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“I saw her leave with you. I just… I just couldn’t believe she would go like that, that she would leave without saying anything…”
Emily was struggling, and I didn’t need her admission, but I let her go on. Because she needed it.
“I knew something was wrong,” she said, “I couldn’t get her to tell me. She was always like that, though. Always keeping things from me, so I wouldn’t get upset. Always pretending everything was fine. But she just left…”
She was questioning now, and I could give her that answer at least. “She wanted to keep you safe.”
Her low voice came tremulous now from the darkness. “From who?”
“Morgan,” I said.
She repeated the name, as if committing it to memory.
“He wants your sister.”
There was a long silence as she built up the courage to ask, “For what?”
I sighed. “You won’t believe me. It’s more of that crazy person stuff.”
She didn’t question me again, didn’t demand that I tell her, didn’t try to convince me she would believe, and I felt oddly that she’d accepted that answer. Accepted it much too easily.
And then I wondered instead if she was just imagining what crazy people did with their hostages.
“He won’t hurt her,” I said. “I promise you that. He needs her alive.”
Emily swallowed hard, but she didn’t sob.
The room fell silent again and eventually, after a very long while, her breathing became even and subdued.
I finally relaxed. It was the first time in days.
