LESS THAN AN HOUR LATER, Lynch pulled up to the small medical building that housed Kendra’s office. He turned to Kendra. “Can I come inside?”
“The observation booth will already be packed with parents. You don’t have to stick around. I’ll catch a Lyft back home.”
“No. Call me instead. I’ll be down the street, drinking coffee and catching up on emails. And while I’m at it, I’ll check my sources and see if I can find any connections between Elena Meyer and Elizabeth Gelson.”
“Sounds good. Thanks.”
Kendra climbed out of the car and hurried into the building, where she knew some of her clients would already be waiting. Sure enough, Serena Davis, Tim Shales, and Haley Sims, aged nine, eleven, and seven, respectively, were waiting outside her office with their mothers.
“Ready to make some music?” Kendra said.
Only Haley responded with a weak “Yeah.” As usual, none of the children made eye contact with her. They were autistic, and they were there precisely because of their difficulty connecting with others. Kendra welcomed them into her studio, a large carpeted room with a piano, a drum kit, and several other musical instruments on stands. The children went straight to their preferred instruments—the drums for Serena, a guitar for Tim, and an electronic keyboard for Haley.
Kendra made small talk with the mothers while two more children, David Gray and Vicki Misner, arrived with their parents. David picked up a bass guitar and Vicki grabbed a cowbell. Kendra nodded to the parents and they adjourned to a small observation room with a one-way glass window.
“Have you been practicing?” Kendra asked the children.
“No,” Haley said listlessly. The others didn’t respond.
Kendra smiled. “Points for honesty. Okay, this is all about learning to play in a band.”
Vicki started striking the cowbell.
“Not yet, Vicki. Vicki?”
Vicki stopped.
“Okay,” Kendra said. “There’s more to being in a band than just playing your parts. You must also pay attention to what everyone else is doing. That’s the most important thing. Does anyone remember why you must pay attention to each other?
“So we can stay together and keep the sound balanced,” Tim said.
Kendra knew Tim would be the one to answer, just as she knew he would answer with a word-for-word recitation of what she’d told them at their last session.
“That’s right, Tim. Very good. We’re going to start with ‘Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da.’ I know you guys really like that one. Let’s try to stay together this time.” Kendra started the time count by clapping her hands. “Ready … Go!”
Vicki started with the cowbell and Haley jumped in with the keyboard a measure later. A few bars after that Serena joined in on the drums and David and Tim started on the guitars.
It was probably one of the worst renditions of the song Kendra had ever heard, despite some good keyboard playing by Haley.
But it was wonderful.
Because the kids were loving it. Their smiles grew broader with each passing note. And most importantly, they were working together, accommodating each other’s rhythms and dynamics.
Kendra found herself smiling as broadly as any of the kids. These children had difficulty communicating on any level, but maybe, through music, she’d helped them crack open a door. There were weeks and months of work ahead, but if this could help them connect with the world around them, it would be worth it.
She’d needed this, she realized. At that moment the horror of the murdered and missing women were a million miles away. Here, in this room, there was only joy.
And hope.
* * *
ONE HOUR AND SEVEN similarly mangled pop classics later, Kendra said good-bye to the children and their parents. It was a good day and everyone knew it. She watched them through the tall glass windows of her building corridor. They seemed happy as they piled into their minivans.
“That was beautiful.” Lynch’s voice.
She turned to see him standing in the hall behind her.
“Where did you come from?” she asked. “I thought you were going to get coffee.”
“Changed my mind.”
“So where have you been?”
He pointed to the outer doorway to her observation room. “Watching you.”
“After I told you to go away?”
“I entered from out here. The parents were very accommodating. They made room for me. Nice people.”
She clicked her tongue. “Too nice, obviously.”
“Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.” He grinned. “I love watching you work.”
“The kids were doing all the work.”
“No, the kids were having a blast. And believe me so were their parents. I can understand why you wouldn’t want to leave this behind.”
She stiffened at the thought. “And I never will.”
“You shouldn’t. You’re breaking new ground here. How often does anyone get to do that?”
She smiled. “When I see it working, there’s nothing better.”
“I can see that. You’re positively … luminous.”
She instinctively looked away. “Yeah, sure.”
He leaned toward her. “And that shouldn’t make you uncomfortable.”
“It doesn’t.”
“Yes, it does. With one glance you pick up just about all there is to know about everyone you meet. But you hate it when you give away anything about yourself. Even if it’s something kind of wonderful.”
