Muriel laughed, and the sound was so similar to Cain’s, Shelby felt sad.
“But she’s also been under your microscope for how long now?” Muriel lifted her big hands like a stop sign. “I’m just kidding with you, Agent Daniels. How’s my cousin doing today?”
“All this quiet and stillness doesn’t seem natural.” Shelby touched Cain’s cheek. “You’re right, though. I did watch her for months, but it didn’t prepare me for the day I met her.”
“Well, ma’am, we Caseys like to leave an impression when we can. How about you wait for me down in the cafeteria, and I’ll buy you a cup of coffee?”
“Please call me Shelby.”
Muriel’s phone started ringing, and she put one finger up. She listened and smiled at Shelby as whoever was on the other end finished talking. “Give me a minute, then bring her on up.”
Muriel held her hand out. “Please pardon the interruption, Shelby, and I insist you call me Muriel. I hate to hurry you, but we have to be going.”
“You’re evicting me?”
“You’re welcome to visit Cain whenever you wish, but Emma’s on her way up and needs some time alone. I hope you understand.”
Shelby kissed Cain’s hand and accepted Muriel’s escort downstairs. When the two passed a couple sitting in the waiting room holding a beautiful child, she stopped abruptly, stunned by the sight. The kid looked like a miniature version of Hayden. “Tell me she didn’t do that to Cain?”
“Shelby, I’m going to ask you as a favor to forget you saw that little girl for now. I have no right to ask, but I don’t want anyone to know just yet. My family’s still reeling from what happened to Cain because of Kyle, and I want to make sure there’s no one else on Bracato’s payroll. I don’t think even you know who to trust yet.”
Running her hand through her hair to get it out of her eyes, Shelby nodded. Muriel was right. They couldn’t know if Kyle had help. “If the secret comes out it won’t be from me, Muriel. I promise.”
They kept walking down the hall. “Does Cain know about her?”
“She knows about her.”
“How could Emma do that to her?”
“How indeed?”
*
The subject of their talk stood at the entrance to Cain’s room. Emma had tried to follow Merrick’s advice and take a nap, but sleep wasn’t coming. With Hayden still missing, she sought comfort the only place she could find it. She inched toward the bed and sat on the edge. The tube coming out of Cain’s mouth had left her lips chapped and dry, so she went for a wet towel.
“I wish you would wake up. There’s so much wrong, Cain, and I’m not sure if I know how to fix it. At least not without messing anything else up. Please come back to me.” She wiped until Cain’s lips looked moist.
“Ms. Casey,” said the large guard, who hadn’t left the hospital since Cain had been admitted.
“Lou, right?”
“Yes, ma’am. I’m sorry to interrupt, but there’s a couple waiting to see you. I wanted to give you a few minutes before I came in, though. I hope you don’t mind.”
“No problem.” She nodded at the big guy before turning back to Cain. “Don’t go anywhere, okay? I’ll be right back.”
Lou laughed as Emma headed out to the waiting room. “Don’t worry, Mrs. Casey. I’ll keep an eye on her and make sure she behaves until you get back.”
“Thanks, Lou.” The walk seemed longer as she left the intensive care unit and headed out to its waiting room. If it was either reporters or more legal authorities, she was going to have a meltdown. Both groups had been tying up the phone lines at the house to the point Carmen had taken the phones with listed numbers off the hook.
When she turned the corner she felt as if someone had thrown her a life preserver before she drowned in a sea of turmoil. The small figure sitting on her friend Maddie’s lap looked tense in the unfamiliar surroundings, but her face brightened overwhelmingly when Emma winked at her from the other side of the glass. For once the large number of men sitting in close proximity to her daughter didn’t bother Emma. It was a comfort to see Jarvis taking such good care of Hannah.
“Mama!”
“Hey, how’s Mama’s big girl?” She knelt on the hard tile floor so she could accept Hannah’s embrace.
The almost four-year-old held on to her as if she was afraid Emma would disappear again. “We gots to ride a big plane here, Mama, and Aunt Maddie said I could meet Haygen and Mom too.”
Hearing Hannah’s excitement about the big day she had waited for made Emma cry. She felt like a failure for not giving the little girl the simplest of wishes before now.
Maddie put her hands on Emma’s shoulders. “Emma, why’d we have to come here? Has something happened to Hayden? None of these guys would tell us anything.”
“There’ll be time later for me to explain, Maddie. Thank you and Jerry for coming and bringing Hannah, but I just can’t talk about it yet.” Emma stroked the child’s black hair, coming to a decision. “Do you mind waiting while I introduce Hannah to someone?”
“Go on, honey, and take your time. Jerry and I don’t have any place to be.”
Hannah glanced back and forth from her mother to Maddie, wearing a small frown. “I’m sorry, Mama.”
“What for, my love?”
“I didn’t mean to touch nothing.”
Emma smiled and kissed Hannah’s forehead. “Oh, baby girl, you aren’t in trouble, I just wanted to talk to you
