SESSION TWENTY

I’m so sorry about what happened. God, I can’t believe you still wanted to see me after what you went through. It doesn’t matter how many times you tell me I shouldn’t blame myself, I can’t help thinking I should’ve sensed something. I was just so upset I wasn’t thinking straight. I’m still not thinking straight. But I don’t feel like I should be bothering you with any of this, so if it’s too much, you have to tell me, and I’ll stop. You might have to tell me a couple of times, because we both know I don’t stop easily. Something else I got from my father.

*   *   *

After our last session Billy took me back home, where Sandy was waiting. Ally was upset about Evan—Sandy had told her he’d hurt his shoulder on the boat, as we agreed—but I convinced her he’s going to be fine. Then she told me about all the fun things she and Sandy had done. I was surprised Sandy is such a kid person, didn’t see that one at all, but they’d made a fort and played dress-up—even staged a singing contest. I usually look frazzled after a day with Ally, but Sandy’s cheeks were flushed and her eyes glowed. Then again, maybe it was from excitement that John had called again.

Billy heated up some frozen pizzas while I fielded calls from concerned friends and workers at the lodge. I checked in with Mom and Lauren, who both offered to come over, but I said I was okay. I didn’t tell them John had called or that he was still in town. I also phoned the hospital several times, but there was no change in Evan’s condition. When he woke up again they gave him more medication, so he was asleep when I called. There were a couple of calls from unfamiliar numbers I didn’t answer, just checked my voice mail with a racing heart. Was it John? Was he coming for me? But there was never a message. The police traced the calls to pay phones in Nanaimo.

After we ate—well, they ate and I stared at my food—Billy and Sandy cleaned up while I gave Ally her bath. Then I let her watch TV in my bed so the adults could talk downstairs.

Sandy said, “That’s a great kid you have there.”

“Thanks, I think she’s really special.”

“She is.” Sandy took a sip of her iced tea. “Have you given any more thought to meeting with John?”

Didn’t expect her to cut to the chase that fast.

“I still don’t know what I’m going to do. Evan, my dad, my psychiatrist—no one thinks it’s a good idea.”

Sandy set her glass down hard and sat straight in her chair. “Even though he shot your fiancé, you don’t want to try to stop him?”

“Of course I want to stop him, but my psychiatrist thinks he’s escalating and might kill me if—”

“That’s why it’s important we arrest him soon.”

I glanced at Billy, waiting for him to jump in, but he was silent.

“Sandy, you can’t guarantee something won’t go wrong and he’ll get away.”

“No, and we can’t guarantee your safety now—or Ally’s.”

“Are you seriously trying to use my daughter to scare me? I think about that every day, I don’t need you to—”

“I’m not trying to scare you, but when he feels rejected he—”

“I know. I’ve been thinking about that since he called again, since he shot Evan, but if I do this I stand to lose my fiancé, my family, and possibly my life.”

Billy said, “I think Sara just needs a break tonight, Sandy.”

“I’m fine. But if one more person tells me what I should do, I am going to lose it.”

Sandy lowered her voice. “Sara, I can understand what you must be going through, but I also know you don’t want to leave a serial killer out there when you have Ally to think about.”

“I’m sick of you trying to make me feel guilty. You’re just pissed off because you can’t catch him.”

Her mouth opened like she was about to say something, but then a voice from the doorway said, “Mommy, it’s time for my story.”

“Okay, sweetie, I’m coming.” As I took Ally’s hand and led her off, I felt Sandy’s gaze burning into my back. When I came downstairs later she was gone and Billy was sitting at the table, playing solitaire.

“Where’d Sandy go?”

“She needed to do some follow-up work at the station.”

“She hates me.” I sat down with a sigh.

“She doesn’t hate you, Sara.”

“Well, can’t say I’m her biggest fan.”

He grinned. “Couldn’t tell.”

“You know, Nadine—that’s my psychiatrist—didn’t actually say she thought John would kill me.”

“No?”

“She just said it sounds like he’s in a manic state and might be more dangerous. Then I think about what you said—that if he’s freaking out he might be easier to catch. I want to do it, and if he hadn’t shot Evan…”

“You don’t have to decide tonight. But just remember, ‘A swooping falcon breaks the back of his prey; such is the precision of his timing.’ He’s in striking distance, Sara.”

“I know, I know.” I sighed. “Well, I told Nadine I’d sleep on it, then I’m going to call her in the morning before I drive up to see Evan.”

“It’s great you have someone like that in your life.”

“Evan thinks so too.” I laughed. “Saves him a lot of grief when I work things out with her first.” Then I thought of Evan alone at the hospital and a fresh wave of anxiety washed over me. “I’m going to call the hospital again.” The nurse told me Evan was stable but he’d be heavily sedated for the rest of the night, so it would be better to come back in the morning.

“I should be up there with him, Billy. I hate this.”

“I’d feel the exact same way, but it’s getting dark and that road isn’t safe at the best of times.”

