Magic Hour

“You watch too much CSI. The state spent millions and they couldn’t prove it.”

“We have Alice.”

Julia felt a shiver run down her spine. Slowly she turned to face her sister. “She doesn’t remember anything. Or she can’t tell us, anyway.”

“Maybe she could lead us back to where she was kept, or held.”

Lead us back.

“You mean . . . My God, Ellie, can you imagine what that could do to her?”

“We might find evidence.”

“But, El . . . she could . . . snap. Go back into herself again. How could I live with that?”

“How traumatized is she going to be when Azelle takes her away? Will she ever understand that you didn’t abandon her?”

Julia closed her eyes. This was precisely the image that stalked her. If Alice felt abandoned again, she might simply fade back into silence and next time there might be no escape.

“I’ve thought it through from every angle. I was up all night. This is my job, Jules. I have to follow the facts. If we want to know the truth, this is our only hope.”

Julia crossed her arms, as if that simple movement could ward off this deepening chill. She walked away from her sister. Ellie didn’t understand what her proposal could mean. How fragile a child’s mind could be, how quickly things could turn tragic.

But Julia knew. She’d seen it happen in Silverwood.

Ellie came up behind her. “Jules?”

“I don’t think I could survive if Alice . . . cracked again.”

“All roads lead to Rome,” Ellie said quietly.

Julia turned to her. “What do you mean?”

“No matter what we do—or how we do it—Alice gets hurt. No child should grow up without a father, but losing you would be worse. You’ve got to trust my instincts on this. We need to know.”

To that, there was no answer. Ellie put her arm around Julia and pulled her close.

“Come on,” Ellie finally said, “let’s go make our girl breakfast.”

MAX WAS GETTING OUT OF THE SHOWER WHEN HE HEARD THE DOOR-BELL ring. He toweled off, put on an old pair of Levi’s, and went downstairs. “I’m coming.”

He opened the door.

Julia stood there: he could see how hard she was trying to smile. “Ellie wants to take Alice into the woods. To see if . . .” Her voice wavered. “. . . if she can find . . .”

He pulled her into his arms and held her until she stopped trembling, then he led her into the living room. On the sofa, he once again took her in his arms.

“What do I do?”

He touched her face gently. “You already know the answer to that. It’s why you’ve been crying.” He wiped the tears from her cheeks.

“She could regress. Or worse.”

“And what will she do if Azelle gets custody?”

She started to say something, then paused, drawing in a deep breath.

In the silence that followed, he said, “This is the time to be her mother, not her doctor.”