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Authors: Amanda Stevens
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conversation. Maybe she should just tell Detective Devlin the truth. Get it all out in the open. As Hayden pointed out, that might be her best protection. But Ree didn’t trust Devlin. He’d become suspect the moment she’d seen him with Dr. Farrante.
“You ran off without giving your statement,” he said smoothly.
Ree refused to be lulled by that silky drawl. “Something came up. I couldn’t wait.”
“Something more important than a murder investigation?”
“I told you, I don’t know anything about that murder.”
“Then tell me what you know about Jared Tisdale.”
Ree didn’t want to tell him anything, but she was wise enough to realize that she’d better give him something.
She nodded and shifted her messenger bag to the other shoulder. “I volunteer at the Milton H. Farrante Psychiatric Hospital. Night before last one of the nurses asked me to deliver a package to Dr. Farrante’s office. Just as I got there, I saw a man coming out of Dr. Farrante’s office. It was Tisdale, but I didn’t know that until I saw his picture on the news yesterday morning.”
“What time was this?”
“Around nine, I think.”
“Did he say anything?”
“No. It was a very brief encounter. He brushed by me on his way out. I spoke with Dr. Farrante for a moment, left the package, and then went back to work. That’s all I can tell you. I don’t know if it’s important, but I thought it might be helpful in establishing a timeline.”
“That’s very civic-minded of you,” he said. “Did you speak to Dr. Farrante about this?”
“No. I haven’t been back to the hospital. As soon as I saw the news report, I went straight to the police.”
“Is there anything else you’d like to tell me?” His gaze narrowed and darkened, his focus so intense, Ree had to glance away.
She pretended to check her phone. “As I said, it was a very brief encounter. Now if you’ll excuse me…I don’t want to be late to my next class.”
To Ree’s surprise, he made no attempt to detain her. She ran down the steps and only glanced back when she got to the bottom. Detective Devlin was nowhere in sight.
Ree had a shift at the hospital that night and for the first time since she’d started working part-time jobs at sixteen, she considered calling in sick. But she was already on Devlin’s radar—Dr. Farrante’s, too, unfortunately—so the best thing to do was continue her usual routine. Act as though nothing had happened. Hopefully, Tisdale’s killer would soon be caught and she could fade back into the woodwork. There was still the secret involving Violet and Ilsa to uncover, but nothing could be done about that without calling too much attention to herself. For now, her curiosity and sense of justice would have to be put on hold.
The evening went smoothly enough until Trudy summoned her to escort Alice Canton back to her room. Remembering how Alice had reacted to her two nights ago, Ree almost expected the woman to shy away from her. But instead Alice docilely followed her down the corridor, even humming under her breath as though she hadn’t a care in the world. When they got to her door, however, she turned to glance warily over Ree’s shoulder.
“Where is she?”
“Where is who?” Ree asked.
“The girl in the blue dress.”
Ree’s scalp began to prickle. “I don’t know.”
“She’ll come back.” Alice warned. Then she leaned in and lowered her voice to a terrified whisper. “They always come back.”
More than a little spooked, Ree settled Alice in and then hurried back up to the front desk.
“What’s the matter with you?” Trudy asked. “You look as if you just saw a ghost.”
“Why does everyone keep saying that?” Ree muttered.
Trudy didn’t seem to hear her. “I need a favor before you sign out.” She shoved a thick stack of folders across the counter. “Apparently, Dr. Alden’s researching another book. He finished with these files two days ago, but nobody on days can be
“You ran off without giving your statement,” he said smoothly.
Ree refused to be lulled by that silky drawl. “Something came up. I couldn’t wait.”
“Something more important than a murder investigation?”
“I told you, I don’t know anything about that murder.”
“Then tell me what you know about Jared Tisdale.”
Ree didn’t want to tell him anything, but she was wise enough to realize that she’d better give him something.
She nodded and shifted her messenger bag to the other shoulder. “I volunteer at the Milton H. Farrante Psychiatric Hospital. Night before last one of the nurses asked me to deliver a package to Dr. Farrante’s office. Just as I got there, I saw a man coming out of Dr. Farrante’s office. It was Tisdale, but I didn’t know that until I saw his picture on the news yesterday morning.”
“What time was this?”
“Around nine, I think.”
“Did he say anything?”
“No. It was a very brief encounter. He brushed by me on his way out. I spoke with Dr. Farrante for a moment, left the package, and then went back to work. That’s all I can tell you. I don’t know if it’s important, but I thought it might be helpful in establishing a timeline.”
“That’s very civic-minded of you,” he said. “Did you speak to Dr. Farrante about this?”
“No. I haven’t been back to the hospital. As soon as I saw the news report, I went straight to the police.”
“Is there anything else you’d like to tell me?” His gaze narrowed and darkened, his focus so intense, Ree had to glance away.
She pretended to check her phone. “As I said, it was a very brief encounter. Now if you’ll excuse me…I don’t want to be late to my next class.”
To Ree’s surprise, he made no attempt to detain her. She ran down the steps and only glanced back when she got to the bottom. Detective Devlin was nowhere in sight.
Ree had a shift at the hospital that night and for the first time since she’d started working part-time jobs at sixteen, she considered calling in sick. But she was already on Devlin’s radar—Dr. Farrante’s, too, unfortunately—so the best thing to do was continue her usual routine. Act as though nothing had happened. Hopefully, Tisdale’s killer would soon be caught and she could fade back into the woodwork. There was still the secret involving Violet and Ilsa to uncover, but nothing could be done about that without calling too much attention to herself. For now, her curiosity and sense of justice would have to be put on hold.
The evening went smoothly enough until Trudy summoned her to escort Alice Canton back to her room. Remembering how Alice had reacted to her two nights ago, Ree almost expected the woman to shy away from her. But instead Alice docilely followed her down the corridor, even humming under her breath as though she hadn’t a care in the world. When they got to her door, however, she turned to glance warily over Ree’s shoulder.
“Where is she?”
“Where is who?” Ree asked.
“The girl in the blue dress.”
Ree’s scalp began to prickle. “I don’t know.”
“She’ll come back.” Alice warned. Then she leaned in and lowered her voice to a terrified whisper. “They always come back.”
More than a little spooked, Ree settled Alice in and then hurried back up to the front desk.
“What’s the matter with you?” Trudy asked. “You look as if you just saw a ghost.”
“Why does everyone keep saying that?” Ree muttered.
Trudy didn’t seem to hear her. “I need a favor before you sign out.” She shoved a thick stack of folders across the counter. “Apparently, Dr. Alden’s researching another book. He finished with these files two days ago, but nobody on days can be
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