Rizzoli & Isles 8-Book Set

snow. “I’ve got a full eight, maybenine hours of daylight. If I leave right now, I might make it down the mountain by dark.”
    “You’re going to ski out?”
    “Unless you have a better idea.”
    She thought of Arlo, sweating and shaking in the other room as his leg bloated and his wound slowly putrefied. She thought of bacteria swarming through his blood, invading every organ. And she thought of a corpse she’d once dissected, of a woman who had died of septic shock, and remembered the patchy hemorrhages in the skin, the heart, the lungs. Shock caused multiple system failure, shutting down heart, kidneys, and brain. Already Arlo was showing signs of delirium. He was seeing people who did not exist, ghosts hovering around him. But at least he was still producing urine; as long as his kidneys did not fail, he had a chance of survival.
    “I’ll pack you some food,” she said. “And you’ll need a sleeping bag, in case you don’t make it out by dark.”
    “I’ll go as far as I can tonight,” said Doug. He glanced toward the front room, where Arlo lay dying. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to leave him in your hands.”
    G RACE DID NOT WANT her father to go. She clung to his jacket as he stood outside on the porch, pleading with him not to leave them, whining that he was her father, and how could he leave her behind, just as her mother had? What kind of father would do that?
    “Arlo’s really sick, honey,” said Doug, peeling her hands away from his sleeve. “If I don’t get help, he could die.”
    “If you leave,
I’m
the one who could die!” she said.
    “You’re not alone. Elaine and Maura will take care of you.”
    “Why do
you
have to go? Why can’t
she
go?” Grace pointed at Maura, a gesture so aggressive it felt like an accusation.
    “Stop it, Grace. Stop it.” He grabbed his daughter’s shoulders and gave her a hard shake. “I’m the strongest. I’ll have the best chance of making it. And Arlo is
my
friend.”
    “But you’re my
father
,” Grace shot back.
    “I need you to grow up right now. You have to realize that you’re not the center of the universe.” He strapped on his backpack. “We’ll talk about this when I get back. Now give me a kiss, okay?”
    Grace backed away. “No wonder Mom left you,” she said and walked into the house, slamming the door behind her.
    Doug stood stunned, staring in disbelief at the closed door. But the outburst should hardly have surprised him. Maura had seen how hungrily Grace vied for her father’s attention, and how skillfully the girl used guilt as a weapon to control him. Now Doug seemed ready to pursue his daughter into the house, which was just what Grace wanted, and no doubt expected.
    “Don’t worry about her,” said Maura. “I promise I’ll look after her. She’ll be perfectly all right.”
    “With you in charge, I know she will.” He took her into his arms for a farewell hug. “I’m sorry, Maura,” he murmured. “Sorry for everything that’s gone wrong.” He pulled away and looked at her. “Back when you knew me at Stanford, I’m sure you thought I was a fuckup. I guess I haven’t done too good a job of changing your mind.”
    “You get us out of here, Doug, and I’ll rethink that opinion.”
    “You can count on it.” He tightened the chest strap of his backpack. “Hold the fort, Dr. Isles. I promise I’ll be back with the cavalry.”
    She watched from the porch as he headed up the road. The day had already warmed into the twenties, and not a cloud was visible in the sky. If he was going to attempt the journey, today was the day to do it.
    The door suddenly opened and Elaine came flying out of the house. She had already said her goodbye to Doug moments earlier, but here she was again, running to catch up with him, running as though her life depended on it. Maura could not hear their conversation, but she saw Elaine pull off the cashmere scarf she always wore and gently drape it around Doug’s neck as a parting gift. Theyembraced, a hug that seemed to last forever. Then Doug was on his way, climbing up the rutted road that led out of the valley. Only when he’d rounded the bend and vanished behind the trees did Elaine finally turn back to the house. She climbed the porch steps to where Maura was standing but didn’t say a word, just brushed past her and walked inside, shutting the door behind her.

E VEN BEFORE D ETECTIVE Q UEENAN INTRODUCED HIMSELF, J ANE would have pegged him as a cop. He