about Trask.”
“You
know
who did this? You have a name?”
“I have a name. I don't know where to find him. He's brilliant at covering his tracks. He's very smart, close to genius.”
She shook her head. “He's mad. He loves the fire as if it were his child. But he's angry with you . . . angry and afraid.”
He was silent. “You picked up a lot from him tonight.”
“Not because I was trying. He was bombarding me. He was wide open and spewing venom.” She closed her eyes. “It made me sick. Laura . . .”
“You're hurting,” he said quietly. “I can help. All you have to do is give me permission.”
Her lids flew open. “Don't you dare. My pain belongs to me. It's a sign I'm alive and functioning. If I wanted a sedative to block it out, I'd ask the doctor, not some half-baked—”
“Okay, okay. I just thought I'd offer.” He leaned back in his chair. “Sometimes it's hard for me to know how to strike a balance.”
“Don't strike any balance. Just act like a normal human being.”
“I am a normal human being. Most of the time. May I get you something to eat?”
“No. I don't need or want anything from—”
“We lost him, Kerry.” Jason was standing in the doorway, tears running down his cheeks. “He was dead. How am I going to tell Laura?”
“Oh, damn.” Kerry jumped to her feet and ran into his arms. “Lord, I'm sorry, Jason. I hoped with my whole heart that—”
“Me too.” His arms tightened around her. “I
knew
him, Kerry. We'd talk to him. It was like Pete was already part of the family. Laura . . . How am I—”
“I'll go with you to her room. We'll talk about it. If you want me there, I'll be there.”
He nodded. “You're always there when I need you. But if you could . . .” He shrugged. “I don't know what you could do. I don't know what anyone could do.”
She turned him toward the door. “First, we have to go to Laura. She'll want you there when she wakes up.” She brushed the tears on her cheeks away with her fist. “We'll worry about everything else later.”
Jason nodded. “Laura first.”
“Right.” She slipped her arm around his waist and opened the door. She glanced back over her shoulder at Silver. “You stay here,” she said fiercely. “No matter how long I'm gone, you be here when I get back.”
“I'm not going anywhere.” He stared directly in her eyes. “Why should I? I'd bet that bastard Trask has done my job for me.”
K erry didn't return to the waiting room until three hours later.
“Let's go,” she said curtly.
He rose to his feet. “May I ask where?”
“I need a shower, food, and something to wear besides these surgical greens the nurse gave me.”
“What about your brother?”
“He won't leave Laura. They're letting him stay here at the hospital.”
“You don't want to stay with him?”
“He doesn't need anyone but Laura now. I'd be intruding on a private grief.” She headed for the door. “Where are you staying?”
“The Marriott.” He reached for his phone. “I'll book a room for you and one for your brother for tomorrow night. Okay?”
She nodded. “I don't know if he'll use it, but it's a good idea. Clothes?”
“I'll have them open the gift shop early and buy you a few things to hold you over until we can get yours from Atlanta.”
“I'm not even going to ask how you intend to make them do that.”
“No hocus-pocus.” He took her elbow. “I'll bribe them.”
K erry had showered, washed her hair, and was blow-drying it when Silver knocked on the door two hours later.
He had also showered and changed, and he handed her a plastic bag when she opened the door. “That towel is fetching, but you'll be more comfortable in these. Pants, sweatshirt, and makeup. Sorry, they didn't have underwear. I sent the bellhop to the mall to pick up some.”
“You know my size, I suppose.”
“Bra thirty-four B, size-five panties.” He sat down in the easy chair by the
“You
know
who did this? You have a name?”
“I have a name. I don't know where to find him. He's brilliant at covering his tracks. He's very smart, close to genius.”
She shook her head. “He's mad. He loves the fire as if it were his child. But he's angry with you . . . angry and afraid.”
He was silent. “You picked up a lot from him tonight.”
“Not because I was trying. He was bombarding me. He was wide open and spewing venom.” She closed her eyes. “It made me sick. Laura . . .”
“You're hurting,” he said quietly. “I can help. All you have to do is give me permission.”
Her lids flew open. “Don't you dare. My pain belongs to me. It's a sign I'm alive and functioning. If I wanted a sedative to block it out, I'd ask the doctor, not some half-baked—”
“Okay, okay. I just thought I'd offer.” He leaned back in his chair. “Sometimes it's hard for me to know how to strike a balance.”
“Don't strike any balance. Just act like a normal human being.”
“I am a normal human being. Most of the time. May I get you something to eat?”
“No. I don't need or want anything from—”
“We lost him, Kerry.” Jason was standing in the doorway, tears running down his cheeks. “He was dead. How am I going to tell Laura?”
“Oh, damn.” Kerry jumped to her feet and ran into his arms. “Lord, I'm sorry, Jason. I hoped with my whole heart that—”
“Me too.” His arms tightened around her. “I
knew
him, Kerry. We'd talk to him. It was like Pete was already part of the family. Laura . . . How am I—”
“I'll go with you to her room. We'll talk about it. If you want me there, I'll be there.”
He nodded. “You're always there when I need you. But if you could . . .” He shrugged. “I don't know what you could do. I don't know what anyone could do.”
She turned him toward the door. “First, we have to go to Laura. She'll want you there when she wakes up.” She brushed the tears on her cheeks away with her fist. “We'll worry about everything else later.”
Jason nodded. “Laura first.”
“Right.” She slipped her arm around his waist and opened the door. She glanced back over her shoulder at Silver. “You stay here,” she said fiercely. “No matter how long I'm gone, you be here when I get back.”
“I'm not going anywhere.” He stared directly in her eyes. “Why should I? I'd bet that bastard Trask has done my job for me.”
K erry didn't return to the waiting room until three hours later.
“Let's go,” she said curtly.
He rose to his feet. “May I ask where?”
“I need a shower, food, and something to wear besides these surgical greens the nurse gave me.”
“What about your brother?”
“He won't leave Laura. They're letting him stay here at the hospital.”
“You don't want to stay with him?”
“He doesn't need anyone but Laura now. I'd be intruding on a private grief.” She headed for the door. “Where are you staying?”
“The Marriott.” He reached for his phone. “I'll book a room for you and one for your brother for tomorrow night. Okay?”
She nodded. “I don't know if he'll use it, but it's a good idea. Clothes?”
“I'll have them open the gift shop early and buy you a few things to hold you over until we can get yours from Atlanta.”
“I'm not even going to ask how you intend to make them do that.”
“No hocus-pocus.” He took her elbow. “I'll bribe them.”
K erry had showered, washed her hair, and was blow-drying it when Silver knocked on the door two hours later.
He had also showered and changed, and he handed her a plastic bag when she opened the door. “That towel is fetching, but you'll be more comfortable in these. Pants, sweatshirt, and makeup. Sorry, they didn't have underwear. I sent the bellhop to the mall to pick up some.”
“You know my size, I suppose.”
“Bra thirty-four B, size-five panties.” He sat down in the easy chair by the
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