IRIS BLUM

Iris wasn’t sure she could take any more surprise entrances to this chilly dusty room. Not that she had much choice.

“Stand down, sir,” McPhee said. She showed him her badge and ID. “I’m Police Detective McPhee. This is an official investigation. Everything is under control.”

The guard frowned, looking like he didn’t believe Detective McPhee, but he lowered his gun. “You’re trespassing,” he repeated. He took photos of her badge and identification, then wrote down the names of the women in his pocket notebook. Iris gave him her maiden name, not ready to be officially found.

“You shouldn’t be here, any of you. Don’t care who you are,” the guard blustered. “I want you all out. You’ve got ten minutes before I call 911.” He jabbed his finger in McPhee’s direction. “I know the police chief, and I’m going to report this, you can bet on that.”

After he left the room, McPhee faced the women. Iris could tell that the detective was trying to soften her expression, but it remained stone-faced and harsh. She must be scared, Iris thought. The detective had been so kind, but her bosses probably wouldn’t see it that way. They might think she had really messed up, not reporting that a missing person was found, letting them all stay here and talk. No doubt there was some protocol she should have followed, sending them home, and reporting back to the precinct. A protocol the detective had purposely ignored, at her own peril. For them. For her.

McPhee frowned. She turned from Iris to Lexi to Evelyn to Gandalf to Gloria, then back to Iris. “I have to report to headquarters that you are safe, Mrs. Blum. Right away. I should call the paramedics and have them take you to the hospital to be checked out. I must also tell the newspaper to cut the story scheduled for tomorrow morning, asking people to look for you. And we’ve got to get out of here,” she added. “You do all understand that we’re guilty of trespassing on state property. There could be charges.”

“Can’t you wait and call in tomorrow?” Lexi asked. “We need tonight just for ourselves please.”

“Absolutely,” Evelyn said, leaning forward in her chair. “We need to plan something dramatic tomorrow, at the Garden Memorial. Personally, I still think we should kidnap Dr. Blum and publicly torture him.”

McPhee held up her hand. “Whoa!”

Evelyn sank back in her seat.

“Torture?” Iris shook her head. “Please, no.”

“If we can’t punish Dr. Blum,” Evelyn insisted, “we can still destroy his reputation. We can shame him.”

McPhee interrupted them. “You can discuss this later, but we can’t stay here. You heard what the guard said. We all must leave now. Your families are probably all terrified, afraid that you’ve disappeared just like Mrs. Blum. No doubt they’ve all been calling 911. That’s what your husband did, Evelyn. He reported that the Azalea Court kidnapper struck again. Why don’t you all go home and reassure your loved ones? Then you can get together first thing in the morning and plan the Memorial.”

“Instead, what if we all go to my house,” Gandalf said, looking surprised at her invitation. “We can stay together. It’s warmer than this place. We can plan for tomorrow and then get some sleep.”

“Fine,” McPhee said. “But first, everyone call home.” She turned to Lexi.

“Ms. Blum, you must call your father; he’s probably insane with worry. No irony intended. Evelyn and Gandalf, please call home right now.” She waved her arm at the women and they both walked away from the group to make their calls.

Lexi looked at her mother. “Shall I call Dad?” she whispered.

“Let him suffer a few more hours,” Iris whispered back. “Serves him right.”

McPhee pulled her chair closer to Iris. She wrapped the comforter snug around the old woman’s shoulders.

“Are you sure you feel okay? No trouble breathing? No dizziness or pain or heart palpitations? I wish you’d let me take you to the hospital to be checked out.”

“I feel fine, and I don’t want to go to the hospital. Lexi will keep an eye on me, in case anything changes. You’ve done your duty, dear, and I refuse.”

“We’ll do the necessary paperwork in the morning,” McPhee said. “But I’m going to report in now so that the desk sergeant can stop the newspaper story. The press may still come to your house asking questions, Mrs. Blum. I can’t help that.”

“Fine,” Iris said. “They’ll go to my house, and I won’t be there. They can bother Asher with their questions.” She smiled to herself. Asher disliked being challenged and especially hated not knowing what was going on.

McPhee swiped at her phone and walked away to make her call as Gandalf returned to the center of the room.

“Jess is on her way to pick us up,” Gandalf said. She started folding blankets and stacking pillows. “She will heat up some soup and make up the sofa bed. Since she is the MC for the memorial program tomorrow morning, she’ll help us plan our . . . whatever it is.”

Evelyn rejoined the group and began gathering their coats and scarves. “Donnie isn’t happy about it, but he won’t say anything about Iris being found. Let’s get out of here.”

McPhee returned to the group, looking pale and confused.

“You look exhausted, Detective,” Lexi said. “Thank you for everything. You are welcome to join us at Gandalf’s house. We’ll be safe there, and from now on, my mother will be our responsibility, my responsibility. But you don’t have to babysit us anymore. We won’t be trespassing, and you can get to your reports.”

“It’s a little late for that,” McPhee said. “The Haskell guard called the station to report me. My supervisor is furious. I’ve been suspended.”