“She needs my help,” I said to Leo. “I have to go. I have to try.”
“I’m not saying you shouldn’t try to help her,” Leo began. “I’m just saying you should think about the consequences—” He stopped short as Lizzy returned to the room.
“Is everything all right?” she asked.
“Everything’s fine,” Leo said, his tone smooth and untroubled.
“You know, Leo,” Dante began, “if you wanted to stay and develop the pictures you took, I could take Abby and Natalie home.”
“You’re welcome to stay,” Lizzy said. “I’d love the company.”
Leo paused, his frown turning into a polite smile so fast I doubted anyone else saw it. He looked from Dante to me and then to Lizzy. “If you’re sure . . .”
“It’s no bother,” she said.
Leo handed over his keys to Dante, but as I gathered up my Brownie camera and headed for the door with Dante and Natalie, I didn’t miss the look Leo flashed my way, a look that said Be careful.
I gave him a look of my own: Trust me. I will.
***
V was waiting for us outside the door.
“Abby,” he said, startling me so badly I almost dropped my camera.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, my heart picking up speed. If V had found us here, did that mean Zo could too? I thought we’d been so careful at the house.
V leveled his gaze at Dante and folded his arms across his chest so his gold-banded wrists were clearly visible. “Nice to see you, Dante. You’re looking well.”
Dante’s only response was to narrow his eyes at V.
“I know you!” Natalie said.
V flicked a disinterested glance her way. “Yeah, we’ve met.”
“I know. I saw you play with Zero Hour at the Dungeon.”
“So? What about it?” V asked her.
“It’s just that I didn’t remember it the other day when you found us at Helen’s, but I do today. I wonder what else I’ll remember,” Natalie said, her voice tinged with surprise.
V shot me a confused look.
“We fixed it so the changes that are happening in the river won’t affect her anymore. I guess her true memories are coming back as well.” I was happily surprised by this unexpected turn of events. It gave me hope that if we could replicate the process with Valerie, we’d be able to return my friend to being the Valerie-before-Zo.
“Whatever,” V said, brushing away my explanation. “I built your door. You got him back”—he jutted his jaw toward Dante, who bristled—“now it’s your turn to hold up your end of our deal.”
I put my hand on Dante’s arm. I could feel the muscles twitch with repressed tension. “I made him a promise,” I said simply.
He exhaled slowly. “Sorry. It’s just that the last time I saw him, he was doing Zo’s bidding.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not anymore.” A shade of red crept up V’s neck. He turned his dark eyes on me. “Are you going to help me or not?”
“Actually,” I said, trying to remain calm, “we were just going to see Valerie. You can come with us.”
I was glad to see V relax a little, if only because it made Dante relax as well. Clearly the two of them couldn’t both come. Not if they were both going to act like snarling alpha dogs. Plus, I doubted I could get all four of us in to see Valerie. Especially since I didn’t know yet how I was going to get V past Dr. Blair.
I ground my teeth and made the hard decision.
“Dante, why don’t you drop me and V off at the hospital and then you can take Natalie home.”
He opened his mouth, no doubt ready with a list of reasons why he thought dropping me off with V was a bad idea, but I started walking to Leo’s car before Dante had a chance to say anything.
The car ride to the hospital was stressful and uncomfortable. I didn’t dare suggest that V sit up front with Dante, and yet I didn’t much like the idea of V sitting with Natalie in the backseat either. So I sat in the back with V, which didn’t make Dante happy, but it was the best I could do.
By the time Dante pulled up in front of the hospital, I had a tension headache and my stomach was in a knot.
Closing the door, I bent down next to the driver’s side window.
“I don’t like leaving you with him,” Dante said under his breath.
“I’ll be fine,” I said, reaching in to grasp his hand. “Don’t worry.”
Dante squeezed my hand. “Call me the minute you’re done, all right? I’ll be at Natalie’s house.”
“I will.” I leaned past him and waved at Natalie. “Thanks for watching out for him, Nat.”
“Glad to help. I suspect we’ll have plenty to talk about while you’re gone.”
Grinning, I brushed a kiss on Dante’s cheek. That same stray lock had fallen free again, and I tucked it behind his ear. “Maybe I should be worried about you,” I teased, feeling relieved when Dante offered up a smile.
“Good luck, Abby,” he said. “Remember—do what you have to do. Just don’t do anything you can’t undo.”
I patted my bag that held my camera. “I’ll only use this if it’s a sure thing.”
I gave him one last kiss before he drove away, leaving me alone in the parking lot with V. He’d pulled down the sleeves of his shirt to cover his wrists.
“Is this where she is?” V’s voice was a strange mix of hope and despair.