She was about to argue, but she stopped herself. “I guess I just like to be in control of what I choose to share. You should identify with that, you’re into control in a big way, Lynch.”
“Guilty. But sometimes it’s good to let go.”
“I did that a lot back in my wild days right after I got my sight.”
“I wish I’d known you then.”
What would it have been like to have encountered Lynch during that period when she had never run across a boundary that she didn’t try to break? Exciting? Breathtaking? Challenging?
Dangerous …
“Maybe. Maybe not. I had a lot of fun, but I was probably pretty selfish. I wanted to taste everything life had to offer.”
“Then I would have shared the cup and filled it for you to the brim again. You’d earned it.”
She shrugged. “That’s what I told myself.”
“Well, if you’re worried about that rosy glow of yours making you appear too vulnerable, I’ve got something that will wipe it right off your face.”
“Meeting a dead woman’s grieving parents?”
“Yep.”
“That would do it.”
He raised his phone. “Metcalf sent us both a text about fifteen minutes ago. They’re going straight from the airport to the medical examiner’s office. We’re going to meet them there.”
Kendra nodded, imagining that glow he’d mentioned was fading fast. “They’re making her parents come to ID the body in person?”
“No, it’s their choice. They could have looked at a photo, but they wanted to come see her and bring her home themselves.”
“I can see that they would.” Kendra was heading for the door. “They’re probably hoping there was some mistake. It’s the first thing that every parent thinks when it’s their child that’s been taken. That it couldn’t happen to them and their family.” She added wearily, “I wish they were right this time.”
* * *
IT TOOK THEM THIRTY MINUTES to get to the medical examiner’s office, and as they pulled into the parking lot, Kendra registered a text from Metcalf:
ID made, now’s the time. Conference Room #1.
Kendra grabbed the passenger door handle. “Let’s go.”
They entered the building and took the stairs up one floor to the administrative offices. Then they made their way to a small conference room at the end of the corridor. Metcalf was already seated at a long table across from the couple. He looked at them in relief as they came into the room. He might be an experienced FBI agent, but dealing with a victim’s parents had always been difficult for him. All the training in the world couldn’t change the fact that he hadn’t been able to develop the calluses needed to keep him from empathizing. What the hell? Neither had Kendra. And one glance was all it took to see that the Meyers were far from stoic.
The man was withdrawn to the point of catatonia and the woman’s face was stained by tears. Probably the absolute worst time to pry information from them, Kendra thought. She took a seat next to Metcalf. Lynch stood behind them.
Metcalf quickly made the introductions. “Keith and Cynthia Meyer, this is Kendra Michaels and Adam Lynch.”
Kendra leaned toward them. “We’re very sorry for your loss. We know you’ve already been through a lot. We’ll try not to keep you any longer than absolutely necessary.”
No reaction from the couple. They were probably still seeing their daughter in the morgue downstairs, Kendra thought. Like they’d ever forget it.
Metcalf broke the long moment of silence. “We have reason to believe your daughter was trying to make contact with Kendra shortly before her death. Did she ever mention the name Kendra Michaels to you?”
Keith and Cynthia shook their heads “no.”
Kendra wondered if they’d even heard him. They seemed to be totally numb. “I didn’t know your daughter, and I don’t know how she knew me,” she said gently. “But I want to help find out who did this to her. Will you help us do that?”
A single tear streamed down Keith’s face as he nodded. “Whatever you need.”
“Thank you,” Kendra said softly. “Where did your daughter work?”
Cynthia dabbed her eyes with a crumpled tissue. “She was a paralegal. She wanted to be an attorney, but after she graduated from college she decided to get some work experience before she started law school. But the firm kept her so busy that law school never happened for her.”
“Which firm?” Metcalf asked.
“Collins, Collins and Levinsky.”
“It’s a big firm,” Keith added.
Metcalf jotted the name into his notebook. “One of the biggest. They have offices all over the world.”
Keith looked up and blinked back his tears. “They really liked Elena. She was a hard worker.”
“I’m sure she was,” Kendra said. “She worked for them in Connecticut?”
“Yes, but she sometimes travelled for them if they were working on a big case,” Cynthia said. “She was sometimes gone for weeks.”
“Is that why she was here? For work?”
Cynthia shook her head. “That’s what’s so strange. She’d been out here for the firm a few times in the past few months, but not this time.” She had to stop a moment as her voice broke. “We’re her emergency contact with them and they called us Monday morning asking us how to get in touch with her. We didn’t … even know she was gone.”
“So her firm didn’t know either?” Kendra asked.
