“You think he tried to kill her to get her money?”

“I’d hate to think it, but it happens more and more these days.”

“That’s awful. I can’t believe it.”

“It’s hard to. I mean, you hear such things on the news but you never really think…” Clara looked at Emma. “But then, you know that better than most of us.” She gave Emma’s shoulder a squeeze. “I’ve got to make rounds. Why don’t you try to get another couple hours?”

“Yeah, maybe,” Emma said but she knew there was no way in hell she’d be able to sleep after what Clara had told her. She’d slept here thinking it was safe. She had no doubt Melody had felt the same, but look what had happened. If someone killed a paramedic just to get his hands on Melody’s money, there was no reason her stalker couldn’t do the same.

A chill ran through her and she crossed her arms across her chest. She’d even taken a sleeping pill. Stupid! She couldn’t remember lying down, much less anything that had happened while she was asleep. Not a single noise or movement. Not even a dream. She may as well have been under anesthesia.

She reached for the lamp next to the bed and turned the switch on, the small light casting a decent glow across the room. She threw the covers off her legs and felt something slip on her finger. She lifted her left hand and barely managed to cover her mouth with her right hand before she screamed.

The wedding band that had once fit perfectly sat loosely on her now-thinner ring finger. It glittered in the lamplight, mocking her with every glint.

She bolted from the bed and ran into the attached bathroom. She barely made it to the toilet before retching. Over and over she heaved, until her chest and back ached. Finally, she yanked the ring off and dropped it into the toilet, then flushed it away. Her finger still tingled from where the ring had rested as if saying no matter what she did, she couldn’t erase her past.

She jumped up from the floor and hurried to the sink. The medicine cabinet next to it contained basic bathroom supplies. Fumbling through the items, she located a wire brush and alcohol. She poured the alcohol onto her hand and began scrubbing.

“I have to make it go away,” she said as she ran the wire back and forth and around her finger.

She didn’t even stop when it started bleeding.

###

Shaye burst into the emergency room and rushed up to the reception desk. “I’m looking for Clara Mandeville.”

“I’m sorry, but Ms. Mandeville can’t be disturbed.” The young woman looked completely rattled.

“My name is Shaye Archer. Ms. Mandeville asked me to come.”

The girl’s eyes widened. “Oh, Ms. Archer. Yes!” She grabbed the phone and spoke to someone, then hung up. “Ms. Mandeville is in intensive care room seven. Down the hallway and to the right.”

“Thank you,” Shaye said as she rushed through the doors and down the hall. Clara had refused to give Shaye details with her early-morning phone call. She’d simply said that Shaye needed to get to the hospital right away. That Emma needed her. The cop cars in the parking lot hadn’t done anything to decrease her fear.

The only redeeming part was that if Emma needed her, then that meant she was alive. At least, Shaye assumed that meant Emma was alive. But what if the worst had happened and Clara didn’t want to tell her over the phone? She’d literally pulled on clothes as she ran out of Corrine’s house. Her mother was still asleep, thank goodness, and the housekeeper assured Shaye she’d keep watch on her until Eleonore arrived. Then Shaye had broken at least ten major traffic laws on the drive over.

She skidded around the corner to the critical care hall and burst into room seven. Emma sat on the edge of a hospital bed, Clara standing in front of her, wrapping her hand. Another nurse held a tray with bandages.

“Are you all right?” Shaye asked as she walked up. “What happened? Why are the police here?”

Emma stared at the wall in front of them, not even acknowledging Shaye’s presence. Her eyes were red and swollen. Her skin was pale and she looked several years older than she had the day before. Clara motioned to the nurse to finish wrapping Emma’s hand and headed out of the room and across the hall to a vacant room.

As soon as she closed the door behind them, Clara gripped Shaye’s shoulders and looked her up and down. “It is so good to see you, child. It’s been too long.”

Shaye nodded, but couldn’t meet Clara’s gaze. She’d always had good intentions of visiting Clara, but she’d spent so much time in the hospital, and all of it associated with negative things. She’d wanted to put it all behind her, and unfortunately, Clara had gotten lumped in with that part of her life. “I wanted to visit you but…”

“Oh honey, I understand. Sometimes a person’s got to pick a day to start their life over and never look back. I did it once myself and never regretted it for a moment. I’m proud of what you’ve accomplished, and I’m glad you’re helping Emma.”

Shaye sniffed. “Thank you. It means a lot. Really.”

Clara nodded. “It was a bad one here last night.”

“What happened?”

“A man killed a paramedic outside and stole his uniform to get in here. He suffocated another patient.”

“Oh my God. Is the patient all right?”

“She’s been unconscious but she’s starting to stir. We won’t know the extent of the damage, if any, until later.”

“What does this have to do with Emma? Why is she in shock?”

“At first, I didn’t think it had anything to do with Emma. The patient is a wealthy woman who recently cut a lazy nephew off the money train. I figured it was him behind it. Then I went back to the break room to check on Emma and that’s when I found her scrubbing her knuckles. When I tried to get her to stop, she took a swipe at me. Said she had to get the evil off.”

“The evil?”

“Took me a while to get it out of her. That man…if you can even call him that, killed that paramedic and suffocated that poor old lady to get at Emma.”

“How can you be sure?”

“For starters, the paramedic’s eyes were cut out. Jeremy didn’t see the face when we found Drew, but when the police told him about it this morning when they questioned us, he flipped and told them about the mice.”

Shaye’s hand involuntarily flew up to cover her mouth.

“Soon as I heard that, I hustled back to the break room, and that’s when Emma told me about the ring.” Clara looked visibly ill.

“What ring?”

“When Emma woke up this morning, she was wearing her wedding band. The one she swore she’d thrown away.”

She had to get the evil off.

“Oh my God.” Shaye’s stomach rolled. “She thought she’d be safe here.”

“Everyone thought she’d be safe here. How could anyone predict something like this? Even if someone had suggested it, no one would have believed it could happen.”

“Did Emma talk to the police?”

Clara nodded. “She came around enough to talk to them, and she managed to get the story out. It was when she found out about the paramedic that she went over the edge again.”

“Do they believe her now?”

“They seemed a bit skeptical, but with a dead paramedic, a patient who was attacked, and Jeremy’s story of the mice, they seemed to come around. It probably would have been better if Emma hadn’t flushed the ring, but I understand why she did. She told them about you, too. When they find out you’re here, they’re going to want to talk to you. I just figured you’d want to know what you were walking into.”

“Yes. Thank you.” Shaye blew out a breath. “What the hell is wrong with this guy?”

Clara shook her head. “I wish I knew. Maybe it’s as simple as what Emma said—evil.”

The door swung open and both of them jumped. Emma stepped inside, closing the door behind her. Color had flooded back into her skin, and instead of looking spaced out, Emma looked angry. “You said you could help me with my car situation?” she asked Shaye.