Damn him. He should have died in prison. He should be in hell, where he belongs. How is it good people like my Stella can suffer such horrific, slow deaths and that bastard is still breathing?
Well, he might not still be breathing. But then again, if he is and he took a victim—considering that victim has not shown up anywhere—the victim is likely dead by now. Dammit all to hell. It’s a vicious fucking circle of possibilities without a single one that stands out a little more than the other.
Fury quakes through me as I drive away. I glance at my partner again. She’s still slumped in the passenger seat. “You okay? You don’t look okay, Liv.”
“I am definitely not okay.” She scrubs a hand over her face. “Sorry about running out on you in there. It was either that or puke on her carpet.”
“We’re going to lunch. You need something in your stomach.” I pull away from the curb.
“Chances are, I’ll just puke it up,” she says. “I can’t decide if it’s related to the migraines or if it’s plain old morning sickness.” She untwists the lid on her bottle of water and sips gingerly.
“Is that normal either way?” I am worried sick about her. If it’s the migraines, that can’t be good for the baby. If it’s morning sickness, that can’t be good for Liv. Hell, I don’t know. I’ve never been in this situation before. My fingers tighten on the steering wheel. Damn, I wish I knew what to do.
“It can be normal either way, yeah.”
She sounds so weak. “What about soup? That bread place you like has killer chicken noodle soup. You’re always saying that. I’ll bet soup would help.”
She sighs. “Maybe. I’ll give it a try.”
The weight on my chest eases a little. “I kind of like that broccoli-cheddar soup, and I’m not usually a soup man.” No one can make soup the way my Stella did. I don’t have to say as much. Liv knows. Stella sent soup to her plenty of times.
“Stella spoiled you for anybody else’s soup.” She laughs.
I’m glad. The sound is weary but it’s a laugh nonetheless. I’ll take it.
I decide to lighten things up. “You been thinking about baby names?”
“Are you kidding? I’m still dealing with the concept that I’m pregnant.”
I hit my blinker for the next turn. “Bullshit. Baby names have crossed your mind. That’s just normal.”
“Maybe I’m not normal.” She smiles.
I grin. “Normal enough.”
“I’ll get around to names eventually.”
At least she smiled and sort of laughed again. That’s something.
“You want to go inside and eat?”
“We probably should. That way I can make a run for the bathroom as necessary. I don’t want to puke in your car.”
At half past one, the biggest lunch rush is over, so we’re served and seated fairly quickly.
“You want to talk about what the warden said?” I talked her down from the edges of hysteria as we left Riverbend. Then she moved straight to the next name on the list. I took her cue and let it ride. But Riverbend is the elephant in the room. There’s no avoiding it for long.
She shrugs. “I’m thinking maybe my father spoke to Fanning on Sanchez’s behalf. So far, those are the only two names related to the case that I’ve found in his notes or files. Sanchez may have been his patient, and he may have asked my father to talk to Fanning. It seems a bit unorthodox, but there has to be some reason, and that one sounds more logical than any other I can come up with. I don’t believe for a second that my father was acting as Fanning’s therapist. I’m certain that was a ruse to gain access to him.”
“We can drop by Fanning’s lawyer’s office and feel him out. If Fanning had his own therapist, the lawyer should have a record of the name and any visits before and after his release.”
“But we both know he’s not going to tell us either way.”
I drink down the last of my soup, not bothering with the spoon, and offer, “No harm in asking.”
Liv sips at her soup for a while longer, then pushes it away. She didn’t eat much, but at least she ate something. The few crackers she nibbled on should help as well.
Once in the Tahoe, she reaches into the back seat and grabs a Walmart bag, dumps the dog shampoo out, and pokes the bag into one of the cupholders in the console.
