“Buddies?”
“Assistants, I suppose you would call them,” Teal said dryly. “We had better names for them.”
“Do you know anything about Gia?” I asked.
“What about Dr. Foreman? Was she in the house or what?” Teal followed, her arrogant, demanding tone making her sound more like the Teal I knew.
“We're asking the questions here,” Lieutenant Rowling said so sharply it was as if his tongue were made of razor blades.
“Okay, girls,” Alex said, giving him a stern look and then turning back to us. “For now, I want you to rest. We'll get you something to drink and eat. I'll return soon.”
She and the lieutenant left the barracks.
“How come they didn't know about Mindy?” Teal asked. “If someone dies, especially like that, wouldn't the police know?”
“It's all very weird,” Robin said.
I agreed and then my eyes went to Gia's cot. The edge of her notebook could be seen just under her pillow. I went to it and pulled it out. I opened the cover and sat on her cot to read.
“What?” Robin asked when I shook my head.
“I guess she returned to being Posy. She starts this off with a 'Dear Mother.' ”
I started to read on. “No, wait. Maybe not.”
“Read it aloud,” Teal said.
I looked up at them, then did what she asked.
"Dear Mother,
“Did I ever tell you about the first day I saw you, when I was ten and they brought me to you? How does a girl get over the fact that her real mother and her real father gave up on her completely and agreed to give her away, give her to you, let you adopt her and make her your daughter? ”
“What an imagination she had,” Teal said, shaking her head. Robin nodded.
I continued reading.
"/ never understood it all, of course. I always expected I would go home someday, no matter how you explained it. You told me you wanted to be my mother now. I would be a shining example of your powers, your abilities. You would be sitting out there on my high school graduation day and my college graduation day and you would be so proud of me.
"I'm very smart, you said. You said you could tell that and you were sure I was going to be an excellent student once I was cured.
"I must tell you I never thought of myself as sick so I never understood why you called it being cured. Sick to me was sneezing and coughing, bellyaches and headaches, but not being angry and afraid and alone. How is that being sick? From what I have seen of other kids my age, and especially the ones who were brought to you, being angry, afraid, and alone is more normal these days than being sick.
"There you go, I'm sure, shaking your head and pursing your lips. More proof that I'm sick, more proof that I 'm sick. That's what you 're saying and what you 've been saying since the day I was brought to your home.
"I understand my parents being afraid of having mein the house after the fire, but I never stopped believing they would come back for me someday. Not until now. Now I know they won't. You wouldn 't want them to. You wouldn 't want to give up your prize patient, would you ?
"You made fun of my Posy. You did everything you could to kill her, to crush her like some insect, but she got away, just like Mindy. We can get away from you, but not all of us. Not all of us can stand up to you and your little army of so-called buddies.
"You know what frightens me the most today, Mother? That I'm finally calling you Mother. That you got your way with that, but now I'm terrified that you will win, that you really will be sitting out there on my graduation days and I will be your little protege, your shining example, and you will use me to get rid of every Posy who is out there and every Mindy.
"I was thinking I would give you this to read, but then I thought, if I do, you will find a way to overcome. You always do. You 're the best at what you do, Mother. You will always win. You will always have your way with us.
“Guess who has come back tonight?” I read, and looked up at Robin and Teal, who were sitting there mesmerized. I looked back at the notebook. "That's right, Posy. And guess why? She has a plan. I don't know why I didn 't think of it on my own. You 've had me spinning in circles, I guess. Anyway, she's here to help. She hasn't forgotten me. She couldn't leave me behind after all.
"We're on our way to activate our plan, Mother. You 'II know it all very soon.
"I wonder if my real mother and father ever really asked after me. You said they didn't, but maybe, maybe you were lying to me. Maybe they haven't forgotten mecompletely. Maybe they'll think about me now. Posy says they will.
"And Posy knows.
“Posy always knew.”
I closed the notebook.
“I feel so sick inside,” Teal said. “So sick and tired.”
“What's new about that?” Robin muttered, then quickly added, “So do I.”
We all looked up when the door opened and a female sheriff's deputy entered carrying some sodas and a bag of sandwiches and candy bars.
“Hi, girls,” she said. “Brought you something to eat and drink.”
She set it all down.
“Chocolate bars?” Teal said, opening the bag. “And subs. They look like they have everything on them!”
“They do,” the deputy said. “I didn't know what you liked, of course, so I got the works. Enjoy. Mrs. Patterson and Lieutenant Rowling will be back to speak with you all soon.”
She left and Robin dug into the bag. “Roast beef. And a Coke. I think I forgot what
