call.”
I surged to my feet. “And you didn’t tell me?”
Robin rose more slowly. Resignation moved in her voice. “I’m a cop first, Adam. I couldn’t tell you.”
I looked around, grabbed my shoes, started pulling them on. “Where’s Grace now?”
“She’s at the hospital. Your father is with her. So are Dolf and Jamie. There’s nothing you can do.”
“Screw that.”
“She’s sedated, Adam. It won’t make a difference if you’re there or not. But you saw her this afternoon, right before it happened. You may have seen something, heard something. You need to come with me.”
“Grace comes first.”
I turned for the door. She put her hand on my arm, pulled me to a stop. “There are questions that need to be answered.”
I pulled my arm away, ignored her sudden anger, and felt my own emotion rise. “When you got the call, you knew it was Grace? Didn’t you?”
She did not have to answer. It was obvious.
“You knew what that would mean to me and you lied about it. Worse, you tested me. You knew that I’d seen Grace and you tested me. What? Did Jamie tell you that I was there? That I saw her at the river?”
“I won’t apologize. You were the last to see her. I had to know if you’d tell me that.”
“Five years ago,” I spat out. “Did you believe me then?”
Her eyes drifted left. “I would not be with you if I thought you’d killed that boy.”
“So, where’s the trust now? Where’s the goddamn faith?”
She saw the rage in me, but didn’t flinch. “It’s what I do, Adam. It’s who I am.”
“Screw that, Robin.”
“Adam—”
“How could you even think it?”
I turned violently away; she raised a hand to stop me, but could not. I tore open the door and was through, into the thick night that held such perfect ruin.
CHAPTER 6
It was a short drive. I passed the Episcopal church and the old English cemetery. I took a left at the water tower, ignored the once grand homes that had decayed and been cut up into low-rent apartments; then I was into the medical district, among the doctor’s offices, pharmacies, and glass-front stores selling orthopedic shoes and walkers. I parked in the emergency room lot, and headed for the double doors. The entrance was lit, everything else dark. I saw a figure leaning against the wall, the glow of a cigarette. I looked once and glanced away. Jamie’s voice surprised me.
“Hey, bro.”
He took a last drag and flicked the butt into the parking lot. I met him near the door, under one of the many lights.
“Hey, Jamie. How is she?”
He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans and shrugged. “Who knows? They won’t let us see her yet. I think that she’s conscious and all, but she’s like, catatonic.”
“Is Dad here?”
“Yeah. And Dolf.”
“What about Miriam and your mom?”
“They’ve been in Charlotte. Flew in from Colorado last night and stayed to shop. They should be here before long. George went in to pick them up.”
“George?” I asked.
“George Tallman.”
“I don’t understand.”
Jamie waved a hand. “It’s a long story. Trust me.”
I nodded. “I’m going in. I need to talk to Dad. How’s Dolf holding up?”
“Everybody’s a mess.”
“You coming?”
His head moved. “I can’t handle it in there.”
“See you in a bit, then.” I turned for the door, and felt his hand on my shoulder.
“Adam, wait.” I turned back, and he looked miserable. “I’m not just out here to have a smoke.”
“I don’t understand.”
He looked up and then to the side, at everything but my face. “It’s not going to be pretty in there.”
“What do you mean?”
“Dolf found her, okay. She didn’t come home and he went looking for her. He found her where she’d been dragged off the trail. She was bloody, barely conscious. He carried her home, put her in the car, and drove her here.” He hesitated.
“And?”
“And she talked. She hasn’t said a word since
I surged to my feet. “And you didn’t tell me?”
Robin rose more slowly. Resignation moved in her voice. “I’m a cop first, Adam. I couldn’t tell you.”
I looked around, grabbed my shoes, started pulling them on. “Where’s Grace now?”
“She’s at the hospital. Your father is with her. So are Dolf and Jamie. There’s nothing you can do.”
“Screw that.”
“She’s sedated, Adam. It won’t make a difference if you’re there or not. But you saw her this afternoon, right before it happened. You may have seen something, heard something. You need to come with me.”
“Grace comes first.”
I turned for the door. She put her hand on my arm, pulled me to a stop. “There are questions that need to be answered.”
I pulled my arm away, ignored her sudden anger, and felt my own emotion rise. “When you got the call, you knew it was Grace? Didn’t you?”
She did not have to answer. It was obvious.
“You knew what that would mean to me and you lied about it. Worse, you tested me. You knew that I’d seen Grace and you tested me. What? Did Jamie tell you that I was there? That I saw her at the river?”
“I won’t apologize. You were the last to see her. I had to know if you’d tell me that.”
“Five years ago,” I spat out. “Did you believe me then?”
Her eyes drifted left. “I would not be with you if I thought you’d killed that boy.”
“So, where’s the trust now? Where’s the goddamn faith?”
She saw the rage in me, but didn’t flinch. “It’s what I do, Adam. It’s who I am.”
“Screw that, Robin.”
“Adam—”
“How could you even think it?”
I turned violently away; she raised a hand to stop me, but could not. I tore open the door and was through, into the thick night that held such perfect ruin.
CHAPTER 6
It was a short drive. I passed the Episcopal church and the old English cemetery. I took a left at the water tower, ignored the once grand homes that had decayed and been cut up into low-rent apartments; then I was into the medical district, among the doctor’s offices, pharmacies, and glass-front stores selling orthopedic shoes and walkers. I parked in the emergency room lot, and headed for the double doors. The entrance was lit, everything else dark. I saw a figure leaning against the wall, the glow of a cigarette. I looked once and glanced away. Jamie’s voice surprised me.
“Hey, bro.”
He took a last drag and flicked the butt into the parking lot. I met him near the door, under one of the many lights.
“Hey, Jamie. How is she?”
He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans and shrugged. “Who knows? They won’t let us see her yet. I think that she’s conscious and all, but she’s like, catatonic.”
“Is Dad here?”
“Yeah. And Dolf.”
“What about Miriam and your mom?”
“They’ve been in Charlotte. Flew in from Colorado last night and stayed to shop. They should be here before long. George went in to pick them up.”
“George?” I asked.
“George Tallman.”
“I don’t understand.”
Jamie waved a hand. “It’s a long story. Trust me.”
I nodded. “I’m going in. I need to talk to Dad. How’s Dolf holding up?”
“Everybody’s a mess.”
“You coming?”
His head moved. “I can’t handle it in there.”
“See you in a bit, then.” I turned for the door, and felt his hand on my shoulder.
“Adam, wait.” I turned back, and he looked miserable. “I’m not just out here to have a smoke.”
“I don’t understand.”
He looked up and then to the side, at everything but my face. “It’s not going to be pretty in there.”
“What do you mean?”
“Dolf found her, okay. She didn’t come home and he went looking for her. He found her where she’d been dragged off the trail. She was bloody, barely conscious. He carried her home, put her in the car, and drove her here.” He hesitated.
“And?”
“And she talked. She hasn’t said a word since
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