Say Goodbye (Sacramento Series, The Book 3)
Say Goodbye: Chapter 28

Nurse Innes met DJ when he came in through Sunnyside’s employee entrance. Once again, she held a mask. This time he took it, wearing it without complaint.

“You get only one ambulance ride,” she said as they walked to Pastor’s suite. “You can say goodbye to your dad, but you can’t stay here for long. The target on your back is too big.”

His day had sucked, ending with his finally making a call to Nurse Innes when he got close to Sunnyside in the fourth of the vehicles he’d stolen that day. Afraid that Kowalski would be waiting for him in retaliation for the weapons he’d stolen and the men he’d killed, he’d asked the nurse for help getting into the facility unseen.

Innes had sent an ambulance for him and he’d had to ride in the back. But it had worked. If Kowalski had been waiting for him outside, he’d missed him. At least the Feds didn’t know about this place. If they had, he’d never have risked it.

But they didn’t know about Sunnyside, so it was the safest place for him at the moment. He’d changed vehicles four times after fleeing from the strip mall. He’d dumped the Civic for the minivan, then stolen a laundry truck before trading it for an old pickup.

The pickup had been too old to have GPS, but it was in bad shape and might not make it up the mountain when he got ready to return to Eden. But while driving it, he’d noticed an older Ford Explorer that looked rugged enough to handle the steep, curvy inclines. The Explorer had wandered in and out of its lane, its driver clearly drunk.

Finally, it had pulled behind a small church not too far from Sunnyside Oaks. The church’s windows were dark, its parking lot deserted.

Curious, DJ had followed. And hit pay dirt. The driver had stumbled out of the vehicle, unzipping his pants and peeing on the grass at the edge of the parking lot. He’d stumbled again, slipped on the puddle of his own urine, and hit the pavement, passed out cold.

It had been entertaining, to say the least. And also the opportunity DJ had been waiting for. He’d disabled the Explorer’s GPS, dragged the passed-out drunk into the woods behind the church, and rolled him into a creek, where he’d landed facedown.

Then he’d changed out the plates on the Explorer before driving it to a shopping center three and a half miles away. He’d parked behind an empty store up for lease, figuring that he’d come back for the vehicle when he was ready to drive to the mountain.

Then he’d called Innes, who’d told him he’d have to wait for the ambulance to be available.

He’d spent the entire hour that he’d waited cursing—first the Feds for replaceing him, then himself for being so complacent. He’d cursed Pastor for being so stingy with the access codes and Kowalski for trying to kill him. He’d cursed Mercy for being so well protected, Daisy Dawson for broadcasting remotely.

And he cursed the woman in the eye doctor’s office, the one who’d spied him on the rooftop and told the other Fed. If it hadn’t been for her, he would have had the perfect shot. I should have just shot her.

“Where will you go when you leave here?” Nurse Innes asked. “Back to your home?”

“Most likely, yes.” No. Because Mercy and Gideon weren’t dead yet. “When my father is ready to be discharged, will you transport him to a safe place where I can pick him up?”

“Of course. We’ve done that in the past. You can stay here tonight, but tomorrow you’ll have to make other arrangements.” She walked away, making notes on her cell phone.

DJ dropped his bags on the floor of Pastor’s suite, next to the sofa in the sitting room. The couch was nowhere near as soft as the bed in Smythe’s spare bedroom, but it wasn’t awful. He figured that Coleen was either with Pastor or asleep. Either way, he’d deal with her later.

He was almost asleep when he heard a gasp. Bolting upright, his eyes narrowed when he saw Coleen standing in the door to her room.

“What are you doing here?” she asked him.

“I came to visit Pastor,” he lied. “How is he?”

“Better. But his blood pressure is really high, so don’t make him mad.”

DJ rolled his eyes. “Why would I make him mad?”

“Because you’re supposed to be in Eden.”

“I was,” he lied smoothly. “I left Brother Joshua in charge because the community wanted an update on Pastor’s condition. I just got here.”

She studied him for a long moment that became uncomfortable. “I saw you on the news. You’ve been here all day. You’ve been here all weekend. They say that you’ve killed people.”