“No. Not a clue.” She dabbed at her damp cheek. “But they seemed awfully anxious to get in touch with her though.”
Lynch took a seat next to Kendra. “Do you have any idea what could have brought her out here? Maybe a friend she’d made or someone she was dating? Anything at all?”
“No.” Keith took his wife’s hand and held it tightly as if trying to share his strength with her. “She didn’t especially like coming here, did she, Cynthia? She wasn’t able to talk about cases she was working on, but I had a feeling she didn’t like the ones she was assisting with out here.”
“When was the last time you saw her?” Kendra asked.
Cynthia and Keith looked at each other for a long moment before Cynthia replied, “Sunday.”
“You’re sure?”
She nodded. “Elena took us to lunch.”
“Was there anything unusual about her?” Metcalf asked.
“No. Nothing at all.”
“Except maybe—” Keith stopped.
Kendra leaned closer. “Except what?”
“It wasn’t anything really.” He thought for a moment. “She squeezed tighter.”
“What do you mean?” Kendra asked.
“When she hugged me goodbye, she squeezed extra tight, you know? Like she didn’t want to let go.”
“Unusual? She’d never done that before?” Lynch asked.
“Elena was very independent. We knew she loved us, but she wasn’t demonstrative. It would take something for her to show us that she needed us. Maybe when she was having a rough time at work or problems with a guy. She never liked to talk to us about that stuff, but her daddy could tell.” Keith’s eyes welled with tears again. “I could always tell.”
Kendra felt tears stinging her own eyes. First Hollingsworth and his missing daughter, now this couple. It had been a hell of a day.
Keith’s phone buzzed and he looked at the screen. “Elena’s ride is here.”
“Elena’s ride?” Kendra asked.
“Her transport to the airport. We arranged it through the funeral parlor back home.” His hand tightened on his wife’s. “Ready, honey?”
“You’re flying home now?” Kendra said.
Metcalf shrugged. “The ME released the body.”
“That sounds so … cold,” Cynthia said unevenly.
“They don’t mean it like that,” Keith said. “They didn’t know her.” He looked at Kendra. “I’m sorry we couldn’t help you. This has us all confused. It doesn’t make any sense. If you think of anything else you need to ask, you can call us.”
“I’ll do that.” She reached out and shook his hand. “But you can never tell what pieces will come together to make a picture. You might have told us something that will be very important. It was very kind of you to take the time.”
“It wasn’t easy.” He swallowed and cleared his throat. “But there must be a reason why my Elena was reaching out to you. My wife goes to church every Sunday and believes in angels and saints and all that business. I never believed in much of anything.” His voice broke. “But this is all wrong. There has to be some reason.” Keith stood up and helped Cynthia to her feet, slipping his arm around her waist to support her. “We do hope with all our hearts you find whoever did this to her,” he said as he turned his wife toward the door. “But right now we just want to take our little girl home.”
* * *
KENDRA WATCHED AS THE door shut behind them.
“What do you think, Lynch?” Metcalf’s gaze had also been following the Meyers. “Is it Saint Kendra or just a minor angel we have in our midst?”
“What I think is that you’ve just made a huge gaffe,” Lynch said, his gaze on Kendra’s face. “Not the time, Metcalf.”
“You’re damn right it’s not,” Kendra said unsteadily. She jumped to her feet. “I’ve got to get out of here.”
“Right.” Lynch was already opening the door. “See you later, Metcalf.” He followed Kendra down the steps and out the front door. “He wasn’t being insensitive, you know,” he said quietly. “He just doesn’t have a clue on how to handle situations that emotional.”
“Neither do I.” Kendra was looking straight ahead as she strode toward his car. “I don’t want to talk right now, Lynch.”
“No problem.”
Fifteen minutes and a traffic jam later, Kendra still felt sick to her stomach, waylaid by the grief and confusion she’d seen in that conference room. She slumped in the passenger seat of Lynch’s car, her gaze fixed on the traffic up ahead. “How do you do it?”
“Do what?”
“Sit there talking to people on the worst days of their lives without falling apart yourself? I’m amazed at the way you and Metcalf were able to hold yourselves together.”
“So did you.”
“Barely.”
“But you did it. Because you know you’re not helping these people if you can’t hold it together. Metcalf and I feel the same way.”
“It seems … easier for you.”
“It probably is. I suppose I’ve built up some emotional calluses in the past few years. That’s what happens when you watch enough friends die right in front of you, especially when you feel there was more you could have done to save them.”
“That’s horrible.”
