to be released to hundreds of thousands of eager fans in less than a week.

            Lily stared at the computer screen, focusing intently on the sentence she was on. Her fingers danced on top of the keyboard without typing anything; her anxiety tended to manifest itself physically when she didn't pay attention to it emotionally. She became enthralled by the moving veins and bones she could see in her fingers when they twirled in front of her. She didn't know if they were veins and bones—maybe they were ligaments or some other anatomically correct term that she would never force herself to learn unless it was of the utmost importance to her writing.

            But today, it wasn't. Today, Lily was content to stare at the moving parts inside of her hand, below the surface of her skin, and she continued to let them dance around the keyboard without actually touching the keys.

            When her fingers grew tired of dancing, Lily rested them on the keyboard, gentle enough to not mar her manuscript. She looked at the time in the top right corner of the screen.

            5:08 PM.

            Tiff would arrive soon, and then Lily wouldn't be able to pull out this particular manuscript for the rest of the night. She was so close. And she only had four more days to finish.

            The manuscript was saved with an innocuous enough title, Lily thought. Only a select few would even notice that it was off.

            Booker Lane_REAL.docx

            The doorbell rang and Lily shut her laptop quickly. Tiff would know immediately after reading the name of the document that something was very wrong.

            And she couldn't tell her about it. Not yet.

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1 DAY AFTER BOOKER LANE RELEASE/LILY REED'S DISAPPEARANCE

SUNDAY, JANUARY 9, 2022

8:09 AM

DAILY NEWS

CELEBS

Author Lily Reed missing as new book hits shelves; fans torn over legitimacy of disappearance

25-year-old New York City resident and author Lily Reed has officially been declared missing by the NYPD. Reed catapulted to fame and name recognition when her second book, Basked in Dark, went viral on TikTok in July 2020. Basked in Dark peaked at #3 on the New York Times Bestsellers List, and the release of its sequel, Booker Lane, on January 8 of this year, has been highly anticipated by young and old readers alike.

After Reed failed to show up to a pre-publicized book signing Saturday morning, friends and fans became worried about the author. Reed's agent and long-time friend Tiffani Rosswell told police that Reed "would never miss the opportunity to meet her fans," and an investigation ensued.

The controversy comes online, with Reed's fans speculating on whether the author is in danger or went too far with a publicity stunt for her novel. Booker Lane, which is now sold out in bookstores across the United States and has a three-week waiting period for new copies on Amazon, picks up where its predecessor left off, with the main character's elder sister having been seemingly abducted.

The coincidence seems a bit too coincidental, but many of Reed's fans are rushing to the author's defense. Much of that defense rests on Rosswell, whom fans insist would know where Reed was, and who wouldn't have involved the police if this were truly a publicity attempt.

The hashtag #lilyreedismissing has been the #1 trending topic on Twitter for the past nine hours since Reed was declared a missing person by the NYPD. Any and all information regarding Lily Reed and her disappearance should be reported immediately to the NYPD's Crime Stoppers tip line: 800-577-TIPS.

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NYPD Interview Transcript

Detective Lin: How long have you and Ms. Reed been together?

Bartholomew (Barry) Thomas: Since we were nineteen. So, six years.

Lin: How would you describe your relationship? Six years together, and no ring?

Thomas: We're only 25, man. And Lily doesn't want to get engaged yet. Believe me, I've asked.

Lin: Has your disagreement on furthering your relationship led to any arguments?

Thomas: Look man, I know that the boyfriend is the first suspect. I've seen enough crime procedurals in my life. But Lily and I are solid. We both have steady jobs and make good money, and we have the same expectations of a partner.

Lin: You know that the hashtag, 'Lily Reed is missing' is trending on Twitter, right?

Thomas: Yes.

Lin: Have you been on Twitter much in the past few hours?

Thomas: No. I've spent most of the past few hours in this station.

Lin: Take my phone. Have a look.

Detective Lin: Do you bring your work home with you? Tell your girlfriend about it?

Barry Thomas: I do not. Lily isn't interested in politics.

Lin: Do you work for clients who don't do everything...above-board?

Thomas: I can't comment on my clients. They don't have anything to do with Lily. Most of them don't know I'm in a relationship at all.

Lin: When was the last time you saw Ms. Reed?

Thomas: We got dinner on Friday night to celebrate her book coming out.

Lin: Describe the night for me.

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 2022

7:38 PM

            Lily breathed in, loud and obnoxious, ignoring the belabored groan coming from Barry. Her favorite restaurant was one of his least favorites, but since she was the one releasing a book with 12,000 preorders and counting, she got to pick dinner. Plus, Lily was sure that Barry had picked their date night locations for at least four of the past six weeks.

            The hostess sat them, and Lily thanked her. She was sure Barry hated this place for its ambiance rather than its food, but she couldn't take her eyes off of anything. Every time she entered the Branchway, she felt like a film star. Lavish chandeliers hung from the ceiling, three of them, all with different-sized lights and trinkets. Every table was a deep mahogany trimmed with gold leaf and the chairs were the same. The menu was small but diverse, and Lily didn't think she had ever ordered the same meal twice in the many times she had dined there. The large windows at the front looked out on the city, and when the sun was setting, it hit one of the many skyscrapers Lily loved to look at and engulfed the entire restaurant in a deep orange glow.

            It was as if 'golden hour' had multiplied itself by twelve.

            "Will you come to the signing tomorrow?" Lily asked after their appetizers had been served.

            Barry nodded, a small smile twitching his lip.

            "Of course, I'll come to the signing. When have I ever not attended a signing?"

            Lily rolled her eyes and laughed.

            "I don't think you've ever missed one. But I know that work has been a lot lately, and—"

            "Don't worry about work." Barry shook his head, "I believe that everyone at the office is anxiously awaiting the book's release anyway."

            Lily smiled and looked down at her food. People were anxiously awaiting her book. That was something her younger self would have never believed.

            After dinner, the couple walked hand-in-hand down the street, admiring the leftover Christmas lights. After a few blocks, Lily felt a sharp pang in her chest as she remembered what she was supposed to be doing before the release.

            "Barry," she looked up at him, "I'm not feeling so well. I should get back and go to sleep."

            He looked at her, concern softening his features.

            "Are you sure? Do you need medicine?"

            Lily shook her head.

            "No, I think it's just nerves. Walk me back?"

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Detective Lin: So you walked her back to her apartment, and that was it? You didn't see her again?

Barry Thomas: That was it. And if you don't mind, I have a call to take.

End of Bartholomew Thomas Interview 1.