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“You think I’m making it up,” Declan declared.
“I don’t really know.”
“Someone’s been here.”
“I know. Your son.” Hale regarded him soberly. “You keep saying things about having another child.”
“I said it was a dream,” he said quickly.
“Yeah, but it’s not the first time you’ve said it, or something like it. I’m starting to think you’re trying to tell me something.”
“I have a daughter,” Declan stated firmly. “I don’t have a son. I’m not crazy, Hale. But someone’s been here. He’s trying to send me a message. He’s the one that’s out of his mind, but I swear, he’s gaslightin’ me.”
“Dreams’ll do that.”
Declan stubbornly pressed his lips together and glared at him.
Hale closed his eyes. Lack of sleep was playing tricks with his mind as well. He had to cut through his grandfather’s paranoia. “I’ve got some things I need to tell you. Then I’m going home, and I’m going to bed. I haven’t slept since Friday night, and that wasn’t the greatest night’s sleep, either.”
“Well, get on with it,” Declan said irritably, glancing around again, as if he didn’t quite believe someone wasn’t there.
Hale took a breath, thought about how to tell Declan everything that had transpired, then launched into the tale of the past few days with, “Kristina didn’t come home at all on Friday night. . . .”
As soon as Savannah and Lang entered the cafeteria, a voice called, “Detective?” and they both swung around.
It took a moment for Savvy to recognize the blond-haired young woman staring at her. Seeing her in a pair of pants, a shirt, and a jacket and so out of context had Savannah reaching through her memory to the people she’d recently seen in Portland and the hospital before the connection was made.
“I’m Ravinia,” the girl said, seeing her struggle.
“Ravinia,” Savannah repeated.
“What are you doing here?” Lang asked before she could say anything else. “Where’s Catherine?”
“She’s here. Aunt Catherine had an accident, and Earl brought us.”
“Us? Who else is with you?” Lang asked.
“Earl went back for Ophelia . . . well, Isadora, but Ophelia came.”
“What kind of accident?” Savvy asked.
“I guess she slipped in the snow and smacked her head on something.”
“How serious is it?” Lang demanded, cutting to the chase.
“I don’t really know.” Ravinia’s face clouded. “They don’t tell me much, but they act like she’ll go home soon.”
“Good,” Lang said.
“She should be just fine,” Ravinia added, sounding strained.
Savvy couldn’t tell if that was wishful thinking on her part or the truth. Lang looked past her, toward the cafeteria doors, and Ravinia, reading his mind, put in swiftly, “Oh, she wouldn’t want a man coming to see her, believe me.”
Lang nodded and rubbed his jaw. He had known Catherine before Savvy had, and knew the truth of that.
“I’d like to check on her,” Savvy said.
Ravinia looked uncertain about that idea, but Savvy didn’t much care. Catherine, and her issues, would be another distraction from her own tortured thoughts. Nailing her request home, Savvy added, “She came to the TCSD for help, and I’d like to tell her I’m following up.”
