elephant stampede from downstairs. Gracie hoped by some miracle they’d all disappear in the morning. After his quick briefing on Analise’s condition, Dr. Graebel left to go back to his other patient, Brendan, who was still under observation. He promised to update them in the morning.
As soon as he was gone, Analise curled into Gracie’s body and began to cry. Eddie and Reilly stood by, neither looking like they knew just what to do. The kid with the Hollywood looks inched closer to the two men. A camera hung around his neck and his hands moved up to hold it and then back to his sides several times, as if he were trying to decide whether or not he’d get away with taking a picture. Gracie gave him a hard stare, letting him know in no uncertain terms that he wouldn’t.
Reilly seemed to notice her fixated attention and turned to the young man. “Go to bed, Zach.”
“ But—”
“ Go upstairs, find an empty room, and go to bed.”
Spoken like a father to an errant child. Zach looked less than willing to go, but conceded the stare down and went upstairs.
Gracie brushed the hair back from Analise’s face and murmured soothing words to her as she cried. Gracie couldn’t stop her own tears of relief as she held her daughter. Only now could she admit to herself just how frightened she’d been.
After awhile, Analise’s sniffles quieted and Eddie spoke. “Analise, do you think you could talk to us about what happened tonight?”
Her lashes were spiky and her eyes shiny from tears. She looked so young and defenseless that Gracie thought her heart might break. She’d spent her life trying to shelter Analise from pain and fear, yet here she was, captive to both all the same.
“ I don’t remember what happened,” Analise said in a thick voice.
“ Why are you here, honey?” Gracie asked, thinking that might be a good place to start.
Analise bit her lip and looked down. “Brendan brought me as a surprise. For my birthday.”
“ You lied to me about staying with Karen.”
Analise nodded. Gracie let it go.
“ Why did Brendan think a trip to Diablo Springs would be a birthday surprise?” Eddie asked.
“ He knew I was curious about where I came from. Who my dad is.” She glanced at Gracie and quickly away.
“ But how did he know about Diablo Springs?” Gracie asked, steering away from that topic.
Analise held up her wrist and jingled her bracelet. It had been Gracie’s and before that, her mother’s and her grandmother’s. Gracie didn’t really know how old it was, but she’d given it to Analise for Christmas last year. Analise twisted it around until she found the charm she wanted and held it apart from the rest. Gracie felt numb as she stared at the small state of Arizona engraved with the words Diablo Springs.
“ Brendan said he saw a sign for it the last time he went to Phoenix and he knew it had to be the same place. He said my grandmother lives here. Does she, Mom?”
More tears burned Gracie’s eyes. She didn’t want to answer that question, but of course, she had to. “Lived. I’m sorry, Analise. She died tonight.”
“ Tonight?”
Gracie nodded.
“ Where?”
Gracie frowned at the question. “I don’t know.” She looked at Eddie. “I don’t even know what happened to her yet. I don’t know how she died.”
Eddie avoided her eyes for a moment and sat down opposite them. “Let’s start at the beginning,” he said.
Frowning, Gracie nodded. Reilly stayed in the background. Gracie glared at him, letting him know that he wasn’t welcome. He looked back, unmoving.
“ What time did you get here?” Eddie was asking Analise.
Analise sniffed and wiped at her eyes. “I’m not sure. The sun was just setting, though. It got dark really fast. I didn’t like it out there, but Brendan had read something about the old hot springs. He was so excited that I didn’t want to, you know, be a bummer. Then we ... then we heard something.”
“ What?” both Eddie and Gracie
As soon as he was gone, Analise curled into Gracie’s body and began to cry. Eddie and Reilly stood by, neither looking like they knew just what to do. The kid with the Hollywood looks inched closer to the two men. A camera hung around his neck and his hands moved up to hold it and then back to his sides several times, as if he were trying to decide whether or not he’d get away with taking a picture. Gracie gave him a hard stare, letting him know in no uncertain terms that he wouldn’t.
Reilly seemed to notice her fixated attention and turned to the young man. “Go to bed, Zach.”
“ But—”
“ Go upstairs, find an empty room, and go to bed.”
Spoken like a father to an errant child. Zach looked less than willing to go, but conceded the stare down and went upstairs.
Gracie brushed the hair back from Analise’s face and murmured soothing words to her as she cried. Gracie couldn’t stop her own tears of relief as she held her daughter. Only now could she admit to herself just how frightened she’d been.
After awhile, Analise’s sniffles quieted and Eddie spoke. “Analise, do you think you could talk to us about what happened tonight?”
Her lashes were spiky and her eyes shiny from tears. She looked so young and defenseless that Gracie thought her heart might break. She’d spent her life trying to shelter Analise from pain and fear, yet here she was, captive to both all the same.
“ I don’t remember what happened,” Analise said in a thick voice.
“ Why are you here, honey?” Gracie asked, thinking that might be a good place to start.
Analise bit her lip and looked down. “Brendan brought me as a surprise. For my birthday.”
“ You lied to me about staying with Karen.”
Analise nodded. Gracie let it go.
“ Why did Brendan think a trip to Diablo Springs would be a birthday surprise?” Eddie asked.
“ He knew I was curious about where I came from. Who my dad is.” She glanced at Gracie and quickly away.
“ But how did he know about Diablo Springs?” Gracie asked, steering away from that topic.
Analise held up her wrist and jingled her bracelet. It had been Gracie’s and before that, her mother’s and her grandmother’s. Gracie didn’t really know how old it was, but she’d given it to Analise for Christmas last year. Analise twisted it around until she found the charm she wanted and held it apart from the rest. Gracie felt numb as she stared at the small state of Arizona engraved with the words Diablo Springs.
“ Brendan said he saw a sign for it the last time he went to Phoenix and he knew it had to be the same place. He said my grandmother lives here. Does she, Mom?”
More tears burned Gracie’s eyes. She didn’t want to answer that question, but of course, she had to. “Lived. I’m sorry, Analise. She died tonight.”
“ Tonight?”
Gracie nodded.
“ Where?”
Gracie frowned at the question. “I don’t know.” She looked at Eddie. “I don’t even know what happened to her yet. I don’t know how she died.”
Eddie avoided her eyes for a moment and sat down opposite them. “Let’s start at the beginning,” he said.
Frowning, Gracie nodded. Reilly stayed in the background. Gracie glared at him, letting him know that he wasn’t welcome. He looked back, unmoving.
“ What time did you get here?” Eddie was asking Analise.
Analise sniffed and wiped at her eyes. “I’m not sure. The sun was just setting, though. It got dark really fast. I didn’t like it out there, but Brendan had read something about the old hot springs. He was so excited that I didn’t want to, you know, be a bummer. Then we ... then we heard something.”
“ What?” both Eddie and Gracie
Similar Books