“It was. And still is, no matter how many years go by. But everyone faces grief and loss. It’s just life.”
There was something deeper, something below the surface of that philosophic statement that aroused her curiosity. Kendra let a moment pass before wading into a territory she knew might be uncomfortable for Lynch. “You’ve lost someone closer than just a friend haven’t you?”
He kept his eyes on the road. “Who told you?”
“No one told me anything. I don’t ask questions about you. I would never interfere with your business. I don’t know why that question popped out. If you’d rather not talk about it—”
“I’d rather not. At least not right now, okay?”
She studied Lynch. However stoic he may have been with Elena Meyer’s parents, this was another matter entirely. She couldn’t recall ever seeing him so troubled, so sad.
“Okay. As I said, it’s not my business. I’m sorry that I asked.”
“I’m not.” He smiled. “I like the idea of you delving into all my secrets. But I protect them well and I have to warn you that when you delve too deep, you might run across a trap or two. On the other hand, traps, if properly constructed, can be entertaining.”
“That sounds like far too much trouble. I’ll just muzzle any curiosity I have,” she said wearily. “I wouldn’t have asked you anything if I hadn’t been a little shaken up about that interview with the Meyers. One thing led to another.”
“Yes, it did.” He was gazing at her face. “And you still don’t look in great shape. I’ll take you home. You can probably use the rest.”
Home.
We just want to take our little girl home.
“Kendra?”
She slowly shook her head. “Actually … I’d rather you drop me somewhere else, if that’s okay.”
1412 Sundance Place
La Jolla, California
This was probably a mistake, Kendra thought as she pressed the doorbell. She should have called ahead instead of just having Lynch bring her here. It wasn’t as if she could expect—
The door was thrown open and her mother stared at her with a frown. “What the hell are you doing here, Kendra? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, Mom.” She should definitely have called ahead, Kendra thought ruefully. Her mother was a highly regarded professor at UC San Diego, and she was as busy as Kendra with her classes and extracurricular activities. It was a miracle that she’d even caught her at home. “I was in the neighborhood and I thought I’d take a chance on you being here. Want to give me a cup of tea?” She smiled as she looked her mother up and down. Dr. Deanna Michaels was barefoot and wearing tights and a black exercise tank that made her look vigorous and youthful and more like Kendra’s sister than her mother. “No classes today?”
“One at eight this evening.” She was still frowning. “You’re never in the neighborhood unless you plan to be. And you always call me.”
“Does that mean I can’t come in?” Kendra asked solemnly. “Did I interrupt something … interesting? You don’t look as if you’re dressed to receive masculine company.”
“I was on my Pilates machine.” She opened the door wider. “But I guess I can spare the time to give you a cup of tea.” She looked over her shoulder with a grin. “And haven’t I taught you never to take anything for granted? In this day and age a gymnasium can be as exciting as any bedroom. But as it happens, I prefer to compartmentalize.” She padded barefoot to her library, which was the center of her living space. It was also Kendra’s favorite space in her mother’s house. The stucco bungalow was barely medium sized with a red-tiled roof and appeared vaguely Spanish to blend with the other houses in the neighborhood. Deanna had bought it because the gardens surrounding it were overflowing with fragrant flowers. But she’d made the interior completely different, and it might have been mistaken for an English country house. And this room had always been special to Kendra. She had known every inch of it by heart. Bookshelves filled with leather-bound books, a stone fireplace, French doors that led out to a charming small verandah. Over the years this had been a library filled with students, professors, celebrity guest lecturers, and all of them had been perfectly at home here. Because Deanna’s charm and enthusiasm had drawn them to her and made them feel as if this was their home. “I like this room.”
“I know you do.” Her mother was standing at the serving cabinet choosing which tea to put in the beautifully crafted Yixing teapot. “You always did. Even when you were blind, you always liked to feel the leather covers of the books in your hands. Braille can be wonderful, but it lacks the ambience of a well-worn book.” She put the chosen tea into the pot. “And then there was the feel of the fire, the scent of smoke and wood, and crackle of the burning logs. All very sensory…”
“Yes.” And Kendra could remember when she was a little girl sitting cuddled with her mother in that leather chair by the fire while she read to her, surrounded by scents and textures and her mother’s soft voice making the stories come alive. Making certain that Kendra didn’t miss one bit of the experience because of the darkness. Memories … “I’m glad you kept the house after I left home. I thought you might find it more convenient to move closer to the university once I was off your hands.”