Fucking bitch. DJ’s hands fisted. “I was protecting our investments.”

She paled but was unconvinced. “Did you kill people?”

“Did Edward? Did Ephraim?”

Her lips thinned. “I’m not talking about them. I’m talking about you.”

He suddenly realized he didn’t know how she’d come to Eden. He knew when she’d joined—she’d been one of the original members. But he didn’t know how or why. All the founders had been running from something. Pastor and Marcia had been running from fraud and embezzlement charges. Edward and Ephraim, bank robbery and a triple homicide.

Waylon was the only one who hadn’t had a warrant against him at the time, and DJ still didn’t know why his father had joined Pastor and the others. The same was true for Coleen.

“Have you? Killed someone, I mean?” he asked. “Answer me, Sister Coleen.”

She went rigid. “Not your concern.”

She has. How fascinating. “Then you have no room to talk. Has Pastor seen the news?”

“No. I’m trying to keep him from getting upset. Which is why you can’t stay here. He left his room for the first time today. He got to go to the solarium, where the other patients gather. If someone sees you, they might mention the news, and he’ll know. His health is very precarious.”

Hell, that was the first good news he’d had all day. Not that Pastor was leaving his room, but that his survival was iffy. DJ could do a lot with iffy.

“I’ll go tomorrow,” he promised to shut her up. He’d leave when he was ready and not before.

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA

TUESDAY, MAY 30, 6:30 A.M.

“Mr. Saltrick,” Nurse Innes said, “this is our newest employee, Miss Barkley. She’s a nursing assistant and will be working pediatrics.”

Liza smiled at the big man, but inside she was nervous. This was the guy whose computer Tom was trying to break into. “It’s good to meet you, sir.”

“You’re the combat medic.”

“Former, sir. I was honorably discharged.”

“Well, thank you for your service. If you’ll stand here, I’ll take the photo for your badge.”

Liza stood where he pointed and smiled when he said to. Three minutes later, she had her own entry badge.

“Wear this whenever you’re on the property,” he ordered. “Anyone not wearing a badge, especially new employees, will be considered hostile and dealt with accordingly.”

“I understand,” Liza said, thinking about Rafe hiding out in the SUV she’d ridden in this morning. Tom had woken her early and made love to her tenderly, and then they had left the Sokolovs’ house with Liza and Rafe hunkered down on the floorboards in the back.

Just like she’d done the Wednesday before when Agent Rodriguez had gotten them out of the eye doctor’s office.

Tom’s hands had shaken when he’d said goodbye in the parking garage beneath Karl’s apartment. His parting kiss had been hard and desperate and afraid, his “I love you” hoarse and broken. But he’d let her go without complaint, and for that she loved him even more.

Rafe had hidden in the very back of the SUV, where he’d stay until she needed him.

She worried about him. It was going to get up into the high nineties today, but Rafe had assured her that he’d done surveillance in black vehicles on hotter days than this. She’d left the windows cracked, and he had plenty of water and a battery-operated fan. The dark windows would block some of the sun’s rays. She’d have to trust that he could keep himself safe.

She sat through a short security and privacy briefing during which she signed a number of forms, including an NDA. Afterward, she was instructed to follow Nurse Innes. “Come along, Miss Barkley,” she said briskly. “I’ll give you your tour and then introduce you to your patient.”

Liza put on her special James Bond camera-fitted glasses and set off beside Nurse Innes.

The older woman eyed the hot pink rhinestone glasses with amusement. “Nobody will miss you in glasses like those,” she said.

“A little girl in the eyeglass store helped me pick them out. I hope my patient will like them.”

“I’m sure she will. Brooklyn loves bright colors.”

The tour was short. Liza was shown the locker room and given a locker in which she stored her belongings, which had been carefully screened by Rafe and Tom. Rafe had been undercover for several years and had a good eye for anything that might give her away.

From the locker room they went to the break room and the gym. “You can use any of the equipment as long as you’re off duty and none of the patients or their families ask to use it.”

