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“I promise,” I said weakly. “I’ll talk to the therapist about it during my next session.”
I had no idea what I’d say to her, though. I had no idea what was going on.
“You’ll also need to give a statement to the police at some stage,” Zara said. “Though I’m not sure how useful that will be, seeing as you don’t remember anything. I hope they manage to find this S person anyway. He’s clearly dangerous, so I’ll be worried about you as long as he’s out there.”
A sudden knock pulled our attention toward the door. It opened a second later, and Madeline Arthurs poked her head inside. “Is she awake?” she asked in a hushed tone.
Zara nodded. “Yes. Thank you so much for coming, Madeline,” she said. “Would you mind if I just have one more minute with my daughter before you two have a chat?”
Madeline dipped her chin in a polite nod. “Of course.”
She closed the door again, and I looked at Zara, brows puckering. “What’s my old caseworker doing here?”
“We told her what happened to you because she asked for updates on your situation, even after you turned eighteen,” she said. “She was at a conference down in New York, so we offered to pay for her trip up here so she could come and see you. She’s very concerned.”
“Oh. Right.” I swallowed the lump in my throat, dreading the conversation with Madeline. She must’ve been so disappointed to hear how far I’d gone off the rails since I moved away from Howland.
“Anyway.” Zara scooted the chair a little closer to my bedside and took my hand again. She squeezed it tightly. “If you finally start to recall what happened last night, I want you to remember exactly what I told you recently. Can you do that?”
Her voice was strangely sharp, her eyes a little too focused on mine.
“Um…” My lips thinned, and I slowly shook my head. “What did you tell me?”
She sat up straight and smiled. “I told you that you can talk to me about anything,” she said. “No subject is off-limits. I promise. I just want you to trust me.”
“Oh. Sorry, I don’t remember that conversation,” I said. “I guess I don’t remember much of anything right now.”
She patted my arm. “It’s fine. It’s not your fault. You just need help,” she said. “Anyway, I’ll let you have a chat to Ms. Arthurs now. It’ll be nice for you to see a familiar face.”
She briskly left the room. Madeline stepped inside a moment later, giving me a tentative smile. She sat in the chair and leaned toward me, deep concern etched in her features. “Oh, Amerie,” she said. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
I smiled weakly. “It’s good to see you again.”
“Your mother and stepfather were kind enough to pay for my flight up here, along with a hotel room for a couple of nights,” she said. “I doubt I’d be able to afford this town without their help.”
I let out a dry laugh. “Yeah, this place is… well, it’s a lot.”
“It sure is.” She frowned, eyes never wavering from mine. “So what’s been going on with you?”
“I don’t know. Something really weird is happening to me.” With a wince, I sat up straight again. “Please believe me, Madeline. I’m not on drugs. I swear.”
She sighed. “They tested you when you got here, Amerie.”
“I know, but it must be a mistake. Or… or maybe that doctor faked the results for some reason.”
I knew I sounded crazy. That much was obvious from the look on Madeline’s face.
“Do you really think a doctor would do that?” she asked in a gentle tone. “What could possibly motivate them to do such a thing?”
I licked my dry lips. “I don’t know,” I admitted.
“There’s the text messages as well,” she said. “If you didn’t send them, who did?”
“I have no idea.” My shoulders slumped. “I don’t know anything right now, and I honestly feel like I’m losing my mind. An entire day is missing from my brain. More than a day, actually.”
Madeline nodded slowly. “I had a feeling things would be hard for you here,” she said. “Moving across the country, finding your family… it all happened so fast. I was worried you’d feel pressured and out of place.”
I sighed. “It’s been pretty rough.”
