“Erin’s starting to come around. She’s still got a tube down her throat so she isn’t going to be able to talk yet. But she’s starting to respond to simple commands. That’s good. That’s very encouraging. It’ll be a little while before we know exactly how much … or if any … damage was done. We just don’t know how long her brain was deprived of oxygen. But I’m optimistic. She’s going to need time.”
“Can we see her?” Hayden asked.
“One at a time,” the doctor said. “And just for a few minutes. If she seems upset, I’m going to ask you to leave.”
“Of course,” Hayden said.
“You go,” George said to Hayden. “Then if you think she’d be okay with seeing me, I’ll go.”
“I’ll take you in,” the doctor said.
Hayden kissed her grandfather on the cheek and followed the doctor back down the hall.
“Thank you for coming so quickly,” George said to me. “I didn’t know you would.”
“I had to make sure you were okay,” I said. “That you had someone with you.”
“I’m okay.” He smiled. “I’ll be even more okay if you can tell me I don’t have to worry about Jamie ever getting near us again.”
“As soon as I know something about that, I’ll tell you. I promise.”
My phone buzzed with a text. I checked the screen. It was Sam.
“Can you meet me on the first floor? Claudia’s heading back up. She wants to see Erin.”
I showed the text to George. “I think maybe I shouldn’t be here when she gets here,” I said. “I don’t want to further upset her. I know I’m not Claudia’s favorite person.”
George nodded. “I’m sorry. Maybe that would be best. I’m not her favorite person right now either, but she’s not going to keep me from seeing Erin.”
“Okay,” I said. “You have my number. You let me know if there’s anything else I can do.”
“That goes both ways,” he said.
I leaned in and hugged George Luke. He felt so fragile. Like if I’d squeezed too hard, he would shatter. He would need to be stronger than ever now.
“We’ll be in touch,” I said.
I left him and took the stairs, hoping to avoid running into Claudia. Sam waited for me in the first-floor lobby. He was talking to one of his deputies. As I approached, he left Sam’s side so we could talk in private.
“How is she?” Sam asked. I explained what the doctor said.
“That sounds good,” he said. “Let’s hope this is the tail end of the drama. Claudia really walloped Deputy Jaffee. I hope I won’t regret it, but we’re not going to press charges.”
“I don’t even know what to think,” I said. “Hayden says Erin knew Claudia was on her way over. She knew her mother would be the one to find her. I can’t even fathom it.”
“Something happened,” Sam said. “Jaffee told me Erin’s house was torn up. Like at first, they thought there’d been a burglary. All the dishes in the kitchen were thrown on the floor and smashed. The couch cushions in the living room were slashed and the stuffing covered the ground like snow.”
Sam took his phone and opened a picture text he’d received. Three images popped up. Two of a kitchen like he’d described. Plates, glassware, and a coffee pot were shattered all over the place. The living room had been ransacked.
“What in God’s name?” I asked.
“She had some kind of psychotic break, maybe,” Sam said. “The whole thing just finally got to her. I don’t know. But you said the doc thinks she’ll pull through?”
“Probably. But it’s going to be a long road to recovery. And if Jamie gets acquitted … Sam … I just don’t even know what to think.”
“Is there anything else you need to do here?” he asked.
“I don’t think so. George has my number. So does Hayden. They know to reach out if I can help.”
