But tonight was not that time.
She said, “Sawyer, can I call someone for you?”
“No,” he said, and with that, he walked down the hall and got onto an elevator.
Josie took the steps down to the first floor and walked outside through the Emergency Department lobby. She knew she should call someone. She had a host of loved ones waiting for news, waiting to comfort her, and do all the things she could not imagine doing right now. The logistics of death. She’d always hated them. When her husband, Ray, died, his mother had done most of the funeral planning.
For now, she stood outside in the cool night air, breathing in a world without Lisette. How was that even possible?
She took out her phone and texted Noah. She’s gone.
His reply came back immediately. I’ll be right there.
She put her phone back into her pocket and looked toward the lobby as a police cruiser pulled up. A uniformed officer got out and opened the back door. Out stepped Mettner. He turned back toward the open door, reached into the back seat, and lifted Emily Mitchell into his arms.
Josie followed them inside.
Thirty-Eight
Josie waited until the medical team had done their initial assessment, listening from the other side of the curtain as they determined that Emily was severely dehydrated and needed a few stitches for a cut on her arm, but that otherwise she was in fair condition. Once they left her alone with Mettner, Josie stepped into the area.
“Josie!” Emily cried. She waved her stuffed dog in the air. It looked a lot dirtier than the last time Josie had seen it.
“I’m so glad to see you,” Josie said.
“You’re okay,” Emily said.
“Yes.”
Emily lowered her voice. “Are we dead yet?”
Josie smiled. “No, we’re not dead yet.”
Mettner’s eyes widened. “What does—you know what? I don’t want to know. Emily, stay here while I talk to Detective Quinn down the hall for a few minutes.”
“You mean where I can’t hear you,” she said pointedly.
“That’s what he means,” Josie said, winking at the girl.
Mettner took her arm and guided her a few cubicles away, pulling her to one side of the hall. “What are you doing here? How is Lisette?”
“She passed away,” Josie said.
His face fell. “Oh my God. Boss, I’m so sorry. Do you need me to—should I—”
“Noah is on his way,” she said. “Thank you.”
“Okay, okay,” he said, clearly flustered. “I—uh—well, you were right. Emily was at the old Rowland place. She left a little path of buttons. Hard to see in the dark, but we got some of them. She’ll be okay. Social services are on the way. I already talked to Marcie. They’re not going to place her at Harper’s Peak, which I think is best. Gretchen had contacted Pax’s aunt who lives in Georgia, told her everything that’s going on, and she’s expressed some interest in meeting and possibly taking Emily into her care.”
“She is a blood relative,” Josie noted. “Through Reed Bryan.”
“Right. She was pretty upset when she heard what was going on. She confirmed what Pax had told us—that Reed wouldn’t let her see him. Anyway, she’s getting on the next flight. Now we just have to find Rory. But what am I saying? Your grandmother just died. You don’t need to be here. I can stay with Emily.”
Josie said, “Do you mind if I talk with her for a minute? You can stay. Just until Noah gets here?”
“Uh, yeah, okay, sure.”
Josie walked back to Emily’s cubicle. Mettner stood outside the curtain. Josie pulled a chair up to the bedside. Emily said, “Did you get your doll?”
“I did.”
Emily played with the stuffed dog’s ears. “He said he was sorry for the bad thing that happened.”
“Who is he, Emily?” Josie asked.
She put one finger to her mouth. Hush. Josie reached across and pulled it away. “I know about Rory,” she said. “And I know about Pax. I also know that Rory did bad things sometimes.”
“You already know?”
Josie nodded.
“That bad thing that happened. Rory said someone got shot. Was it your mom?”
“My grandmother,” Josie answered.
Emily lowered her voice to a whisper. “Did she die?”
“Yes,” Josie said, feeling a swell of emotion in her chest and quickly pushing it down.
“I’m sorry bad things happened to you. Were you ready?”
Josie smiled. “You know what? I don’t think any of us are ever ready for the bad things.”
Emily nodded but didn’t respond.
“Emily, did Rory tell you that he shot my grandmother? Did he say that specifically?”
She went back to playing with the dog’s ears. “No. He said it was his fault.”
“That’s not the same thing as having actually done it. Do you understand?”
“I know.”
“You were alone with Rory for a while after Pax took you to his farm. Did he tell you anything? About the things he had done?”
She shook her head.
“Did Pax tell you anything? About hurting anyone?”
“No, he didn’t hurt anyone. Pax is good.”
“Did he ever tell you that he hurt anyone, though?”
“No.”
“Did you ever see Rory or Pax with a gun? Ever?”
“No.”
“Emily, has anyone told you why we’re looking for Rory?”
She hugged the dog to her chest. “Because he killed Pax’s dad.”
“Yes,” Josie said. “But also because people think that Rory killed your mom and Holly, too. Remember the first day we talked, and I asked you a bunch of questions, and you said you couldn’t tell me the answers because the bad things might happen?”
“I remember. But you know the secret now. Rory was bad. Sometimes he hurt us. Mama didn’t want him to go into foster care or the ‘system’ so she made us all be quiet about him. She was always afraid he would go away, and we wouldn’t ever get him back. She cried all the time about it.”
“I’m so sorry,” Josie said. “Rory told Pax that someone else was there in the house the day that your mom and Holly were killed.
