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“I’m sure it was all very scary.”
Tears filled Kylie’s eyes and spilled down her cheeks. “And Mommy told me never to leave with anyone without telling her. It’s my fault Aunt Sarah is in trouble now.”
Annie opened her mouth to contradict her, but Jon pressed her hand in warning and shook his head. She closed her mouth and gazed down at her lap. Jon wished he could make it easier for her.
“It’s not your fault, Kylie,” Cheng said. “She planned what she wanted to do. But we have to be smart about what other people want us to do. We always have to stop and think about how it’s going to affect others. If someone asked you to go somewhere without telling your mommy, what would you do next time?”
“Say no. Talk to my mommy.” Kylie voice grew stronger. “I would refuse to go, and if she tried to make me, I’d yell for help.”
“Good girl. And you did a good job getting away. Why did you run into the woods?”
“I knew the falls were that way. I’d seen the sign when we drove in, and I knew if I found the falls, I could find people who would call my mom. Besides, I didn’t want to go anywhere with Aunt Sarah. I was upset when I heard her tell that Lissa that Jon was my dad. I thought she was spreading lies.”
Annie shot Jon an apologetic glance. “She shouldn’t have been telling anyone that,” Kylie said.
“No, she shouldn’t,” Cheng agreed. “Any information like that should only come from your mommy or daddy.”
Kylie looked up at Jon. “But it’s okay. He saved me when I was on the cliff. I prayed, just like Mommy and Daddy always told me to do when I was scared. And God sent a little bird to sit with me. It was a goldfinch, which was my daddy’s favorite bird. So I knew someone would come. And then Jon came to get me.”
This was the first time Jon had heard anything about a goldfinch coming to be with her. He hadn’t seen it. Nate was a birder, and he loved the bright-yellow bird. Jon’s heart squeezed at the things Kylie was saying. The fact they’d all survived was an amazing miracle.
Cheng patted Kylie’s hand. “You were so brave, and we are all very proud of you.”
“I won’t ever go again, though. Not unless someone knows the secret word.”
Cheng rose and gestured for Annie and Jon to follow her to the hallway. As soon as they were out of earshot, she stopped. “She’s going to be all right. She talks easily about it, and she knows what she did was wrong. This event has a happy ending.”
Jon noticed the sadness in her eyes. “And you don’t see that often.”
“Not often enough.” Cheng smiled and headed down the hall.
Jon took Annie’s hand as they went back into the hospital room. “The goldfinch story was something else.”
Tears hung on Annie’s lashes. “I’d like to believe Nate was looking out for her.”
“Me, too, love. Me too. And if God could send a raven to feed Elijah in the desert, he could send a goldfinch to comfort a little girl.”
Forty-Two
Annie yawned as the sun began to lower outside Jon’s hospital window. It had been a long couple of days. She hoped he’d get out tomorrow, but it would be Mike’s decision. He hadn’t come in yet today, and since it was Sunday, she wasn’t sure if they’d see him or not.
Jon hadn’t spent much time in the bed today. He sat in the chair by the window and sucked on his cherry Popsicle. “You should go home and spend some time with Kylie.”
“I will. I told Bree I’d get her after dinner.” She grinned at his red tongue. “You’ve had, like, four of those today.”
He winked at her. “Five sounds like a good number.”
The door opened and Mason came in. “The patient is still here, I see.”
Jon tossed his Popsicle stick into the trash. “We’re hoping the warden springs me tomorrow.”
“I’ll put in a good word for you.” Mason settled in a chair by Annie. “You cracked that case, Annie. When Hussert wakes up, we’re charging him with fraud. It’s obscene how much money he’s milked from the shelter. I’m sure he was terrified Michelle was bringing his lucrative little scheme down around his ears. His hacking of Jon’s car was on his computer too. He was behind all of it.” Mason crossed a leg over his other knee. “I wanted totalk with Idoya, but she’s disappeared. I’ve got a BOLO out for her, but she might have slipped into Canada.”
“How could Glenn know how to hack the car?” Annie asked.
“We’ll have to ask him. Maybe he has someone working for him who used his computer,” Mason said.
“And Lissa Sanchez?” Jon asked.