The supply closet was very well stocked. “We have everything a hospital has and, in some cases, more,” Innes said. “Your patient will be undergoing chemotherapy next week. You’ll be transporting her to and from treatments. Your supervising nurse will show you where.”

“Miss Sinclair mentioned that the child is terminal when I had my interview. Is this correct?”

Innes frowned. “Did she explicitly say that?”

Liza had to think. “No. She asked if I could deal if the child was terminal. I assumed.”

“That’s good,” Innes said, clearly relieved. “Brooklyn is not terminal, but her leukemia is advanced. She’s responding well to treatments, so we continue to hope.”

“That’s good,” Liza said, relieved for the child’s sake.

“You don’t speak to her about her mother or their home,” Innes said. They’d turned a corner and were approaching a set of double doors over which was a sign that read PEDIATRICS. “Don’t ask her questions about anything personal. Her mother has privacy concerns. Am I clear?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Liza said. “I understand.”

“See that you do. Her mother’s travel schedule is busy. She isn’t here often and Brooklyn gets lonely. Please accommodate her play requests whenever she makes them. Your supervisor is Nurse Williams. Come. I’ll introduce you.”

Liza entered the pediatrics ward, immediately charmed with the colors. Most of the rooms were empty, but all were very nice. This was not a normal hospital. Every room was a suite. Nurse Innes stopped at the third room from the end.

An older woman sat in a reclining chair, a book in her hand. She stood as soon as Liza and Nurse Innes entered.

“Good morning! You must be the new nursing assistant. I’m Nurse Williams.”

“My name is Liza.” She turned her gaze to the bed, where a tiny little girl sat up, a tray of oatmeal in front of her. The child was bald and did not smile. Until she saw Liza’s glasses.

“Oh wow!” she exclaimed. “I like your glasses. I’m Brooklyn. Hi, Liza.”

Liza looked to Nurse Williams. “May I?” she asked, gesturing to the chair next to the bed.

“Of course.”

Liza sat next to the little girl and stuck out her hand. “It is very nice to meet you, Brooklyn.”

Brooklyn smiled, showing a missing front tooth. Liza’s heart cracked. She didn’t bother telling herself not to get attached, because of course she would. She was already on her way.

“I hear you have treatments starting up soon, so let’s get some play in beforehand. What would you like to do? We can read, play a game, watch a movie, whatever you’d like.”

Brooklyn’s eyes widened in surprise that Liza had been so up front about her treatments. Then the little girl’s smile grew. “You’ll play with me? And read to me?”

“Absolutely.”

“Can you do voices?”

“You mean when I read to you?” Liza asked. “I’ll do my best.”

“Then I want you to read to me first. I have a Harry Potter book. And then we’ll play with my dolls. And then Play-Doh. And . . .” She gasped. “Did you BeDazzle your glasses?”

Liza chuckled. “No. But if there’s a BeDazzle kit anywhere in this hospital, we can BeDazzle some of your stuff and make you the sparkliest girl here.” She looked over her shoulder to Nurse Innes. “Do we? Have a BeDazzle kit, I mean.”

Nurse Innes smiled. “I’ll send someone out for one.”

“Yay!” Brooklyn cried, clapping her hands.

Yay indeed, Liza thought. If I’m only here for a short time, I’m going to make sure I use it to help this little girl have some fun. “I’ll have to do chores in between play, like changing your bedding and stuff like that. But let’s start this morning right. Where is your book?”

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA

TUESDAY, MAY 30, 9:30 A.M.

“She’s good with the kid,” the surveillance tech said with a sad smile.

“She is,” Tom agreed.

It was hotter than hell in the van, but he didn’t want to be anywhere else. Watching Liza make a seriously sick kid smile was a beautiful thing. She’d read several chapters from the first Harry Potter book, doing “all the voices,” and little Brooklyn had been delighted.

Then they’d taken a break to take the child’s vitals and change her bedding. Now they were looking at photos of the stars and planets on the child’s tablet.

Tom and the surveillance techs hadn’t seen much of the inside of Sunnyside Oaks yet. They’d taken the tour along with Liza and Nurse Innes, who, according to what Irina had told Liza, was someone to watch.

