Girl in the Shadows (Shadows 2)

"You're not making things any better. Mr. Smarty Pants, by having my children keep things from me," Mrs. Westington told him. I didn't miss her referring to me as one of her children.

"You're not making things any better by insisting on getting right into the muck before I give you the go-ahead," he replied.

"Now when you behave and let me get that blood pressure down so we can get that pacemaker started, we'll tell you all the miserable, dirty things you want."

Even she had to laugh. She turned to me. "At least tell me about Trevor." she said, eyeing the doctor. 'Where is he? Why haven't I heard a peep out of him?"

I explained where he was and why.

"I guessed as much," she said. She turned to the doctor. "Well, how long are you going to keep me in here?"

"It's up to you." Doctor Battie told her.

She sighed. "All right, all right. I'll calm down." she promised.

She turned to Echo and began to sign. I watched her carefully and I watched Echo's responses as well. She kept to her promise and told her nothing terrible. A little over an hour later, we left, assuring her we'd return in the morning. She didn't wonder why we weren't coming back that evening. She could see the fatigue in my face and just nodded.

"Come closer," she said. and I leaned over. She reached up to hug me and bring her lips close to my ear. "I don't have to know what happened exactly," she said. "But I know I should thank you for my granddaughter."

I said nothing. My throat closed with my effort to keep myself from bursting into tears. I kissed her cheek and then took Echo's hand and walked out of the hospital room. Doctor Battie approached us before we got onto the elevator.

"You all right. April?"

"I think so. I'll just get some sleep, after we have a good, hot meal."

"Okay. You can call me if you need anything. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. The cardiologist and I would like to take care of her tomorrow or the day after the latest."

"Good." I said. "We need her home."

We got into the elevator and went down to the hospital entrance. I could tell from the way some of the staff was looking at us and some of the other security personnel that our story was spreading quickly. For a few moments after we entered the motor home. I just sat in the driver's seat staring out at the small patch of woods across the way. I was really very tired. I shouldn't have been so brave and independent. I should have had someone else drive us back. I thought.

"Do you always have to be such a wimp?" I heard.

I had thrown my voice again. It seemed appropriate to do it in the motor home, even without Destiny alongside us. It was still coming from her.

I laughed to started the engine, and drove out of the parking lot. When I gazed in the rearview mirror. I saw Echo sprawled on the sofa. asleep. She looked younger, more like a six- or seven-year-old. What a difficult journey she had been on during her young life. I thought. The two of us were like the sisters of misery. We were in the same hard-luck family. Maybe now it was going to change. Maybe we had both rounded an important corner. Maybe we could dream again.

Despite what we had accomplished, Echo was still frightened when we arrived at the house. I could see it in the way she looked about and at the front door. I imagined she was wondering if her mother and Skeeter could somehow have managed to return here. I put my arm around her shoulders and

"We'll be all right now." I promised. "They're not coming back. Don't worry." The sign for worry required a bit of acting. The right fingertips were to b

e drummed against your forehead and you were supposed to frown and looked very concerned.

She laughed at my signing and we went into the house. I checked to see what we could have for our dinner. I thought we'd have an early one since we had really skipped lunch and breakfast. Shortly after. I heard the doorbell and went to greet Detective Temple. She was accompanied by another detective, a tall, lean, dark-haired man she introduced as Lieutenant Hampton.

"I hate to put you through it again," she told me. But we need to have all the information, details, and evidence.'"

"It's okay." I said, and led them upstairs to the guest room and the closet where I had been

imprisoned. The wires, the sock were all where we had left them. Detective Temple looked at me closely as I described the details and then she suddenly took my hand, nodded at Lieutenant Hampton, and pulled me aside.

"What else did he do to you?" she asked. I started to cry.

"I know how hard it is for you. I've been involved with a number of rape victims. What I want to do is have him locked up and the key thrown into the Pacific."

I nodded and described what he had done and tried to do while I was bound up in the closet. I explained how Echo had interrupted it. but I didn't mention Destiny. I thought that would only confuse her. She took notes. Lieutenant Hampton took pictures of the room, the closet, and then they went into Rhona's room and searched their things. Apparently, they found drugs and information that made them happy.

"We'll have your car back here before morning," she promised. "We know where it is and with whom it is. We've been watching these people and the investigation is all coming together now."