“But what if he takes a turn for the worse or John goes there and—”

“Then it’s the last place you should be. Number one, Evan is well guarded. The members watching him are senior officers. Number two, I’m sure the doctors are keeping a close eye on him. They’ll call if there are complications. If you were my fiancée and I was in the hospital, I’d want you to stay where you were safe.”

I groaned. “Evan would probably say the same thing.”

“With John in town you should have protection. We can call Sandy or I can—”

I held up my hand. “Not Sandy. I’ll make up the spare room.”

“I should probably stay down here on the couch—closer to the door.”

“Sure.” Even though it was still early evening, I brought down some blankets and started making up the couch. Billy came over to help. As he reached for the edge of the sheet our arms brushed, which made me break out in goose bumps. At the same moment I thought, Billy smells good.

I stepped back quickly.

Billy stopped tucking in the sheet and straightened up. “You okay?”

My face burned as I said, “Yeah, totally. But my neck’s a little sore. Think I’m just going to have a hot bath and hit the sheets.” I headed for the stairs. “It’s been a long day. And I told Nadine I’d call her early—she’s doing some research tonight about serial killers. Not that I’ll be able to sleep.” Shut up, Sara.

“Why don’t you take something? Didn’t you say your psychiatrist prescribed something for anxiety?”

“Ativan.” I glanced at him. “But is it safe for me to take something with John out there?”

Billy spread his arms wide and grinned. “Who’s going to get through me?”

I forced a smile back. “Thanks for staying over, Billy.”

“Just doing my job, little lady,” he said in a John Wayne voice as he pretended to swagger. I laughed, then spun around and started up the stairs.

Billy said, “Wait, what’s your alarm code—I’ll set it.”

I rattled the numbers off as I was still walking. At the landing I said, “Okay, good night, then,” but didn’t wait to hear his response before I shut the bedroom door. I stood in the middle of my room and shook my head. God, Billy must be totally wondering why I was acting weird. I was wondering that myself. As I watched Ally’s pink-fleece-clad chest rise and fall—she was sound asleep on my bed with Moose—I went over the moment in my mind.

Why was I suddenly noticing how good Billy smells? The entire time I’d been with Evan I’d never found another man attractive—not once. The only reason I never felt bad about spending so much time with Billy was because it was nothing. Nothing for him and, I thought, nothing for me.

No, this was stupid, it was still nothing. I was allowed to notice something nice about a good-looking man—I wasn’t dead. And it wasn’t like I threw him down on the couch and jumped his bones. I’m sure there were women at the lodge Evan thought were pretty. This didn’t mean anything. It was probably one of those transference things. Billy represented safety and I was distracting myself from my real fear: losing Evan.

I poured a hot bath and soaked in the lavender-scented bubbles. But I couldn’t stop thinking about Evan being shot. Even though I hadn’t been there, I could see his body jerk with the impact, see him fall, then drag himself to the boat. My mind tortured myself with thoughts of what might’ve happened if John had been successful. Then I thought of all the times I’d been short with Evan lately or ignored him completely because I was so caught up in my drama.

I gave up on the bath and popped an Ativan, then pulled on one of Evan’s shirts and crawled into bed with Ally and Moose. Ally was on my side, but I left her there and whispered a good night as I kissed her cheek and smoothed her hair off her face. The book Billy had given me was still on the night table where I’d put it the day we went for a drive. Hoping it might distract me, I thumbed through the pages. One quote—“All warfare is based on deception”—jumped out. I’d tried to deceive John, but he won that battle hands down. As I scanned more pages I saw how Billy might’ve used some of the strategies, especially the ones about espionage and waging war.

Then I saw a quote that jarred me. “In the whole army none should be closer to the commander than his spies, none more highly awarded, none more confidentially treated.” Had Billy been using some of these strategies on me?

Nice, Sara. You found the man attractive and you’re feeling guilty, so you’re looking for ways to make him a jerk. Billy was just a dedicated cop. I put the book back on the table. Then I buried my face in Evan’s pillow, inhaling his clean scent, telling myself over and over, Everything’s going to be fine. Everything’s going to be fine. Everything’s going to be fine.

*   *   *

The next morning I made breakfast while Billy entertained Ally, but it looked like it was Ally who was entertaining Billy as she tried to wrestle one of her stuffed animals away from Moose. I was glad they were having fun, since Billy was going to watch her when I went up to see Evan. Billy said Sandy could stay with Ally and he’d escort me to the hospital, but I needed a little space from him after my weird reaction the night before. Not that I told Billy that. I just said I needed the drive to clear my head and asked if a patrol car could follow.

He said, “I would’ve sent one whether you liked it or not. Someone’s gotta keep an eye on you.” Then he smiled and I tried to smile back, but my mind was spinning with worry. I’d tried to call you a couple of times that morning and was upset when you didn’t answer. When I mentioned it to Billy he said you probably had an emergency with another patient, but I thought, What could be more important than a serial killer?