After the tour, Liza had stayed in the child’s room except for the few minutes she’d taken to deliver the soiled bedding to the facility’s laundry. She’d walked slowly on the way back, making sure the cameras in her glasses and the pendant caught every nook and cranny.

He’d hacked the facility’s cameras that were connected to Wi-Fi, and that had made him feel a bit better about her being alone inside. He’d thought they might see armed guards everywhere, but they hadn’t. The only armed person seemed to be Saltrick, the security chief.

One was enough, though. Unfortunately, if there were cameras in the patient rooms, they were hardwired, because he hadn’t been able to hack those, so they hadn’t seen Pastor.

“Any luck on your phishing e-mails?” the tech asked.

“No. I’m worrying now that they’re going to compare notes and realize someone is trying to break in.” Because the Wi-Fi feed had shown the employees working on their computers, so it was likely that they’d seen his e-mails.

“We’ll keep watch, but if any of the recipients go to the security office, we won’t be able to see them.”

Either the chief of security’s office didn’t have a camera or it was hardwired. Tom figured it was the former.

The tech chuckled. “The head nurse just told Brooklyn that she’ll have her BeDazzling stuff in an hour.”

Tom returned his attention to the monitor linked to the feed from Liza’s pendant.

“Can we go to the sunny room to do our work?” Brooklyn asked.

“What’s the sunny room?” Liza asked.

“The solarium,” the nurse explained. “It’s a common area and there are tables there where patients do puzzles and paint. BeDazzling would be a great use of the solarium, Brooklyn. We’ll get a wheelchair for you.”

Because the child was too weak to walk on her own.

“But first, you need to take a short nap,” Liza told Brooklyn. “Those BeDazzler machines need some muscle, so you should rest.”

Tom wondered who Brooklyn’s mother was. Innes had only said that she traveled for business. She could be one of the legit clients. Tom hoped so.

He’d check the patient database, but he’d have to do so from his home system. The warrants only covered information specific to Pastor, so looking at Brooklyn’s records on FBI time would make the Bureau in violation, and he wasn’t going to do that.

The ringing of his work phone jerked his attention away from Brooklyn. It was Raeburn. He couldn’t know about Rafe, but Tom still feared he’d sound guilty when he answered his boss.

“Special Agent Hunter.”

“It’s Raeburn. We need you back at the field office, ASAP.”

Tom frowned. “Why? I thought I was assigned to surveillance today.”

“We picked up Daniel Park, Pastor’s banker. I want you and Croft in Interview with him. Now, Agent Hunter.”

Tom wanted to argue, because panic was spiraling in his gut. But Rafe was in the employee lot, ready to assist should Liza need it. So he drew a breath and said, “Yes, sir. On my way.”

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA

TUESDAY, MAY 30, 11:30 A.M.

“Look, Liza, I did it! Isn’t it pretty?” Brooklyn beamed.

She’d used a lot of her energy to push down on the BeDazzler tool, forcing the shiny rhinestone gem into an extra hospital gown. Her face was flushed from the exertion, the edges of the scarf she wore to cover her baldness damp from her perspiration.

“So pretty!” Liza held the cotton gown up. “This is going to be the awesomest thing.”

They’d chosen a simple heart design. Brooklyn had wanted to do something elaborate, but Liza had convinced her that if they started small, they could be finished faster and she could wear the gown while she worked on the next project. In truth, Liza wasn’t sure how long she’d be here and she didn’t want to leave Brooklyn with nothing.

Still smiling, Brooklyn sagged into the wheelchair. “Can you do the next part? I’m tired.”

“I can indeed. You just rest and tell me what to do.”

Brooklyn grinned at that. “I’m the boss.”

“So what color do we use next, boss?”

“Red.”

Liza saluted. “Yes, ma’am.” She reached for the red gem but froze when she saw a man entering the solarium. Frail-looking and about seventy, he wore round-rimmed glasses and his face seemed familiar. And then she knew.

Oh my God. It was him. It was Pastor.

