Survivor in Death (In Death 20)

“Why don’t you bring her down here? It’s a nice, comfortable space, and might help put her at ease.”

“I’ll bring her down.” Summerset faded out of the doorway, and left Eve frowning.

“Am I going to owe him for this?” she wondered. “For, you know, riding herd or whatever you’d call it. Because I’d really hate that.”

“I think you’re fortunate to have someone on premises who’s willing and able to tend to a young, traumatized girl.”

“Yeah, shit.” Eve sighed. “I was afraid of that.”

“It might help to remember the child’s welfare and state of mind is priority.”

“Looking at him on a regular basis might send her back into shock.”

But when Nixie came in, the cat on her heels, she had her hand firmly in Summerset’s bony one, releasing it only when she saw Eve. Nixie walked directly to her. “Did you find them?”

“Working on it. This is Dr. Mira. She’s going to help—”

“I already saw a doctor. I don’t want to see a doctor.” Nixie’s voice began to rise. “I don’t want—”

“Throttle back,” Eve ordered. “Mira’s a friend of mine, and she’s not only a doctor, she works with the cops.”

Nixie slid her eyes toward Mira. “She doesn’t look like the police.”

“I work with the police,” Mira said in calm, quiet tones. “I try to help them understand the people who commit crimes. I’ve known Lieutenant Dallas quite a while. I want to help her, and you, find the people who hurt your family.”

“They didn’t hurt them, they killed them. They’re all dead.”

“Yes, I know. It’s horrible.” Mira’s gaze and her tone stayed level. “The worst thing that can happen.”

“I wish it didn’t.”

“So do I. I think if we sit down and talk, we might be able to help.”

“They killed Linnie.” Nixie’s bottom lip began to tremble. “They thought she was me, and now she’s dead. I wasn’t supposed to go downstairs.”

“We all do things we’re not really supposed to sometimes.”

“But Linnie didn’t. I was bad, and she wasn’t. And she’s dead.”

“Not so very bad,” Mira said gently, and taking Nixie’s hand led her to a chair. “Why did you go downstairs?”

“I wanted an Orange Fizzy. I’m not supposed to have them without permission. I’m not supposed to snack at night. My mom—” she broke off, knuckled her eyes.

“Your mom would have said no, so yes, it was wrong of you to go behind her back. But she’d be very glad you weren’t hurt, wouldn’t she? She’d be happy that, this once, you broke the rules.”

“I guess.” Galahad leaped into her lap, and Nixie stroked his wide back. “But Linnie—”

“It wasn’t your fault. Nothing that happened was your fault. You didn’t cause it, and you couldn’t have stopped it.”

Nixie looked up. “Maybe if I’d yelled really loud, I’d’ve woken everyone up.

My dad could’ve fought the bad guys.”

“Did your father have a weapon?” Eve demanded before Mira could speak.

“No, but—”

“Two men with knives, and him unarmed. Maybe if you’d yelled he’d have woken up. And he’d still be dead. Only difference is they’d have known someone else was in the house, hunted you down, and killed you, too.”