Delaney frowned, her gut twisting. Eli leaned forward slightly. “But Olivia has her own trust fund,” he pointed out. “Why would she need yours?”
Ava blinked and looked down at her hands before lifting her gaze again. “It’s not for her. It’s for our mother. If Olivia controls both trust funds, our mom could finally get out from under our grandfather. She’d have full control of the family estate.”
Delaney sat back slightly, absorbing that. The motivations were messy and emotional and complicated as hell. And now this teenage girl believed her own sister wanted her dead because of it. Well, maybe she did. Or maybe this was all part of the show that Hale wanted them to see.
Delaney shifted slightly in her chair and tried a softer approach. “Would you be willing to see your mom? Just talk to her for a few minutes?”
Ava’s answer was immediate. “No.” She paused, her lips pressing into a tight line. Then she blurted, “She’ll try to force me to come home. I don’t want that.”
She stood abruptly and turned to Hale. “Can I go back to my therapy session now?”
Hale gave her a gentle nod. “Of course.”
Delaney watched the girl leave, her steps quick and a little too eager, like she couldn’t get away fast enough. As soon as the door closed behind her, Hale turned his attention back to them.
“I hope that seeing Ava helped assure you that all is well here,” Hale said with that oily, slick smile again.
Delaney looked him straight in the eyes. “It doesn’t.” And Eli repeated her answer while also staring Hale down.
Hale sighed and leaned back in his chair. “I understand your skepticism, but the girl is receiving the care she needs. Added to that, Olivia and she were often at odds here. Sibling arguments that got heated. I think Ava would like to distance herself from that.”
“Do you really think Olivia wants her sister dead?” Eli came out and asked.
Hale shrugged. “Like I said, there were arguments, so much so that Ava asked to be put in a separate wing from Olivia.”
“Arguments about what?” Delaney pressed.
“I’m not sure. I wasn’t actually privy to them,” Hale added. “But my staff reported them to me.” He hesitated, then folded his hands on the desk. “There might be another reason Ava is so resistant to leaving.”
“What reason?” Delaney couldn’t ask fast enough.
“She’s become involved with another patient,” Hale said. “A teenage boy from Austin. We discourage those types of relationships, of course, but sometimes hormones rule everything.”
Delaney felt a jolt of unease, but not just because of what Hale had said. Her thoughtsflicked to Eli. That unwanted heat between them. She shoved it down fast, locking it away where it couldn’t interfere.
Eli’s brow furrowed. “What’s the boy’s name?”
Hale waved a hand as if to downplay it. “I can’t give you that info, but I can tell you we’re monitoring the connection between them. It’s not uncommon though for patients to cling to one another.”
Delaney kept her tone neutral. “And you think that’s why Ava doesn’t want to leave? Because of a boy?”
“I think it complicates things,” Hale said. “She feels seen here. Understood. Probably for the first time in a long while.”
Delaney didn’t respond. She wasn’t buying the warm and fuzzy act. Something about it all felt off. Too convenient. Too polished. She glanced at Eli, who gave a slight shake of his head. He was not convinced either.
As Hale’s phone buzzed, he glanced down at the screen. His expression shifted almost instantly. The smooth confidence drained from his features, and his mouth flattened into a tense line.
“I’m afraid the rest of your tour will have to be rescheduled,” Hale said as he got to his feet.
Delaney rose with him. “Is something wrong?”
He didn’t answer. Instead, he walked to a side door and opened it. “Show yourselves out.”
And then Hale was gone, the door clickingshut behind him.
Delaney turned to Eli. “Nothing weird about that,” she muttered, letting the sarcasm coat the words.
Eli agreed and took out his phone. She saw him text Noah to get a drone airborne. “Could be another escape,” he whispered.
