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ALICE LIES NEXT to Jess on the hospital bed, her small body gently resting against her mother’s. She chatters unself-consciously, telling her about school, about what she’s been doing at Grandma and Grandad’s, and Jess smiles indulgently at her daughter. She’s quieter than usual, grieving for the loss of her father now that Jess has told her, but for the most part she’s oblivious to everything that’s happened. The serial killer. The detective who murdered all those people. One day, when Alice is older, Jess will tell her the truth, but for now, Alice remains innocent to the events of the past ten days. To exactly how her father died.
Jess watches the IV slowly dripping next to her. Her leg is tightly bound in a heavy cast. She’s been into surgery, gunshot sewn up, bones reset, under strict instructions not to move. Her hand’s bandaged. They’ve done what they can, the doctors say, but she might not regain movement in some of her fingers where the knife severed the tendons. Still, she thinks, that’s not bad. She’s not in pain, after all.
Jess’s mom and dad sit next to the bed, listening, glad to have their daughter back. Her whole family is here. She should be happy. But the only person she can think about is Griffin.
In the woods, in the dark and the rain, she’d lain at Griffin’s side. She’d listened to the sirens in the distance, praying they’d arrive in time, watching as the pain on his face drained away. She’d whispered his name over and over, hoping he could hear her.
There had been voices, shouting. People had run toward them and she’d watched, desperately, as they’d tried to save Griffin. He’d come for her, and now he was dying. She’d watched as they took him away, ignoring the paramedic trying to splint her shattered leg. In the ambulance, she’d asked again and again, “Is he alive?” Until a doctor finally came to her side.
“Jess,” he’d said. His face was serious, and she’d started to cry. “Nate lost a lot of blood, his heart stopped, and we had to perform CPR. But he’s okay, Jess.”
“He’s okay?” she’d repeated.
The doctor nodded and smiled. “He’s okay.”
And he’s here, somewhere. She knows he’s awake. She desperately wants to see him, but she’s not sure what to say.
What now, for her and Griffin? She doesn’t know what he feels about her. But she knows she loves him. That’s the one thing she knows for sure.
She hears a knock, and they all look up. DCI Elliott is standing in the doorway.
“Can I come in?” she asks, and Jess nods.
Jess looks at her family. “Can you give us a minute?” she asks, and they leave Jess and Elliott alone.
The DCI sits in a seat next to the bed. “I’m glad you’re okay, Jess.”
“I’m just glad your family is too, Detective.”
“Cara, please,” she says, with a smile. “I hear you’re moving away?”
It was her mother’s suggestion. The press buzzed around them like flies. They knew a headline when they saw one: the beautiful widow who couldn’t feel pain.
“Let’s get a fresh start,” her mother had said. “Move away where nobody knows us. Alice deserves that, at least.”
And Jess had agreed. Alice needs a life without the whispers.
“Is that okay?” Jess asks Cara, and she nods.
“We’ve dropped all charges against you. We know it wasn’t you who killed Patrick. I’m just so sorry.”
“Sorry?”
The detective’s face is downcast, and Jess wonders if she’s going to cry. “Sorry this all happened to you. Sorry we didn’t see it. It was one of our own. We should have—”
“You weren’t to know,” Jess says. Then she asks the question she hardly dares to articulate. “What about Nav?”
“He’s confessed to attempted murder. But given the threat against you and Alice, we know he was acting under duress.”
“Will he go to prison?”
Cara nods. “It’s likely, yes. But we’ll do what we can, Jess, I promise.”
Jess swallows hard. Everything about this hospital reminds her of Nav. Every tall dark doctor, every male voice in the corridor. He’ll never practice medicine again. That guilt sticks with her more than anything else. Everything he worked for, gone in a second. Because of her.
“And Griffin’s going to speak for him at the sentencing hearing, Jess,” Cara continues. “That will help.” Cara stops. She looks at Jess. “Have you been to see Nate?” she asks. Jess shakes her head. “He’s been asking about you.”
“I will,” Jess mutters.
