60
Amy awoke before Melissa and brushed her teeth using the care kit the hospital had given her. It was only 7:30 AM, so she surmised the administrator had not arrived yet. But she would soon—and Amy would likely be her first stop.
While Amy was washing her face, Melissa stirred. “Where am I?”
“In the hospital. Remember?”
“Yeah,” she said, rubbing her eyes with two fists.
“How’d you sleep?”
Melissa blinked a few times and looked around the small room. “The nurse was mean. She woke me up.”
“It’s her job to check on you. You had a concussion so they’re just being careful.”
“What’s a con-cushion?”
“When you hit your head, your brain gets bounced around a little bit. Like when you drop an apple and it gets a bruise. It’ll be all better in a few days.”
Melissa’s eyes opened wide. “We have to stay here?”
“They’ll let us leave soon. Hopefully today. Then we’ll take it easy. No jumping out of airplanes for a while.”
“Jumping out of airplanes?” she sung. “That’s silly.”
“Yeah, sometimes I get silly. Hey, I’ve gotta go make a phone call. Can you wait here for a few minutes by yourself?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, sweetie. I’ll be back as fast as I can.”
Upon leaving the room, Amy scoped out the vicinity. She saw only a handful of people milling about—nurses and a few technicians. Quiet morning in the emergency department. She notified the security guard that she was stepping out for a few minutes, and he assured her everything would be fine.
Amy made her way over to the same pay phone she had used yesterday and dialed the burner number Loren had given her.
“Hey sis.”
“How are you?”
“Tired but fine.”
“And Melissa?”
“She just woke up. Doctor hasn’t been by yet. But I’m going to have to answer to the hospital’s office manager. I put bogus info on my intake paperwork but I’m sure they’re gonna want some kind of insurance information.”
“There’s no good way out of that one. But it may be moot. You’ve gotta get out of there.”
“When?”
“Now.”
“What? Why?”
“I assume you used your credit or bank card for gas or a hotel?”
“Motel. And yeah, for gas, too. I didn’t have much cash—”
“The Bureau can track your electronic transactions and as soon as they get the warrant—which they may already have—they’re going to zero in on your location.”
Amy glanced around the coffee shop. People were beginning to file in to get their breakfast java and muffins. “I can’t leave if it’s not safe for Melissa.”
Loren was silent.
“Some things are more important than ourselves.”
“Amy, you could be arrested. In an hour, two, three … I just have no idea. They’ll coordinate with the local police, who’ll put out an APB. And an amber alert. I’m surprised they haven’t issued one already. Once that happens, all eyes and ears, traffic cams, and surveillance cameras will be looking for you.”
Amy squeezed her right eye closed, trying to still the twitch. “I understand the risks.”
“And if they find out about the incident downtown at the farmers market, it’ll take them seconds to draw the line between that and the woman and young girl at—where are you?”
“SLO Medical Center. And let me ask you this. If you were in here and Devin or Daniel had a head injury, would you check him out of the hospital against doctor’s orders?”
“No.”
“Well this is my daughter and I won’t jeopardize her life. I’d do anything for her, just like you would for your boys. If I get arrested, then so be it. Like I said, maybe that’s what I deserve anyway.”
“I’m just worried about you. Which is why I’m on my way there. I should be in SLO in about three hours.”
“For what?”
“Everything. Anything.”
“But I don’t want you to—”
“That point you just made about Devin? Well that’s how I feel about you. Family comes first. I lose my job, I’ll be upset. But financially we’ll be fine.”
“And if you’re thrown in jail?”
There was a moment’s hesitation, then: “You’d better get back to Melissa. Are you using the same name at the hospital?”
“Yes. Ada and Elissa Robinson.”
“See you soon, Ada. Remember what I said. And watch your back.”