"Shelter" by Harlan Coben, Chapters 20–27

When his friend Ashley vanishes, Mickey Bolitar is determined to investigate—but as he delves into her disappearance, he uncovers more questions than answers.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–6, Chapters 7–13, Chapters 14–19, Chapters 20–27
35 words 32 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. outskirts
    area relatively far from the center, as of a city or town
    With my fake driver's license in my wallet, I picked up Ema on the outskirts of Kasselton Avenue.
  2. sheepish
    showing a sense of shame
    She slid into the Ford Taurus with a sheepish look on her face.
  3. confront
    oppose, as in hostility or a competition
    That was where we were headed—to Tattoos While U Wait to confront Agent.
  4. placard
    a sign posted in a public place
    It was on that tombstone in her backyard. And, someone even drew it on a placard marking my father’s grave.
  5. frequent
    coming at short intervals or habitually
    This guy was, I assumed, either another tattoo artist or a frequent client.
  6. nonchalant
    marked by casual unconcern or indifference
    “Hey, Ian,” Ema said, trying to sound nonchalant.
  7. mull
    reflect deeply on a subject
    Ian mulled that over for a moment.
  8. opulent
    rich and superior in quality
    We sat in the same opulent room where Rachel and I had been just a few short hours ago.
  9. delete
    wipe out digitally or magnetically recorded information
    “Anyway, the point is, even though Ashley deleted her history, I was able to see what she’d done on the computer.”
  10. destiny
    the ultimate agency predetermining the course of events
    I didn’t believe in fate or destiny.
  11. inevitable
    incapable of being avoided or prevented
    Surrender, I could see, was inevitable, so why delay it?
  12. tentative
    hesitant or lacking confidence; unsettled in mind or opinion
    I answered with a tentative “Hello?”
  13. mute
    a device used to soften the tone of a musical instrument
    “Put your phone on mute so they won’t hear anything from your end,” Ema said.
  14. remnant
    a small part remaining after the main part no longer exists
    Remnants of the window scraped my sides, ripping my clothes and digging into my skin.
  15. agony
    intense feelings of suffering; acute mental or physical pain
    A bolt of agony surged across my chest.
  16. implant
    fix or set securely or deeply
    My head felt as though someone had surgically implanted a jackhammer into my skull and left it running on high.
  17. depraved
    deviating from what is considered moral or right or proper
    You have no idea how depraved he can be.
  18. unbearable
    incapable of being put up with
    A pain so unbearable, a pain that made Derrick’s beating seem like a light tap on the shoulder, started clawing inside me.
  19. audition
    a test of the suitability of a performer
    Another voice—this one female and older, almost matronly—said, “Okay, forget the forms. It’s time for your audition.”
  20. commotion
    a disorderly outburst or tumult
    I heard some movement and then more commotion.
  21. conviction
    an unshakable belief in something without need for proof
    Candy shrugged without conviction.
  22. lurch
    move abruptly
    I felt my heart lurch when she said that.
  23. awkward
    lacking grace or skill in manner or movement or performance
    She started dancing as though she were the awkward cousin at a bat mitzvah.
  24. ruckus
    the act of making a noisy disturbance
    I could hear the ruckus behind him.
  25. dread
    causing fear or terror
    I ran over to his dreaded tool chest.
  26. implore
    beg or request earnestly and urgently
    Ashley looked at me with those beautiful, imploring eyes.
  27. mirth
    great merriment
    No mirth, no joy, no soul.
  28. manipulate
    influence or control shrewdly or deviously
    I thought about how I tried to help her—enabled, I guess—how I kept her on life support, how she clung to me, how she lied and even manipulated her only son.
  29. dominant
    most frequent or common
    Brown was still the room’s dominant hue.
  30. cascade
    rush down in big quantities
    Her hair was still ridiculously long, cascading down her back and almost touching the seat cushion.
  31. rant
    talk at length in a noisy, excited, or angry manner
    Some crazy old lady rants stuff I know not to be true—and yet I choose to hold on to her words like a drowning man to a life preserver.
  32. increment
    the amount by which something increases
    You make the world better in increments, not grand designs.
  33. prefer
    like better; value more highly
    “Her name was Lizzy. She preferred Lizzy.”
  34. holocaust
    an act of mass destruction and loss of life
    Is Lizzy Sobek, the girl who rescued all those kids in the Holocaust, buried in your yard, yes or no?
  35. exhausted
    depleted of energy, force, or strength
    She suddenly looked exhausted.
Created on Mon Nov 24 20:50:29 EST 2014 (updated Tue Sep 04 16:45:18 EDT 2018)

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