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

Sami’s 25th birthday falls the day after her parents are arrested. Determined to make things appear as though nothing is wrong, she and Kaley go out for a steak dinner. She does her best to ignore the fact that her family is now all over the headlines and her parents’ pictures are all over the news. Sami begins to feel overwhelmed, and they go home.

As they drive, Sami receives a call from Lara, who informs her that Dave confessed to Shane’s murder. Distraught, Sami realizes she’d held out hope he’d found happiness somewhere away from their home as a way not to see the truth of what was going on. Dave never gives a full confession regarding Shane’s murder, only admitting that “Shane’s in the ocean” and that he’d found him playing around with a rifle in the pole building (382). The two fought over the gun, and Dave accidentally shot Shane. He brought Shelly down to show her, but they were both too afraid to report the accident to the police.

Nikki is utterly devastated hearing the news and struggles with the media attention on her and her family. All she wants is to live a normal, quiet life. She is afraid that she is to blame for Shane’s death.