Max hesitated. “I spoke with the director last night. Paul Sturvin has been selling PAVAD information. The director has Sin Lorcan looking into the source of the deposits into the Sturvin account. He’s probably copied information on all of us and sold it to the highest bidder.”
“That’s reassuring.” They’d known they were under a threat, and that threat could come against any of them at any time. Jac hadn’t forgotten that. She doubted anyone in PAVAD had, not after what had happened to Ezra and Shannon. “This is part of your secret investigation?”
“Sturvin is. I’m not sure if what happened to Rachel has anything to do with it. I was waiting for a secure time to dial you in. Ed…he still wants it kept to as few people as possible. Not even Whit or Miranda know.”
Jac just nodded. “He’s anomic. He’s financially failing? Maybe something with the deposits went wrong, so he snapped and killed Rachel? Took the girls? Or maybe he’s not the one who killed her at all? Although that doesn’t really work. Since he is the only evidentiary tie to Debbie’s crime scene. Kelly is comparing DNA samples from Debbie’s nails now. She should have those results within the next few hours.”
“There are some questions we won’t get the answers to until we get Paul in custody.”
91
It took them a few moments to find where Ava was in the pediatric wing. Max could feel the anxiety running through Jac.
Nat met them in the hallway outside the room that Ava had been assigned. Max studied her quickly. He had left it unsaid in the SUV, but Jac would want to see her own sister for herself, too.
Nat looked fine, though her hair was down around her shoulders instead of in the customary ponytail she normally pulled it back in. She looked even younger than her twenty-six years now. And there was a suspicious stain over her left shoulder. From a child.
“Nat? How is she? What did he do to her?” Jac asked.
“Nothing, as far as the doctors can tell. But she does have an upper respiratory infection, bronchitis, and is asthmatic. They are working to get her fever down now.”
Jac visibly exhaled. “That’s it? He didn’t hurt her?”
“Not physically. There’s not a mark on her.”
“Do you think she can talk with us?” Max asked. “Give us anything to go on?”
“She might. She’s…well, she’s a bit confused, of course. And she’s traumatized. She said her father told them their mother fell down the stairs and went to heaven. Ava seems to think her father is driving Olivia there to see her, but left Ava because she wasn’t feeling well. Like the time Olivia got to go to the zoo but Ava had to stay with their great-aunt because she had burning ears. I’m assuming she means an ear infection. And…she’s been asking for Jac. Repeatedly. I didn’t get a chance to ask any more questions. That’s really not my job description. I was more concerned with keeping her safe until you got here.”
“Thanks, Nat. Stick around. You’ll need to be interviewed and debriefed. I’ve already notified Hanan.”
She nodded. “I’m volunteering to stay with her. She was afraid of me—until I told her I was the little sister, and Jac was the big sister. Just like Olivia.”
“I told her about my little sister and her two puppies at Emery’s party.”
“And that Kudos is big enough for her to ride on. She was fascinated by him. I made her a promise. She gets to see him again as soon as possible. I’m going to keep my word.”
Max pushed open the hospital room door, nodding at the local LEO he recognized from previous cases and from Smokey’s occasionally. Jac darted around him.
“Dr. Jones, I’m off the clock. Happy to do a security detail if you need it,” the officer said, shooting a look at Nat, who was now speaking with a nurse. A look that told Max why the man had offered—it wasn’t to snag some overtime.
“Thanks. We’ll have a PAVAD guard here shortly, but we appreciate you staying until they arrive.”
He followed Jac into the room.
Ava watched every move he made.
92
Jac took in the freshly brushed hair and the hospital gown printed with dogs and cats. There was a stuffed animal tucked against Ava’s side. It matched the one on the receipt from the pharmacy. It was a dog.
Paul had given his daughter a stuffed puppy because she loved dogs.
“Hi, sweetheart.” Jac started, softly. “How are you feeling?”
“Aunt Jac!” Ava almost screeched it, reaching.
Jac stepped closer to her immediately. She sent a look to her sister, as she stepped further inside the small room behind Max. “Has she been…processed?”
“Yes. The staff in the ER here is quick,” Nat said. “Nothing that shouldn’t have been there, Jackie. Initial exam showed no signs of trauma. There are no unexpected bruises, just a small contusion from the seatbelt. Most likely from when she was in the aunt’s car. Mostly, she has a respiratory infection, with asthma. That’s it.”
Jac reached out and put one hand on Ava’s head. “Hi, baby. How are you feeling?”
“My throat hurts, Aunt Jac,” Ava sent a sad look at Jac that went right through her. She gave a pitiful little cough. Ava had an oxygen tube around her head. Jac settled into the chair next to her.
To her surprise, Ava whimpered and tried to climb out of the bed. “Hold me.”
“Hang on. We need to adjust the cord.” Jac made short work of that, then pulled Ava into her arms, much like she had Emery when she’d had her appendix out. “Nat, hand me that blanket.”
Her sister helped her get Ava settled. The chair was a rocker, put there for parents to rock an ill child. Soon she had a steady rhythm going, and Ava slumping against her. “Can you tell
