Cara nodded. “I loved her, too.” Two tears rolled down her cheeks. “Now she’s gone, Eve.”

She wanted to reach out and hold her. Instead, she took her hand. “Not really gone.”

“I know,” she whispered. “She’s with Jenny. Jenny said that she’d make sure that she was safe and happy before she left her.”

Eve stiffened. “She did?”

Cara nodded. “But it’s still hard. I miss her.”

“Of course you do.” She paused. “When did Jenny tell you that?”

“In the dream tonight. I was having a nightmare, and suddenly Jenny was there, and all the bad stuff went away.”

“I … see. And do you often dream about Jenny?”

“No, only lately. The first time was when we were still at the apartment, and I didn’t know anything was wrong.” She was smiling eagerly again. “It was so good to see her. I thought she was gone, but there she was, just like before.” Her smile faded. “You think I’m crazy? I know she’s dead. I knew it before she told me in that first dream. But she was there.”

“No, I don’t think you’re crazy. I think something very special happened to you because of the bond between you and Jenny.”

“She told me that you’d understand that first time she came to me. She said, Go to Eve. You’ll begin to feel what she’s feeling, just like I do. I didn’t know what she meant. I didn’t know who she was talking about.”

A ripple of shock went through Eve. “She was probably preparing you to accept me if I tried to help you get away from Walsh.”

“I don’t know.” She frowned. “But I don’t think so. Because she said something like that again tonight. She said, Go to Eve and take care of her. She’ll need you. And you’ll need her.”

“But you said yourself that it was a dream, Cara,” Eve said gently.

“You don’t want me? That’s okay.” She was speaking quickly. “But just let me stay and take care of you for a while. I promised her. I won’t get in your way.”

“Cara…”

“It’s okay.” She released Eve’s hand and leaned back in the chair. “Now go to sleep, and I’ll be quiet and not bother you.”

“You’re not bothering me.”

“I’ll just turn out the lamp.” The room was plunged into darkness.

So that Eve wouldn’t see the hurt she had inflicted by that gentle reminder.

But she knew it was there, and she wanted to heal it. How to do it when the situation was bewildering, and promises couldn’t be given? It reminded her of that similar moment with Jenny in the early days when she had first come to her. But Cara was no spirit, she had her entire life to live, and mistakes could be made so easily.

“Cara, we’ll work this out. I only want you to be happy and safe.”

“I know. Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”

“Yes, you will,” Eve said firmly. “I’ll make sure of it. Just hold on and give me a little time.”

“I’ll hold on as long as you let me, Eve…”

*   *   *

Joe Quinn was standing in the hall when Margaret came out of the room. “Eve’s going to let her stay?”

Margaret nodded. “She won’t be a bother to her, Joe. She’s a good kid.”

“Even good kids can cause disturbance. Eve doesn’t need it.”

“I told Eve you’d be checking in on her. Judge for yourself.”

“I will.” His gaze was fastened on her face. “You look tired. It’s the first time I’ve seen you without your usual vim and vigor.”

“I’m not tired. I’m feeling a little at a loss. Everything is winding down, and there doesn’t seem to be anything that I can do.”

“No interesting coyote discussions to instigate?” Nalchek had just gotten off the elevator and was coming toward them. “What a pity.”

“What are you doing here in the middle of the night?” she asked. “I called and told you that Eve was going to be okay.”

“I could ask you the same thing.” He smiled crookedly. “But I know the answer. You’re one of those people who have to be there twenty-four/seven for those they care about.”

“You still haven’t answered me.”

“I believe that Nalchek is here to see me,” Joe said. “And the middle of the night is an excellent time for our discussion.” He turned and headed for the waiting room. “I’ve been expecting you.”

Margaret gazed in bewilderment at Nalchek.

He shrugged. “Come along. By all means, let me satisfy your curiosity. I don’t give a damn any longer, now that Walsh is dead.”

“I don’t want to— Yes, I do.” She followed them down the hall to the waiting room. “I have to know.”

“Those were my feelings exactly.” Nalchek turned to face Joe as he entered the waiting room. “I had to know.”

Joe nodded. “Because you’re like Margaret. You had to be there twenty-four/seven for those you care about.” He paused. “Even if there was a chance that it might destroy you.”

“What are you talking about?” Margaret asked.

“Bryland Medical Center,” Joe said. “When Margaret raised a red flag where you were concerned, I started investigating you, Nalchek, and that included everything about you.”

“I would have done the same thing.”

Joe nodded. “I couldn’t find anything in your past or public career. You were everything your voters thought you were. So I dug a little deeper. Family. You had a very close and affectionate family relationship.”

“Yes, I do.”

“And that includes your grandfather, Marcus Nalchek, who owned the vineyard and several valuable farms to the south. You grew up on his lands, and he was like a second father to you. Your own father was the sheriff and very busy. You bonded with Marcus, and he considered you his son and heir.”

“My father didn’t cheat me of affection. He was great,” Nalchek said. “Stop trying to make me into a martyr. We were all family.”

“But you were close enough to Marcus to go to work for him when you got out of the service.”

“I wanted a break. I loved those vineyards.”

“But you found out that things weren’t the same as when you went to Afghanistan.”

Nalchek didn’t answer.

“I checked with your grandfather’s financial consultants and creditors and found out that around the time of Jenny’s death, he was having a good deal of money trouble because of the drought that was devastating the state. He was close to going bankrupt.”

“So were half the other farmers in the state.”

“But Marcus Nalchek felt it as a personal failure. The vineyards had been in the family for generations. He was the head of your family, and he couldn’t stand the thought of you all knowing that he’d failed you.”

“He didn’t fail us. It was the drought. Even if we’d lost everything, we’d still have been able to make a living. We still had each other.”

“But he didn’t look at it like that, did he? However, he didn’t have to face your father or you with how bad the situation actually was.” He paused. “Because suddenly everything was all right, he’d managed to save all those properties in jeopardy. Even his financial advisors didn’t know how he did it. But you found out, didn’t you, Nalchek?”

Silence.

“I’m on the track,” Joe said quietly. “I won’t stop. I’ve talked to the personnel at Bryland, and they gave me a few hints about your grandfather’s meanderings after his stroke. And the financial stuff will just take time.”

“I could make you do the work.”

“You could, but I don’t think you will.”

Another silence. Then Nalchek finally answered, “I didn’t suspect anything. Not right away. It wasn’t until after my grandfather’s accident that I put it all together. Before that, I only thought that my grandfather had aged enormously since I had last been with him.” He grimaced. “But after Afghanistan, I thought the whole world had aged and was going to hell.”

“Your grandfather had this accident a year after you went to work for him,” Joe said. “Would you like to continue?”

“No.” Nalchek’s lips twisted. “But I’m sure that you have an idea where this is going and are planning a follow-up.”

Joe nodded.

Nalchek shrugged. “We found my grandfather in the wine cellars one morning with his head split open. I had reason to believe that it was no accident. He kept holding my hand and telling me that it was a warning. He kept saying the word over and over. Warning. On the way to the hospital, he had a massive stroke that affected both his body and mental capacity. My entire family was devastated. He was taken to Bryland for rehab, but we knew he’d probably never come out of it. So did he. We were right, he died six months later. It was a bad six months. Whenever I visited him, he tried to talk to me. He appeared wracked with guilt. I could make out a few words and those words were … chilling.”