She punched the gas. “If she was going to do herself, she’d have left a note. Going to protect the kid, she’d have left a note confessing. If she was just going to give it up, can’t face it anymore, why did she call the kid home?”
“Rayleen realized her mother knew, and might be a threat.” Mira shook her head. “Induce her to take an overdose, and the threat’s removed. Her own mother.”
“She shoved her little brother, who was wearing footie pj’s, down the steps on Christmas morning. Pumping Mom full of pills isn’t much of a stretch.”
“If Allika Straffo dies, you’ll never prove it. Even if she lives, she may not implicate her own child.”
“She’ll be counting on that. She’s going to be wrong.”
Eve strode into the chaotic misery of the ER, scanned the bruised, the bleeding, the broken. She snagged a hustling nurse, then flipped out her badge to cut through any bull. “Straffo, Allika, OD. Where?”
“Trauma Room Three. Badge or no badge, you can’t go in. Dr. Dimatto’s a little busy trying to save her life.”
Louise Dimatto. Eve smiled. Sometimes it actually paid to have friends.
“You can get in there. So go in, tell Louise that Dallas needs a status report on her patient. Where’s the kid? The Straffo kid?”
“In the A chairs, with her nanny, father’s on the way. You know Doctor D?”
“Yeah, we go back. A chairs?”
“Follow me.”
Apparently claiming Louise had grease, and slid Eve and Mira straight through the general area to the trauma section. In an alcove across from a set of double swinging doors sat Rayleen, huddled against Cora.
The kid’s face was
splotchy from weeping, eyes red and swollen. Eve thought: Good job. Drama Club paid off.
Cora spotted Eve first, and her eyes went weepy. “Lieutenant Dallas. It’s…it’s the missus.”
But Eve’s eyes were all for Rayleen. The girl’s body stiffened. Didn’t expect me to drop in, did you? Eve thought. Then Rayleen pressed closer to Cora.
“I don’t want to talk to her. I don’t want to talk to anybody. I just want my mommy.”
“There, there now, darling. Don’t you fret. The lieutenant’s only here to try to help. Everyone’s here to help.”
Eve glanced at Mira, jerked her head. Understanding, Mira stepped forward.
“Rayleen, I’m Dr. Mira. I know you’re very frightened and very upset.”
Rayleen sniffled, raised her head to study Mira’s face. “You’re a doctor? Are you going to fix my mother?”
“Yes, I’m a doctor, and I know the doctor who’s helping your mother now. She’s a very, very good doctor.” Mira crouched down, all compassion and concern.
Good, Eve decided. Good and smart. Don’t align yourself with me. Just an attractive, female doctor. A motherly one. Eve turned, looking through the glass porthole on the trauma room door as Mira talked to Rayleen.
Inside, it looked to her as if they’d pumped stuff out of Allika, and were pumping stuff in. Louise wore a protective cape, her delicate blond hair clipped back, her smoky eyes intense.
If Allika had a shot, Eve knew Louise would give it to her.
Behind her, Mira spoke in a voice that exuded sympathy and authority. “I know you’re going to be brave now, Rayleen.”
“I’ll try, but—”
“I know it’s very hard. Can you tell me what happened?”
“I don’t know. My mom…We were supposed to have lunch at Zoology, then go to the salon. It’s our girl time.”