“What… hospital is this?”
“Marshall. Placerville.”
“How long-?”
“Two days.”
Two days unconscious. “I… must be in bad shape.”
“Not so bad. Not anymore.” But the muscle that jumped alongside his mouth, the moist shine in his eyes told her otherwise. She’d come close to dying. And maybe she wasn’t out of the woods yet. Curiously, neither thought frightened her. Hospital. Bill. No, she wasn’t afraid anymore.
“You found me?”
“With Jake Runyon’s help. He deserves most of the credit.”
“Where? How?”
“Long story. We’ll talk about all that when you’re up to it.”
“Balfour?”
“He’s dead.”
“You didn’t…”
“No. Wasn’t me. Or Jake.”
Good, she thought. Good that it wasn’t you or Jake, good that he’s dead. I’d have killed him myself if I could, I really would have. But she didn’t put the thought into words. Her secret.
Instead, she said, “He didn’t rape me.”
“I know. The doctors…”
“Just… tied me up, kept me prisoner. Don’t know why.”
“Later. Getting you well is what’s important now.”
Her eyelids had begun to feel heavy. So damn weak…
Bill said, “I’d better get the nurse. Said to call her when you woke up.” He released her hand, started to turn away from the bed.
“Bill?”
He turned back.
“I knew you’d find me. I never lost hope.”
Kerry wasn’t sure if that was the truth or not, but it was what he needed to hear. And what she needed to believe.
