Page 98 of The Devil’s Lair

There’s a moment where Felicity’s eyes narrow before she covers her irritation with a grateful smile. “Thank you. That’s all I ask.”

We get in the car and Caleb drives away. I lift Rebecca’s hand to my lips and kiss her. “Proud of you.”

She rests her head on my shoulder. “I’m pretty proud of me, too.”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

REBECCA

In the nine days that have passed since we visited the Southalls, Tobias has been to see his therapist three times. In the end, he decided on Lilian who, he explained, has been Alexander’s therapist for years.

That came as quite the shock, I can tell you. Alexander always seems so contained, so in control, but after what happened to him and his sister, then his mother, it’s probably not all that surprising he sought professional help.

I’ve made a bit of headway on my new career path, too, drafting out a loose story for my first children’s book, and I’ve drawn a few accompanying sketches. I’m in my element. I’d forgotten how much I love to draw, but it’s safe to say the bug has come back with a vengeance. If it weren’t for Isla needing my attention, my regular visits to Jane, and Tobias insisting I take breaks to eat and get some fresh air, I’d spend all day and half the night writing and drawing.

I still haven’t made a decision whether to grant Felicity and Preston’s request to see Isla, and yes, I admit it’s giving me an odd thrill to be the one holding the cards for once. I probably will allow it, for Isla’s sake, but I’ll watch both of them, especially Felicity, like a hawk. One wrong move and she’ll lose access to Isla for good.

Tobias hasn’t mentioned whether the investigator has found any other survivors of the Southalls yet, and I’m hesitant to bring up the subject. If he wants to tell me, he will. There’s been a subtle shift in our relationship, though. Between twelve and one each day, he messages me to see if I’m free for lunch. It’s both sweet and hilarious. It’s not as if I have a strict schedule that means I can’t make the time for thirty minutes with my husband.

Right on cue, my phone dings with a message.

Tobias

Free for lunch?

I chuckle as I type out a reply.

On our way.

Isla and I head to Tobias’s office. After giving Isla a red lollipop, Bea waves us inside. It’s gift that’s become something of a routine between the two of them.

“Say thank you.”

“Cue,” Isla says, shorthand for thank you.

Every day, a new word pops from her mouth, and each one makes my heart sing with joy. There were many times I despaired that I’d ever hear her voice again.

Isla bursts into his office, arms already outstretched. “Tobias.”

His eyes light up, and he swoops her into the air, swinging her around. Her giggles fill his office as he throws her upward before catching her easily.

“Down.”

He puts her on the floor. “You want some juice?”

“No.”

He laughs. “Another new word.”

“Yeah.” I grimace. “One she’s becoming proficient in, and I could have done without.”

He laughs. “Like all kids.”

His throwaway comment hits me in the gut. He’s right. She’s growing into a regular child. Once, I feared she’d live with challenges. Not insurmountable ones by any means, but challenges all the same. Now, well, she’ll still have challenges, that’s life, but she won’t have the added struggle being non-verbal would bring in a world not set up for little girls like her.

The thirty minutes Tobias carves out for lunch goes by too quickly. When we leave him to get back to work, instead of returning to our rooms, I decide to visit Alice. It’s been ages since we saw her, and I can’t help feeling sorry for the woman. She seems so isolated. A member of the family, but not really. Even when she comes to the regular Friday dinners, she’s quiet, as though she’s too afraid of saying something that will cast her further out of the family dynamic. She’s paying for George’s sins, and that is not right.

Spring has properly arrived, the meadows covered in wildflowers. We pick some on the way to Alice’s farmhouse, and I thread a few daisies through Isla’s hair. She insists on putting some in the little backpack she’s suddenly decided she can’t live without. It’s a Paw Patrol one Tobias bought her recently, and she’s fallen in love with it, even insisting on sleeping with it—her once trusty teddy bear cast aside for a shiny new thing.