When Alish’s machine began beeping louder and faster, Sara and Greer scurried out the door, ran to the stairs and down them before the nurse could find them. When they got outside, Jack was standing by Kate’s car. He saw that they were out of breath, opened the door, and the two women slid into the back seat.
Jack didn’t have to be told to drive away quickly.
As soon as they were on the highway, Jack passed a big canister of wet wipes to them. “Kate thought you two might like to remove the makeup.”
“I love my niece,” Sara said as she began wiping the thick, ugly foundation and the brown contouring lines off her face. Her handbag was on the floor and in it was a case of her daily makeup. She applied it.
As for Greer, she wiped away the grime, then left her skin bare.
“Ah, youth,” Sara said.
Jack drove them to the Cracker Barrel in Pembroke Pines, where Randal and Kate were waiting for them.
They wanted to talk to each other but with Greer there, they said nothing but what a nice day it was.
Jack, a native Floridian, said, “It’s Florida. The weather is always nice.”
“Except for hurricanes,” Kate said.
“Better than snow,” Jack shot back.
“Skiing is nice,” Kate said. “You can—”
The waitress interrupted to take their orders, and after that, they were silent.
Greer stood up. “I’m going to the restroom.”
The second she was gone, Kate said to her aunt, “Tell us every word.”
“Gladly.” Sara spoke fast. “Alish wouldn’t say if her fall was an accident or not, but she did say she killed Derek Oliver. She knew his head had been sawed open and the brain removed. But she didnotknow jewels had been stuffed inside.”
The others were leaning forward, listening to every word.
“And yes, the dreams I’ve had are real.”
“Truedreams?” Jack said loudly.
Sara put up her hand in dismissal. She didn’t have time to deal with his doubt. “It was a dream of Alish with two men, one nice and one a jerk. Later, the bad guy drove her to the train station. Alish said that was Aran.”
“The missing son,” Kate said. “So she knew where he went. Sorry. Go on.”
“I assumed he was going to LA so I asked if he’d made a movie. Alish said, ‘Yes, he did. No, he didn’t.’”
“Cryptic,” Randal said.
“Very,” Sara answered, then leaned farther forward and lowered her voice. “Alish was calm through all of this, but when I asked if someone wants to hurt Jack, she flipped out. The machines started beeping and Greer and I were ordered to get out. We—”
“Greer is coming,” Kate said, and they sat up straighter.
“Murders only happen when she is here,” Randal said quietly.
“Anything else?” Jack asked Sara quickly.
“I told her to send me the truth.”
“Through email?” Jack asked.
“In a dream.” Randal was looking at his sister in curiosity. “With the brooch.”
