“We’ll find Emily,” Ellory says, resting his hand on the back of Malin’s head.
Malin nods.
I adjust how I’m holding him so I can pick him up as I did the first night he showed up at my house. With him tucked into my hold, I head down the hall toward the bathroom.
Once the door closes behind me, I set Malin on his feet but keep him tucked to my chest as I move throughout the space, turning on the shower, adjusting the temperature, gathering towels so they’re within reach when we get out. I pull his saturated clothes off him and urge him under the water.
There’s a wildness in his eyes when he looks at me from under the spray of water. His hands immediately cover his ears as he silently begs me not to let go of him.
“Hold on,” I assure him, unsure if he can hear me. “I just need to get my clothes off, too.”
I’m quick about discarding my bloody clothes. His eyes never leave me. I’m under the water with Malin back in my arms within two minutes. I keep him under the spray while lathering his hair with shampoo to begin washing off the layers of blood he’s soaked with.
“I’m sorry,” he whispers. “I didn’t mean to get you covered in blood, too.”
“It’s okay,” I assure him. “Not a big deal. It’ll wash off.”
He nods minutely.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I just… That man was a bad one from the very beginning. I remember telling Ryan how much I disliked him. He just had a bad feel about him. His smile was evil. Ryan never agreed, but he never let Jonathan touch me, though he tried a couple times.”
My hands still for just a second before I continue washing him. “I’m sorry.”
Malin shakes his head.
“You know what my job is, right?”
“You find the cultists.”
“Yes. I’m a private investigator.”
“Right. You told me that, I think.”
“I think I did, too. You know, if you want me to find someone specific, I’ll do that.”
“Emily,” he says right away.
“Yes, we’ll find Emily.”
“Okay.”
“Anyone else?” I’m waiting for him to ask about his parents.
“I thought I remembered everything,” he says quietly. “But until I saw Jonathan Clark, there were a lot of things that came back to me. Emily. The definition of sin and why cleansing was necessary. How we knew it was working and how deeply rooted sin was in us. I forgot all about Jonathan until he was right there, and then I remembered everything from back then. What else is hidden in my memories that I can’t remember? How many more people should I ask you to look for that I’ve blocked?”
He shivers, and I stop washing the blood away in favor of holding him close.
“Malin, it’s not your responsibility to check up on every victim.”
“Yeah, but?—”
“No, Malin. No buts. It’s not your responsibility. Period. If you remember someone, we’ll look for them. We’ll make sure they get out of the situation if they’re still in it. We’ll take care of their predators. But regardless, it’snotyour responsibility to rescue anyone.”
He swallows, nodding. “Okay.”
Malin shifts so his face is buried in my neck. Finally, he begins to relax.
