The Disappearance of Stephanie Mailer: A gripping new thriller with a killer twist by Joël Dicker (ebook reader play store .txt) 📕

volunteers today at five o’clock at Café Athenato vote for a strike. We aren’t safe anymore. There may not even be a festival this year.”

* * *

Meanwhile, in New York

In a conference room on the 53rd floor of the glass tower that housed the headquarters of Channel 14, the prestigious private T.V. station, the C.E.O., Jerry Eden, had summoned the principal members of the board.

“As you know,” he told them, “the early summer ratings are bad, disastrous even, and that is why I’ve asked you all here. We need to fix something, and fix it fast.”

“Which is the main problem?” one of the creative heads said.

“The six o’clock slot. We’ve been left behind by ‘Look!’”

“Look!”was Channel 14’s direct competitor. Similar audience, similar content. The two channels had been waging a fierce battle, with record advertising contracts for the flagship shows at stake.

“‘Look!’ has a reality show that’s a big hit,” the marketing director said.

“What’s the pitch?” Eden said.

“That’s just it. It doesn’t have one. There’s this group of three sisters. They have lunch, they shop, they go to the gym, they argue, they make up. We follow their typical day.”

“And what kind of jobs do they do?”

“They don’t have jobs, sir,” the deputy director of programming said. “They’re paid to do nothing.”

“That’s where we could do better than them!” Eden said. “By making a reality show that’s truer to life.”

“But, sir,” the director in charge of reality shows objected, “the target audience for these shows is generally less well-off financially and poorly educated. They want to dream when they switch on their T.V.s.”

“Exactly,” Eden said. “We need a concept that brings viewers face to face with themselves and their ambitions. A reality show that shows them the way forward! We have to do something big for the fall season! I can see the slogan: channel 14. the dream is inside you!”

This suggestion unleashed a wave of enthusiasm.

“That’s really good!” the marketing director said.

“I want a show for the fall that makes a big impact. I want to shake everything up. In September, I want to launch a brilliant concept that grabs the viewers. By Monday, July 14, I want a plan for a flagship show for the fall. That’s ten days.”

As his colleagues were leaving the conference room, Eden’s cell phone rang. It was his wife.

“Jerry,” Cynthia said, “I’ve been trying to reach you for hours.”

“Sorry, I was in a meeting. You know we’re planning next season’s shows and things are tense here right now. What’s going on?”

“Carolina got home at eleven this morning. She was drunk again.”

Eden sighed, overcome with a sense of powerlessness. “What do you want me to do, Cynthia?”

“Come on, Jerry, she’s our daughter! You heard what Dr Lern said. We have to get her away from New York.”

“Get her away from New York, as if that’s going to make any difference!”

“Stop being such a fatalist! She’s only nineteen. She needs help.”

“Are you telling me we’re not trying to help her?”

“You don’t realize what she’s going through, Jerry!”

“What I mainly realize is that I have a nineteen-year-old daughter who gets drunk and does drugs!” In spite of his irritation, he lowered his voice to a whisper to avoid being overheard.

“We’ll talk about it face to face,” Cynthia said. “Where are you?”

“Where am I?”

“Yes. The session with Dr Lern is at five. Don’t tell me you forgot?”

Eden opened his eyes wide. He had indeed forgotten. He ran out of his office and hurried to the elevator.

Miraculously, he got to Dr Lern’s office on Madison Avenue in time. For six months, Eden had been at family therapy sessions every week with his wife Cynthia and their nineteen-year-old daughter Carolina.

The Edens took their seats on a couch opposite the therapist, who was in his usual armchair.

“Well?” Dr Lern said. “What’s happened since our last session?”

“You mean two weeks ago,” Carolina said, “since my father forgot to show up last week?”

“Forgive me for working to pay this family’s insane expenses!” Eden said.

“Jerry, please don’t start!” his wife said.

“I only said last session,” Dr Lern reminded them in a neutral voice.

Cynthia made an effort to steer the discussion in a constructive manner. “I’ve told Jerry he should spend more time with Carolina.”

“And what do you think of that, Jerry?”

“I think it’s going to be hard this summer. My company has run into tough competition, and we really need to develop a new show by the fall.”

“Jerry!” Cynthia said crossly. “There must be someone who can take your place for the summer. You never have time for anything except your work!”

“I have a family and a psychiatrist to support,” Eden said mildly.

Dr Lern did not react to that.

“Anyway, Daddy,” Carolina said, “you only ever think about your fucking job.”

“Do not use that kind of language,” Eden said to his daughter.

“Jerry,” Dr Lern said, “what do you think Carolina is trying to tell you when she uses those words?”

“That this fucking job pays her phone bill, pays for her clothes, her fucking car, and everything she stuffs up her nose!”

“Carolina, is that what you’re trying to tell your father?” Lern said.

“No,” Carolina said. “But I want a dog.”

“Always something new,” Eden said. “First of all, you want a computer, now you want a dog . . .”

“Stop talking about that computer! I never want to hear about it again!”

“Was the computer a request from Carolina?” Lern said.

“Yes,” Cynthia said. “She really liked to write.”

“And why not a dog?”

“Very simply, because she’s not a responsible person,” Eden said.

“How do you know if you don’t let me try?” Carolina protested.

“I see how you take care of yourself, and that’s enough for me!”

“Jerry!” Cynthia wailed.

“Anyhow,” Eden said, “she only wants a dog because her friend Neila bought a dog.”

“It’s Leyla, not Neila! You don’t even know my best friend’s name!”

“That girl’s your best friend? She called her dog Marijuana.”

“Well, Marijuana is very sweet! He’s four months old and he’s already housebroken!”

“That’s not the problem, dammit!”

“What is the problem, then?” Dr Lern said.

“The problem is that this