“Why on Earth would I do that? This is my home. Convenience doesn’t replace what I have here.” She was pouring hot water from the electric tea kettle over the tea. “I’ll never get rid of it.” She slanted Kendra a smile. “I can’t tell when you might be in the neighborhood and want to drop in for a cup of tea. One must provide for the needs of one’s daughter.”
“You always did.” Kendra dropped down in the chair beside Deanna’s exquisite card table that she’d purchased in an antiques store in London when she’d taken Kendra for her stem cell operation. The top was painted with a landscape of an old castle surrounded by flowers that were blowing in the wind. Her mother had usually been careful to make certain any furniture she chose had carving or raised art work, but she’d deliberately not done it on that trip. She’d told Kendra that wasn’t going to be necessary any longer, that she had faith that the operation would work and Kendra would be able to see. But Kendra must also have faith.
And so it had come to be. Kendra’s index finger gently outlined the smooth turret of the castle.
“Wake up, Kendra. Help me with this.” Her mother was standing beside the table with the tray in her hands. “You take the cups.”
“Sorry.” Kendra quickly took the cups, saucers, and napkins. “You usually like to do everything yourself.”
“Because I do it so well.” Deanna poured the tea. “But I wanted to give you your tea so that you wouldn’t have an excuse to avoid my questions.” She sat down opposite Kendra. “Now tell me why you’re here. What’s wrong?”
“What a suspicious woman you are.” She lifted her cup to her lips. Lychee Black from Ceylon, she identified as the scent swept over her. Her mother knew she’d always loved it. “Why would you think that?”
“You didn’t happen to be in the neighborhood. Your car wasn’t out front. Who brought you?”
“Lynch dropped me off.”
“Lynch?” Deanna went still. “You haven’t seen him for a while. Why now?”
“Why not?” She shrugged. “He was teaching me some martial arts moves. No one’s better at that than Lynch.”
“I’m certain that no one is better at making any kind of moves on you than Lynch,” her mother said dryly. “As you know, my attitude toward him is ambivalent. He’s a very dangerous man. His only saving grace is that there are times when that’s been a plus where you were concerned. Why didn’t you invite him in? I wouldn’t have bitten him.”
“I didn’t feel like it.” She took a sip of her tea. “Lynch tends to dominate and for once I wanted to relax here with you. I’ll take a Lyft back to my condo. Now tell me what you’ve been doing.”
“After you tell me what you’ve been doing,” Deanna said. She was gazing at her probingly. “Other than karate moves. A new case? Interesting?”
Kendra nodded slowly. “It’s hard to tell. But you might say that it had my name on it. The victim was trying to reach me when she was killed.”
Deanna frowned again. “I don’t like that.”
“Neither do I. That’s why I’m involved.” She changed the subject. “But let’s not talk about that. Let me tell you about the breakthrough with my autistic kids this afternoon…”
Yes, talk about triumphs and hope and remember all the joys that she had experienced with her mother through the years. No one could have been a stronger or more loving mother than Deanna. Kendra wanted to reach out, touch her, and relive those years that had bound them together in the darkness and in the light.
As Elena Meyer must have felt when she’d left her parents that last time.
And, like Elena, before Kendra walked out that door today she was going to take her mother in her arms and hold her very, very tight …
* * *
THE SUN WAS GOING DOWN when Kendra left her mother’s house and got into the Lyft car that would take her back to her condo. She tried to settle back and relax but that wasn’t going to happen. Olivia was right, she was always on edge when she was on a case. The only respite she’d had was working with her kids today. Being with her mom had been good, but even with her, Kendra had been aware of a constant wariness. Forget it. She was going home. She’d take a hot shower and maybe that would help her unwind. However, she was only half way home before her phone rang.
Lynch.
“I’m on my way home, Lynch,” she said as she accessed the call. “I told you I didn’t need you to pick me up. It’s not as if I can’t take care of myself.”
“Don’t shoot the messenger. I’d never interfere with your personal space … well, almost never. I just received a call from Deanna and she raked me over the coals. Evidently you were too uncommunicative about this case for her taste. By the time she got through with me, she knew everything that you’d been dodging all afternoon.”
Kendra muttered a curse. “And you had to spill every detail. You told me once you had to withstand torture on some of your jobs for Justice. And you couldn’t hold out against my mom?”
“I could. But that would make my relationship with her harder. I’m already walking on eggshells around her. I have to pick my battles.” He paused. “Besides, I took the heat off you. She would have kept digging until she had the entire story. Now she does and she believes she’s done as much as she can toward solving the problem.”
