Madeline Rae Bennett
…Becky Pendragon was one of those friends, a bright soul with tanned skin, a perpetual braid of golden hair, and a laugh that could lift an entire room. Becky loved cooking and entertaining, and she turned every dinner into an occasion. Her longtime friend Brad Lancaster was the opposite in temperament, but perfectly complementary. He had short curls of brown hair, curious brown eyes, and an endless supply of stories gathered from his travels as a photojournalist. If Becky was the heart of their circle, Brad was its humor, keeping everyone laughing with his easy wit.
Through Jennifer’s building they met Thomas Langley, a historian at Columbia who joined their dinners from time to time. He was the eldest of the group, thoughtful and meticulous, with short blond hair combed neatly back and sharp blue eyes behind wire-rimmed glasses. He took notes on nearly everything—quotes, facts, questions—and spoke with the calm precision of a man who studied the world by cataloguing it.
For nearly a decade the group lived what most would call a perfect Manhattan life. Work, dinners, games, and laughter filled their days. Maddie’s career flourished at The Brightwell Group, where her persistence and intuition made her one of the firm’s youngest rising executives. Jennifer’s company prospered, Becky became a sought-after event planner, Brad’s photographs appeared in national publications, and Thomas continued his research into the cultural patchwork that shaped America.
Then the call came.
Cassandra was dead.