Always Watching

Aaron’s arrested, it would break the hold he has on the members, and the center would probably shut down. Even if he flees the country, he’d be away from your sister and your parents. You might be able to reconnect.”
    “I hadn’t thought about it like that before.” Her baby started crying in his playpen, and she walked over and picked him up, bouncing him on her hip. She said, “I have to get him down soon. Do you mind if I think everything over?”
    “Of course. I’m curious, though. Why were you willing to meet with me?”
    “I’ve never talked to anybody else who, you know, lived with them.”
    We held gazes. I said, “Thank you for letting me come here today and speak with you. It also helped me to share my story with you.”
    She gave a small smile, but added, “I still don’t think I want to talk to the cops about it again. I’m sorry.”
    “Take your time. You don’t have to make any decisions tonight.” I took some paper out of my purse and wrote down my number. “I know this is painful. And there are a lot of things to consider.” I slid the paper across the table as I said, “If you ever want to talk, give me a call.”
    “Thanks.”
    Still standing by the playpen, she held her son tight as she looked away and nuzzled his hair. The baby gave me a gummy grin.
    *   *   *
    Outside in my car, I sat for a moment and stared back at her house, thinking about Joseph’s last visit to her home. Was I being reckless? Putting myself, Tammy, and who knows who else at risk? I thought again about Willow, possibly lying in a lonely grave in the forest, no one but birds and animals a witness to her death. Then I reminded myself that we still didn’t know for sure that Aaron had harmed her. If he had, it was a different situation. She was a runaway, not someone who would easily be missed. He would have a harder time denying his involvement if something were to happen to me or anyone else I spoke with. Still, I locked my doors and glanced around, looking for anyone else sitting in their vehicles. The street was quiet.

 
    CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
    I’d hoped that I’d hear from Tammy soon, but as a day turned into a week, I began to accept that she would likely never pursue criminal charges against Aaron. I couldn’t blame her; it was a difficult process. I’d called Corporal Cruikshank and told her what I’d learned, but she said that it was all hearsay, so they couldn’t act on it unless it came from Tammy. She suggested she talk to her, but I had a feeling Tammy would shut down if she felt pressured and asked that she wait a few more days. I also didn’t want to call Tammy again without any additional information, or upset her, but I was worried about how she might be feeling since our visit. It might have opened a lot of pain for her, and I wasn’t sure how much support she had from her husband. I was still debating my options when my worst nightmare came true.
    I was sound asleep when one of the nurses in emergency called.
    “Sorry to wake you, Dr. Lavoie, but your daughter, Lisa, was brought in unconscious tonight. You’re listed as her emergency contact in her records.”
    I bolted awake. “Is she okay? What happened?”
    “A witness reported she was vomiting and, as he said, ‘jerking around’ before collapsing, then losing consciousness. There’s no evidence of head injury, so we need to know if she has any allergies or takes any medication.”
    “No, no allergies, but—” I hesitated, remembering Lisa saying, I’m clean. “She has a history of drug abuse.”
    I remembered her first overdose on methamphetamine when she was sixteen. She’d been hallucinating and started to hit me while I was driving, nearly killing both of us. There might have been more occasions when she was an adult that I never found out about. If she was treated and released quickly, they would have no reason to notify me. But this time they called, which meant it was serious.
    The nurse was still talking. “We haven’t been able to ascertain why she lost consciousness, so we’re treating her with supportive care.”
    “Is she awake?”
    She lowered her voice. “She’s in a coma.”
    I sucked in my breath and stood up so fast the room spun. My heart thudded fast and frantic. A coma, my daughter was in a coma.
    “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
    After I pulled on some clothes, I grabbed my keys and ran outside to my car, startling the cat, who’d been hiding in her box, and sending her