"I'm going to tell them," Anders says. "I'm just easing into it."
Her perfectly shaped brows arch. "I believe the situation is a little more urgent than that."
"We've been dealing with it for two hours. It can wait five more minutes. It's not life or..." He trails off as she shoots him another brow arch.
"One of you talk," Dalton says. "Now."
Isabel says. "Your deputy made the mistake of telling Nicole that we're sending her to Whitehorse the moment this weather clears."
"I was examining her," Anders says, "and explaining my lack of proper medical training, apologizing for it while promising we'll get her to a hospital as soon as possible. I was trying to be reassuring."
"Proving your serious lack of mental health training."
"Which is why the shrink should have been there, like I asked her."
Isabel looks at us. "It's both our faults. I had an incident at the bar, and I was delayed. I'd spoken to Nicole and knew she didn't want to leave Rockton. I failed to convey that to Will. We had a storm and a crisis and no sheriff." She lifts her hands. "And that's not parceling out blame. It's just fact."
"What's going on with Nicole?" I say. "Obviously she's upset about leaving. Is that what we're dealing with here?"
Anders and Isabel exchange a look.
"She's barricaded herself in the ice shed," Isabel says. "Threatening to kill herself if we don't promise she can stay."
ELEVEN
I make a beeline for the icehouse. Dalton's boots thump on the trodden snow behind me as he barks, "Out of her way!"
As I draw near the shed, I see a crouched figure resting against the door, talking to Nicole.
I slow. "What's Diana doing there?"
"She volunteered as a nurse," Anders says. "And with the storm, we could best afford to lose the least useful people."
Which described Diana. I've known her half my life. Been her best friend for years. While I'd ostensibly come to Rockton because mobbed-up Leo Saratori finally figured out who killed his grandson, the truth is that I'd been ready to accept my punishment. I'd come here to help Diana escape her abusive ex. Then I discovered she'd gotten back together with that ex and stolen a million bucks from her employer, and that was why we were here.
"I vouched for her," Isabel says as she catches up. "I won't say therapy is making Diana a better person, but the only serious danger she poses is to herself. You'll notice she's the only volunteer at that door. And she wasn't even the one who screwed up and let her escape."
As I approach, Diana rises. I can't read her expression. No more, I'm sure, than she can read mine. We've moved beyond the stage where she vows to destroy me. I'd say that's comforting, but Isabel's right--Diana's only truly a danger to herself, as she always has been. Nowadays, when we can't avoid each other, we're like two stiff-legged dogs circling and waiting for the other to lunge. Neither ever lunges. Neither submits, either. We just circle.
"He found you," Diana says.
"Yep." I no longer feel the urge to add a smart-ass sorry about your luck. To give her credit, she also resists the urge to throw in a snarky comment about Dalton.
Her gaze flicks over me. Hoping to see some damage from two days in the wild? Or making sure I'm all right? I don't even try to guess, just nod at the door and say, "Is she talking to you?"
"No. It's a one-sided conversation. I can hear her in there, though, so she's okay."
I move closer to the door. "Nicole? It's Casey."
"You're back." Her voice drifts out. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Thank you. But I'd really like to speak to you, and that'll be easier if I can come in. It'll just be me. Unless there's someone else you'd rather talk to. Eric's here, too."
"Can I talk from in here, please? I don't mean to be rude, but the moment
I open that door, they're all coming in."
I don't mean to be rude.