She’d seen the photo tacked to the bulletin board in Tom’s home office, the one taken of Pastor, his wife, and the twins shortly before he’d run to Eden thirty years ago. He was older now, of course, and looked terrible, his skin gray and his hair thinning, but it was him.

He was being pushed by one of the nurses, and following behind was a woman in her midfifties. Her hair was liberally streaked with gray and pulled off her head in a simple bun.

But it was the item she wore around her throat that had Liza’s attention. A locket on a thick, heavy chain. An Eden locket. The nurse pushed Pastor to one of the tables by the window and covered his lap with a blanket. He leaned his head back, as if enjoying the sun on his face.

Belatedly aware she’d been staring, Liza jerked her attention back to the pile of red gems. But her hands were shaking so hard that she couldn’t get the gem into the little plunger.

It was rage, she realized. Pure, unadulterated rage. She hadn’t felt this angry in so long.

Not since she’d pushed Fritz’s body off her own, grabbed her rifle, and started firing at the insurgents who’d attacked her unit. Who’d killed her friends.

Because that was what Pastor had done. He’d allowed people to be attacked and killed. She wanted to run over there. She wanted to break him. Hurt him. Kill him.

But she couldn’t, of course. So get it together, Liza.

Carefully placing the gem on the table, she flattened her palms on her thighs, the soft cotton of her scrubs absorbing some of the clamminess. She drew a breath, remembering the relaxation techniques she’d learned to battle the anxiety of waking from a nightmare.

“Liza?” Brooklyn’s voice had grown small and a little scared. “Are you all right?”

Her brain raced to think of something comforting to say, because the truth was not an option.

She lifted her head to smile at the little girl. “I’m okay. You ever have a nightmare, and then the next day you remember part of it and just, like, get a little scared again?”

Brooklyn nodded sagely. “Sometimes I dream that I die.”

Liza sucked in a harsh breath. “Oh, honey. What an awful dream to have.”

Brooklyn lifted a shoulder. “I know. I wake up and I’m afraid. The last nursing assistant wasn’t very nice. She’d tell me to go back to sleep, even when I was crying.”

Liza reached out, palm up. Brooklyn took her hand and squeezed. “I told my mom when she visited, and Mom told Nurse Williams to get another assistant. That’s you.”

“Well, I have nightmares, too. And they’re scary, so I get it.”

“Do you die?”

“No, but people I love get hurt, and that’s scary, right?”

“Real scary. You don’t have a mom to tell you that it’s okay, because you’re old.”

Liza thought about her last nightmare and how Tom had run to her, holding her while she cried. Then Brooklyn’s words sank in and her lips twitched. “I guess I am pretty old at that. But I learned some stuff that helps when I wake up scared. You want to know?”

Brooklyn sat up straighter. “Yes. Please.”

“First is breathing.” She demonstrated and within a minute, Brooklyn was mimicking the inhale-hold-exhale pattern. “Also, I cuddle my dog.”

“You have a dog?”

“I do. She’s big. Great Dane big.”

Brooklyn’s eyes widened. “She’d eat me.”

“Nah, she’s a softy. She might lick your face.”

The child giggled. “That’s dirty.”

“True, but it does help to hug her. You can’t have a dog here, but maybe a stuffed animal. Do you have one?”

“Not here. I had one at home, but I forgot it. Mom said she’d bring it to me, but she’s working right now.”

“Would you like me to ask Nurse Williams if I can get you one for now, until your mom brings yours?”

“Would you?”

“I would and I will. Now, the other thing you can do about bad dreams is to rewrite the ending. If I dream that my friends get hurt, then after I wake up, I close my eyes and picture them at a party instead, all healthy and happy. Just like the hurt never happened.”

“So I could picture myself not dying? And doing a dance?”

“Exactly.” Which wouldn’t change Brooklyn’s actual prognosis, but it might ease her fears along the way. “And then, the next day, you can wear this fashion statement.” She held up the hospital gown again. “It says you are bada—” She clamped her lips shut and Brooklyn laughed. Such a lovely sound.

The little girl leaned forward and whispered, “Badass?”