On the way to the hospital I put everything else out of my mind and focused on what I wanted to do about John. He’d just proved by shooting Evan that he wasn’t going to go away quietly. I thought about stopping at Lauren’s or my parents’ on the way home to hash it out, but part of me didn’t want to add more opinions to the mix, especially when I already knew what they’d be. My mind bounced all over the chart, but it kept going back to my original thought: meeting John was the only way out of this whole mess.

*   *   *

Before I went in to see Evan I sat in the parking lot of the hospital and tried to pull myself together. I was going to be upbeat and positive for him. The last things he needed right now were my fears and angst. I could do this. My resolve was rewarded as I walked into Evan’s room and he flashed his best boyish grin.

“Hi, baby. I don’t think your father likes me.”

I burst into tears.

“Aw, Sara, don’t cry. That was supposed to make you laugh.”

I hurled myself into the chair beside his bed and leaned on the mattress.

“I’m so sorry, Evan. For all of this.”

“You goof, you didn’t shoot me. Wait, did you?” He smiled.

“No.”

“Then shut up and give your fiancé a kiss.” After we shared a lingering kiss, and then another, I told him everything that had been happening. I wanted to tell him John had called again, but the nurses kept interrupting. Then the doctor came in. He’d just finished telling us Evan was going to be transported down to Nanaimo that afternoon when one of the officers stepped into the room.

“Excuse me, Sara. Constable Reynolds would like you to call him.”

I looked at Evan and he said, “Go.” I walked outside and called Billy’s cell.

“What’s up?”

“Something’s happened, Sara.”

My stomach dropped. “Ally—”

“Ally’s fine. It’s your psychiatrist—someone attacked her as she was leaving her office last night.”

I felt a flash of relief that Ally was safe, then the rest of his words connected.

“Oh, my God! Is she okay?”

“She was knocked down and hit her head on the curb. She’ll be fine, but she’s in the Nanaimo hospital for monitoring.”

I collapsed into a chair in the hall. Knocked down … I saw her head smashing into the curb, her silver hair turning crimson. What if she slipped into a coma? What if she died? I forced myself to take a breath. Don’t panic. Nadine was going to be okay. Then a new thought.

“Was it John?”

“We’re considering that possibility, also patients she may have had a problem with recently. She lost consciousness briefly and was attacked from behind, so she didn’t get a look at the assailant. He took off when some people exited the office next door. I know she’s important to you, so Sandy’s going to switch off with me here and I’ll go talk to the investigating officers. That okay with you?”

“Of course. I can’t believe this.” My eyes filled with tears.

“I’ll keep you posted. Meanwhile, Sandy will take good care of Ally until you get home.”

“Thanks, Billy.”

As soon as I hung up the phone I ran back to tell Evan what had happened.

“I’m really sorry to hear that. Are you okay, baby?”

“No! God, he shoots you and now he attacks Nadine?” I paced around his room.

“They don’t know for sure it was him, though?”

“It has to be. I just went there last night—he probably followed me and I took him straight to her.” I shook my head. “This isn’t his pattern at all. He must be totally losing it.”

“Have you heard from him?”

“Not since yesterday. He called when Billy was driving me home. He wanted to meet again. I hung up on him, but—”

“You can’t meet him.”

“But John’s gone after Nadine now—who’s next? This is bullshit. I’m sick and tired of his games. He needs to know he can’t just—”

“Sara, you can’t—” As he reached for my hand his upper body shifted and he dropped his arm back onto the bed with a groan. He took a couple of breaths.

“Should I call the nurse or—”

“I’ll check myself out right now if you’re going to meet—”

“Okay, okay. I won’t go near him.”

“Promise.”

I put a hand over my heart. “I promise.”

He looked exhausted. “You going to see Nadine?”

“I’m staying with you until they’re ready to take you to Nanaimo.”

“I’m fine. But you have to go see her or you won’t be able to focus on anything else.”

“She’s probably not allowed visitors.”

He shrugged, then winced. “Just say you’re her daughter.”

“That could work. I think she does have a daughter around my age, but I’m pretty sure she doesn’t live here. Nadine never talks about her, though—I just saw a picture in her office once. Nadine’s a widow, you know. God, I wonder if she’s all by herself.…”

“They’re taking me to Nanaimo soon anyway. You can meet me there after you see her.”

“I want to stick around until they load you up and make sure you’re okay.”

“Yeah, that’s exactly what I need—you all stressed out about Nadine. Just go and I’ll meet you at the hospital in a few hours. Besides, I want to take a quick nap and there’s no way you’ll be able to just sit here.”

“I could too.”

He gave me a look.

I sighed. “Okay. I’ll bring Ally with me later if the police think it’s safe.”

“I miss my Ally Cat. Now let’s play doctor before you go. I’ll let you check my temperature.…” He wiggled his eyebrows and laughed as I pretended to unplug his IV.

*   *   *

After Evan and I kissed good-bye—a couple of times—I headed out. When I passed the nurses’ station one of them held up a phone.

“There’s a call for you.” I stopped and stared at her. Who would call me at the hospital?

I never made it to see you that day, Nadine.