“Just by putting you through a third degree?” she asked warily.
“No, by giving me orders that I’m to make certain that nothing of which she would not approve happens to you. I humbly acceded to all demands.” He chuckled. “She really is remarkable, isn’t she?”
“Of course she is,” she said tartly. “She took care of a special child and made every day of my life an adventure. That takes more guts and ingenuity than you can dream.”
“And she’s still trying to take care of that special child,” Lynch said quietly. “I don’t mind being appointed deputy, Kendra.”
“Well, I do mind. I’m sorry she went after you with guns blazing. I didn’t handle it well.”
“I’m not sorry. I regard it as an opportunity. By the time we have this case sorted out, Deanna will be considering me not only an asset but totally irreplaceable.” He paused. “And we both know that you weren’t thinking of anything but what happened at that medical examiner’s office today. That’s why I didn’t ask you any questions when you asked me to drop you off.” He added teasingly, “I looked upon it as you going back to the womb.”
“Ugh. What a disgusting observation. And Mom would definitely give you a failing grade if she heard it.”
“I can take it. Now, get something to eat and go to bed. Deanna said she only gave you tea while you were with her.”
“And are you also in charge of nutrition?”
“I believe that may be included under the deputy bylaws. We’ll discuss it when I pick you up in the morning. Goodnight, Kendra.” He cut the connection.
She slipped her phone back in her pocket. She should have known that Deanna would make a move as soon as she had left the house. Her mother was too intelligent not to realize that Kendra was upset and did not wish to discuss the reason. So she had spent the hours in casual conversation and let Kendra relax and have that time she needed. She had probably been plotting and planning all afternoon what her next course of action would be.
And she had settled on Lynch.
There was no use confronting her mother directly. It would only cause a brouhaha; Deanna had already made her play and would not back down. Lynch would probably not either since he had made up his mind there would be some benefit to him.
So she would just ignore both of them and go her own way. Let them plot and scheme all they pleased. She was still the “special” individual her mother had loved and nurtured all these years, but she was no longer a child. They would have to learn that a woman could be just as special and also run her own life.
But taking a suggestion or two would do no harm.
Because she suddenly realized she was perfectly ravenous. As soon as she got back to the condo, she would go rummage in the kitchen and see what she could raid in the refrigerator.
* * *
SHE CLIMBED OUT OF THE Lyft car with her house keys in her hand only a short time later. She quickly strode the short distance from the curb to the building’s vestibule and front door.
But her path was suddenly crossed by a French bulldog on a leash, cutting her off. An elderly woman was walking the animal and as she moved past, the leash’s retractable cord sliced across Kendra’s hand.
“Ow!” Kendra stepped back, but the woman continued briskly on her way. Rude, Kendra thought with annoyance. She was all for age having privileges, but the woman should also realize she still had responsibilities. That leash had stung. Kendra looked at her wrist. There was a red line, and after a few seconds she realized the skin had been broken.
Dammit! Kendra looked down the street to call after her.
The woman and her dog were gone.
Where in the hell had they—?
Kendra’s mouth went dry and her eyes stung.
She couldn’t breathe.
What in the hell was happening?
Her legs buckled.
No!
She fell to the sidewalk. Her chest felt like it was exploding.
She lay there for a long moment, trying to get up the strength to stand. It wasn’t working. She was only getting weaker.
Her phone. She needed her phone.
She jammed her fingers into her pocket, but she couldn’t get the leverage she needed. It was getting harder to breathe.
She looked up next to the door, at her building’s directory. She reached up. Could she make it?
It wasn’t going to be easy. Hard. So hard.
She forced herself to scoot up the wall.
She was panting as she stretched her fingers toward the intercom buttons.
Her vision blurred slightly.
Just a few more inches …
She punched the button next to the first familiar name she saw.
“Olivia…”
Had she punched the right one?
Oh, no, she thought in a panic. She was falling again. losing consciousness.
“Olivia…”
* * *
FLASHES OF LIGHT.
Loud voices.
An antiseptic smell.
That smell …
She was in a hospital. A hospital? How had she—?
Olivia was there, she realized, frantically answering questions practically shouted at her by a doctor as they moved down a long hallway. Kendra knew she must be on a gurney, but she felt like she was gliding on air.
Olivia was so scared …
Kendra was straining to tell her that she was awake again. That was good, wasn’t it?
But she still couldn’t speak. Not so good …
The voices and sounds around her grew less distinct until they blended together into a low din.
Then they were gone.