Page 64 of Reveal

“Why?” I laugh, the nerves getting the best of me. “It’s not like they think I’m going to kidnap her or anything.” And then the minute the words are out of my mouth, I realize that’s what they think. “Wait. Do they—”

Joey sees it on my face and immediately jumps to react. “No. That’s not it. It’s just—I’ll get answers for you. I’m not supposed to, but I’ll see what I can find out.”

“Thank you. I just—I—”

“I know.”

I drop my head and draw in a big breath to try to steady my shaky nerves before looking back up at him. “Can I at least see her so she knows I didn’t forget her?”

His shoulders sag. “I’m sorry. I could get fired for allowing it.”

Christ. Tears burn in my eyes, and my stomach churns as much for me missing her as for her thinking I don’t want to see her. “She’s been through so much, Joey. Some days she still thinks her mom just up and left her instead of died. I can’t have her thinking that I did too.”

“I’ll smooth it over.”

“But she has her calendar and she counts the days. She knows this is Tuesday. She knows I take her.”

“Vaughn. The facility has been more lenient with you seeing her and taking her for overnight stays than they are with most others.”

I stare at him, feeling completely helpless and hating every damn second of it. “I don’t understand.” My voice breaks, and I press my fingers to my eyes to prevent the tears from spilling over.

I say I don’t understand.

But I’m fearing I actually do.

“Ms. Sanders? What are you doing here?” Priscilla looks tepid as she peeks her head out of the door that separates the offices from the general public and sees me.

I know damn well that the receptionist told her why I’m here, so I’m not buying her I’m innocent look.

“Can we talk somewhere?”

Priscilla’s head startles. “About?”

“I think this conversation is best suited to privacy,” I explain, “considering I went to see Lucy and was told your office gave them mandates saying that I couldn’t.”

She exhales. “The conference room, then.”

I follow behind her as we walk through the cubicles. Heads pop up over the edges like meerkats to see who Priscilla is guiding through their inner sanctum of red tape and bureaucracy.

The conference room is crammed with a scarred wood table top and eight chairs around a six-chair table. She motions for me to sit and then takes a seat directly across from me, making a show of scooting her chair in and squaring her papers up before clasping her hands over the top of them.

“I was expecting a phone call from you, but isn’t this a nice surprise. In person.” Her smile is tight, and her eyes behind her glasses look two different sizes, normal size above the frame and rather large through the lens.

“Why is no one allowed to visit Lucy?” I cut to the chase.

“It’s in her best interests.” Her voice may be monotone, but her words are like nails on a chalkboard to my ears.

“How so?”

“It’s evident there are some . . . issues with both of the candidates for her guardianship.”

“Issues?”

She offers a judgmental smile, and I find it hard to swallow all of a sudden. “Sometimes during our lengthy process, things come up that have to be investigated further.”

“Like how Brian showed up to my house and was high as a kite, offering for me to buy his daughter a few weeks back? Like you actually tested him and it turned up positive? Those kinds of things?”

“I’m sorry, I’m not at liberty to discuss Lucy’s welfare or potential issues at this time.”