If You Tell: A True Story of Murder, Family Secrets, and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood

After Shane moves in, Shelly’s hairdresser and best friend, Kathy Loreno, moves in, too. Standing tall at six feet, she is an imposing figure. Kathy begins babysitting Shelly’s kids. Sami sees her as a second mother figure, while Nikki and Shane are irritated that they have another adult in their lives telling them what to do.

In December 1988, Shelly makes two announcements: She is pregnant with her third child, and Kathy is moving in with them. This surprises the entire family, including Dave, but Shelly says that Kathy’s family has abandoned her and that she will act “like a midwife” during her pregnancy (88). Dave does not try to fight it. Sami is happy to have Kathy staying with them, but Nikki and Shane are suspicious of her overbearing ways and sudden arrival in their home.

Kathy grew up in North Hollywood, California, the daughter of a father who worked for NBC and a beautiful but unhappy mother. They often moved neighborhoods as Kathy’s mother remarried several times. At age 18, Kathy began beauty school, but her mother announced that the family would be moving to Pacific County despite the fact she did not have a job or support system once they arrived.