Chương 13
Parking lot outside Emily's school.
Sarah had been irritated because I was five minutes late.
I had told her traffic existed.
She had told me clocks existed.
Then she had walked away.
That had been eleven days ago.
Now there was dried blood in her hair.
Her face was swollen along one side.
A bandage covered part of her temple.
One wrist had deep red marks around it.
Her eyes were closed.
A doctor stood at the foot of the bed reading something on a tablet.
"Mr. Carter?"
"Yes."
"I'm Dr. Shen."
"Is she going to live?"
It was the only question I could form.
"We expect her to."
My knees weakened.
I gripped the rail.
"Expect?"
"She has a concussion and a scalp laceration, and we're evaluating for additional injuries."
"Brain bleed?"
"No evidence of one on the initial scan."
I exhaled.
"Was she unconscious because of the head injury?"
"Possibly partly."
Dr. Shen glanced at Monroe.
"There may also have been medication involved."
"What kind?"
"We're waiting on toxicology."
"Drugged?"
"We don't know yet."
I looked at Sarah.
Her mouth was dry and cracked.
There was a bruise beneath her jaw.
"Can she hear me?"
"Maybe."
"Should I talk to her?"
"You can."
Monroe stayed near the curtain.
I pulled a chair beside the bed.
For a while, I said nothing.
Everything I could think of sounded wrong.
Sarah, it's me.
Obviously.
You're safe.
Was she?
Emily is safe.
That one mattered.
I leaned closer.
"Emily's okay."
Sarah did not move.
"She got out."
Still nothing.
"I found her."
Her eyelids fluttered.
I froze.
"Sarah?"
Her mouth moved.
No sound.
I leaned closer.
"Emily is safe."
Her eyes opened a fraction.
There was no recognition at first.
Then her brow tightened.
"Mark?"
Her voice was almost air.
"I'm here."
"Emily?"
"Safe."
She closed her eyes again.
A tear slid sideways toward her ear.
"She didn't tell him."
I looked at Monroe.
Monroe stepped closer.
"Sarah, I'm Agent Monroe."
Sarah flinched.
The doctor intervened immediately.
"One question at a time."
Monroe nodded and backed off.
Sarah opened her eyes again.
"Folder."
"We found it," I said.
Her breathing changed.
"Orange?"
"Yes."
"Good."
She tried to lift her hand.
Pain stopped her.
"What was in it?"
I asked.
Dr. Shen gave me a sharp look.
I regretted the question instantly.
Sarah's eyes moved toward mine.
"Not here."
Then she closed them again.
That frightened me more than if she had answered.
Dr. Shen checked the monitor.
"That's enough."
I stood reluctantly.
"Can Emily see her?"
"Not yet."
"She needs to."
"Sarah needs rest."
"Emily thinks her mother might die."
Dr. Shen looked at me.
"And if she sees her like this without preparation, that may create another problem."
I hated him for being right.
Outside the room, Monroe waited.
"She was trying to protect the folder."
"Obviously."
"What's in it may tell us why."
"You haven't opened it?"
"It's being documented first."
I rubbed my face.
"Can I see it?"
"No."
"Of course."
Monroe glanced toward Sarah's room.
"She said 'not here.'"
"I heard."
"You know what she meant?"
"No."
"Any reason she would believe the hospital isn't safe?"
I stared at her.
"You're asking me?"
"Yes."
"I didn't even know she was gathering evidence."
Monroe accepted that.
Then her phone vibrated.
She read the screen.
"Excuse me."
She walked several feet away.
I stayed near the curtain.
Through a gap, I could see Sarah's left hand resting on the sheet.
Her wedding ring was gone.
Not ours.
The ring Jason gave her.
A pale indentation remained around the finger.
I stared at it longer than I should have.
Chris appeared at the end of the hall.
"How is she?"
"Alive."
"That's something."
"Concussion."
He nodded.
"Emily?"
"With Renee."
"She's asking every thirty seconds."
"I know."
Chris leaned against the wall.
"You look awful."
"Thanks."
"I mean it supportively."
"You're bad at that."
"So are you."
We stood together in silence.
Then Chris said, "Mom's coming."
I turned.
"What?"
"I told her not to."
"Then why is she coming?"
"Because she is Mom."
I closed my eyes.
"Not today."
"Good luck."
"Chris."
"I told her."
"Tell her again."
"She said and I quote, 'I am not asking either of you for permission to see my granddaughter.'"
I almost smiled.
"That sounds exactly like her."
"Yeah."
The small normality helped for perhaps five seconds.
Then Monroe returned.
"We have a development."
Chris straightened.
"What kind?"
She looked at him.
"Are you immediate family?"
"Brother."
"Stay."
She lowered her voice.
"The storage facility has exterior cameras."
My heart accelerated.
"Jason?"
"Possibly."
"Possibly?"
"The footage shows a dark sedan arriving Thursday afternoon."
"The same car?"
"We believe so."
"Who was driving?"
"Male, baseball cap, face partially obscured."
"Eric?"
"We can't confirm from that angle."
"Sarah?"
"She appears to be in the passenger seat."
My hands went cold.
"Appears?"
"Female matching her build and clothing."
"Conscious?"
"Hard to tell."
"What happens next?"
"The driver exits, accesses the unit, then returns to the passenger side."
"Does she walk?"
Monroe paused.
"No."
Chris swore under his breath.
"The driver carries her inside."
I looked through the curtain toward Sarah.
"How long does he stay?"
"Twenty-six minutes."
"Then leaves?"
"Yes."
"Alone?"
"Yes."
"Does anyone come back?"
Monroe's expression changed.
"That's the development."
"What?"
"Another person arrived Friday morning."
"Jason?"
"Maybe."
Her face told me it was not simple.
"Who?"
"We don't have identification yet."
"What did they do?"
"They entered the unit."
"For how long?"
"Seven minutes."
"Then?"
"Left."
"Did they bring anything?"
"A grocery bag and water."
That did not fit the monster in my head.
"Someone fed her?"
"Apparently."
"Why?"
"We don't know."
Chris looked at me.
"Maybe they were keeping her alive."
The sentence landed badly.
Monroe continued.
"The same person returned Saturday evening."
"With Jason?"
"No."
"With Eric?"
"No."
"Alone?"
"Yes."
"What happened?"
"They stayed approximately twelve minutes."
"Can you see their face?"
"Not clearly."
"Man or woman?"
Monroe hesitated.
May you like
"Likely female."
I stared at her.