Liza chuckled. “I need to watch my language. Let’s get back to BeDazzling.”

“That was very nice advice,” a male voice said and Liza froze again. Pastor was two feet away, having been pushed to their table by his nurse. “May we join you?”

“Of course,” Brooklyn chirped before Liza could speak. “I’m Brooklyn. You must be new.”

She’s done this before, Liza realized with a start. She’s been here for so long that she’s accustomed to welcoming new patients.

“I am,” Pastor said, as the woman with the locket sat in a chair beside him. The nurse stepped back, watching with an eagle eye. “I just got here.” He made a face. “I fell down. Broke some stuff. Hard when you’re old like me. My name is Ben.”

Liza noted the sudden tension in his companion’s body.

He looked a little confused at the woman’s reaction, then smiled. “People call me Pastor.”

His companion swallowed. “It’s a nickname,” she said quietly.

Brooklyn just rolled with it. “Okay. We’re BeDazzling. Wanna play with us?”

“Can I just watch?” he asked. “I like your scarf.”

Brooklyn patted her head. “My mom brought it for me. It’s from Switzerland.” She turned to Liza. “Did you ever go to Switzerland?”

“Nope,” Liza said. “I did go to Afghanistan, though. I saw some very pretty scarves there. They’re called hijabs.”

“I didn’t catch your name,” Pastor said, his eyes having flickered at hijab.

Liza had wondered if he would react. Amos had told them that Pastor was rabidly Islamophobic. “I’m Liza, Brooklyn’s nursing assistant.” Nervous and terrified that she’d show it, she busied her hands applying the next red gem.

“This is Sister Coleen,” Pastor said. “She’s kind of like a nursing assistant, too.”

A puzzle piece dropped into place. This is the healer. The one with the computer.

Brooklyn’s little forehead was furrowed. “Are you a nun? I knew a nun once. People called her Sister, too.”

“Something like that,” Coleen said. “Were you in the military, Liza? You said you were in Afghanistan.”

“I was,” Liza said. “But I probably shouldn’t speak of it. Little pitchers, you know.”

Coleen nodded. “I know. It’s just that I’ve been . . . a little detached for the past few years. I’ve been catching up on news.”

Liza supposed so, if a few years meant thirty.

“I watch the news,” Brooklyn said. “On my tablet. Nurse Williams doesn’t know.” She lifted her brows, which looked a bit strange because she had no eyebrows. “Are you going to narc on me, Liza?”

Liza choked on a laugh. “Narc on you? Where on earth—” She cut herself off because she wasn’t supposed to ask questions about Brooklyn’s personal life. “I think I’ll definitely be checking your tablet to see what you’re reading. There are news outlets for kids. Otherwise you might see stuff that’ll give you different nightmares.”

Brooklyn had started to look defiant, but she nodded, her ire cooling. “That makes sense. But I’m not a baby, you know.”

“No, you’re not,” Liza said.

“How old are you?” Pastor asked Brooklyn.

“Seven. Almost.”

And then, as Liza worked the BeDazzler tool on the cotton gown, Brooklyn and Pastor proceeded to chat. It was the most surreal conversation Liza had ever heard.

The man was . . . sweet. There was no other word for it. He asked Brooklyn about her hobbies and the books she liked to read. He asked her about her schooling, nodding in approval when she said she was homeschooled.

And then he talked about his own children. Bo and Bernie. How he missed them. How they were angels in heaven now.

And Brooklyn comforted him, patting his gnarled hand with her small, bony one.

The two talked for an hour while Coleen quietly knitted a scarf and Liza finished the BeDazzled hospital gown. She tried to replace a way to ask them where Eden was located, but every time she or Brooklyn brought up Pastor and Coleen’s home, Coleen skillfully changed the subject. So Liza continued BeDazzling, working the red gems into a heart and adding Brooklyn’s name underneath using smaller gems.

She lingered at the table as long as she could, aware that this was an opportunity for Tom and the FBI to study Pastor—his speech, his mannerisms, and the sheer charisma rolling off the man. Liza could now understand how he’d attracted his followers.

