China Knowles—Early Saturday Evening—Hospital

There are sirens. This can’t be good.

I call Lansdale while Shane sits at the table with the pen and paper, offering to tell my mom for me, and I tell him no.

“Stanzi is in a stupor,” Lansdale tells me. “They took her to the hospital.”

“She’s in a stupor?” I say.

“Yes.”

“Is Gustav okay?”

“Yes. He’s at Las Hermanas with Kenneth and a woman named Patricia. He said he wanted tamales,” she says. “Has Shane met your parents yet?”

“Yes,” I say. “Stanzi’s in the hospital?”

“Yes.”

“I think we should go see her,” I say, and hang up.

I take the piece of paper and the pen and I write Mom, Stanzi is in the hospital and we’ve gone to see her. I’ll talk to you later about what you don’t know. I did go vegetarian, though. Thanks for noticing.