He honestly appeared to care.

Unless he was allowing twelve-year-old girls to be raped in the name of marriage or allowing thirteen-year-old boys to be raped in the name of apprenticeship. Or approving the murder of anyone who disagreed with him. Or making women into slaves. Or stealing the legacies and life savings of those who believed in his smiles and lies.

Finally, she stood and gathered Brooklyn’s things. “I think it’s time Miss Brooklyn had her lunch and a nap. Say goodbye to Pastor.”

Brooklyn appeared ready to argue, but nodded. “I am tired. Can I see you tomorrow?”

“I’m here for at least six weeks,” Pastor said.

“Me too,” Brooklyn said glumly. “If I don’t die first,” she added matter-of-factly.

Coleen gasped softly, looking to Liza for confirmation.

“Your treatments are working,” Liza said. “So I’m going to call horse hockey on that, okay?”

Brooklyn grinned impishly. “Is horse hockey like bullshit?”

Liza shook her head. “And on that note, we are going back to your room.”

“Can we get a picture?” Brooklyn asked, clearly trying to delay their departure. “I like to show them to my mom when she visits.” She patted her tablet, on which she’d been watching BeDazzler videos on YouTube. “Pleeeease?”

Coleen gave Pastor a nervous look. Pastor smiled. “Of course. Just for us, though, right?”

“Oh yes,” Brooklyn said, genuinely serious. “There’s hippo stuff.”

Coleen looked confused. “Hippo stuff?”

“She means HIPAA,” Liza explained. “It protects the privacy of patients.”

“Oh.” Coleen smiled thinly. “Of course.”

“You get in the picture, too, Liza!” Brooklyn insisted.

Liza positioned herself behind the group, putting the tablet in selfie mode. “Say cheese!”

“Cheese!” Brooklyn belted out.

Liza snapped the photo, then put the tablet in Brooklyn’s bag. She’d send a copy to Agent Raeburn ASAP. “All right. It’s really time to go now. Say goodbye to Pastor, Brooklyn.”

The child waved merrily at Pastor and Coleen. “Goodbye! See you tomorrow!”

See you in hell, Liza thought, but made herself smile. “Tomorrow.”

She pushed Brooklyn back to her room, thinking that was all she’d see of Pastor for the day. She got Brooklyn’s lunch and sat down with her tablet, as Brooklyn had access to the Internet. Liza didn’t know who was monitoring usage and didn’t want to get caught.

“Brooklyn, do you want to send this picture to your mom?”

“Yes, please. Her e-mail address is under Mom.”

Liza found the contact and blind carbon copied herself before sending, then deleted the e-mail from the sent folder. She knew from Tom that a simple delete didn’t permanently delete a file, but it would be gone at a cursory glance.

She was encouraging Brooklyn to eat her lunch when Nurse Innes arrived a half hour later.

“Miss Barkley? May I have a word? In private?”

Shit. What had she done? Had she been found out? Had they seen the e-mail she’d sent? “Of course. Brooklyn, I need you to stop playing with that food and actually eat some of it. You need your energy if we’re going to BeDazzle again.”

Brooklyn was rolling her eyes as Liza joined Nurse Innes in the hallway.

Innes pulled Brooklyn’s door closed. “You’ve had a bit of an assignment change,” the woman said. “You’ll still be working with Brooklyn, but when she’s sleeping, you’re to report to Mr. Alcalde’s room.”

Liza got a bad feeling in her gut. “Of course, but who is Mr. Alcalde?”

Innes looked at her warily. “The man you just spent an hour talking to.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I don’t think he said his last name, so I was confused. What will my duties be?”

“He wants you to read to him and talk to him. I think he likes your voice.”

Liza made herself smile. “I’ll be happy to.”

“Meet him in the solarium in an hour. That’ll give you time to get Brooklyn settled for the afternoon. Nurse Williams can take it from there. Mr. Alcalde has you until four.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Liza stood where she was as the woman walked away, then muttered quietly, hoping that Tom was listening, “I’ll do my best to get him to talk about Eden.”