Nodding, I headed up the steps of the James E. Hart Memorial Hospital, my own heart filled with the same hope and despair.
***
Needless to say, Dr. Blair was not happy to see us. She frowned when I asked to see Valerie. She positively scowled when I told her that V was a friend who was in town visiting for the day, and could he come with me?
After making us wait on the steps, she finally moved aside and gestured us in, directing us to her office just inside the door. I noticed that her pastel hospital scrubs were the same color as her fingernail polish—the same baby-pink flesh she’d worn the other day.
“I don’t believe you,” Dr. Blair said as soon as V and I had sat down on the love seat.
Next to me, V stilled immediately. His eyes darted to the door.
“Excuse me?” I asked, gripping V’s arm so he wouldn’t bolt.
“I don’t believe that he ‘just happened’ to stop by to see an old friend.” Dr. Blair clasped her hands together on her lace-covered desk. “You brought him here for a reason.” She shifted her attention to V. “Tell me why you’re really here.”
“Mi dispiace. Non parlo inglese,” V said.
“Yes, you do,” she said almost pleasantly, brushing aside his words. “What’s your interest in Valerie?”
V looked to me for help.
“We’re just friends,” I insisted. “Honest. We just want to visit her for a few minutes.”
“Dr. Hamilton was not happy when I spoke to him about your last visit. He was very reluctant to authorize any additional visits for you.”
“So does that mean he did authorize a visit?” I asked, smiling politely.
Dr. Blair’s frown deepened. “It means he trusts me to use my best judgment when it comes to Valerie.”
I was quiet, trying to exude that aura of peace Dr. Blair seemed to appreciate. I continued smiling, and waited.
She tapped her fingers together. “Who is the Pirate King?” she asked suddenly.
It took everything I had to keep the bland smile on my face and not betray the flash of panic that ran through me.
“Valerie only talks about the Pirate King when she’s with you. I’ve asked her about him in our therapy sessions, but she refuses to tell me who he is or why he dominates her hallucinations.”
“I don’t know,” I said and felt a muscle tick in my jaw. I knew why Valerie was fixated on the Pirate King so much, but I couldn’t tell Dr. Blair that. I also knew Valerie’s “hallucinations” were simply glimpses of the river, but I couldn’t tell Dr. Blair that either.
Dr. Blair’s lips thinned. “
If I grant you a visit, do you think you could get her to talk about the Pirate King again?”
My smile wavered the tiniest bit. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
Dr. Blair hesitated, then leaned forward as though imparting a secret. “Valerie’s psychosis is unlike any I’ve seen before. I’ve decided to feature her in my next research paper. But I need more data before I can publish my findings. And since she’s no longer speaking to me . . .” She left the request unspoken, but I finished her thought anyway.
“You want me to be your spy?” I demanded, my smile vanishing for good.
“I want you to be my assistant,” she clarified smoothly. “If Valerie confides in you information that could help us help her get well, then wouldn’t you want to be a part of that miracle of healing?”
Yes, I wanted Valerie to get well. And I knew if she was going to be healed, it wasn’t going to be in a place like this or under the care of Dr. Blair, whose bedside manner apparently stopped at the point of publication. My frustration itched. I’d known that my visits with Valerie had been recorded—I’d been told that on my very first visit—but for some reason, I hadn’t realized they were using those recordings for research. Valerie was my friend—not some bug pinned to a board to be studied and then discarded. The thought made me sick.
The camera felt like a brick in my bag. I didn’t dare take it with me to see Valerie now. Not with Dr. Blair hovering over me. Even if I was able to get a picture of Valerie, Dr. Blair would want to confiscate the image for her “research,” and I couldn’t let that happen.
But I still needed to see her. I’d promised V.
I swallowed my outrage, my pride, and my fear, and said, “Okay. I’ll help you.”
Dr. Blair smiled, and I noticed her small white teeth were perfectly even. It didn’t do anything to reassure me.
***
Valerie was in the conservatory again. The omnipresent sound of water had been replaced by a choir of songbirds. I suspected it was meant to be soothing, but it sounded more like noise than a song to me.
I gestured for V to wait by the door, and I walked past the plastic leaves so I could approach Valerie alone.
“Hi, Valerie,” I said softly. “I came to visit.”
She turned her back to me, folding her arms across her chest and shaking her head. “I’m not talking to you.”
“Why not?”
“Don’t want to,” she muttered. “Don’t want to hear your lies.”
“I wouldn’t lie to you, Valerie. We’re friends, remember? And friends don’t lie to each other.”
“Friends don’t keep secrets either.” She lifted her hand and brushed tears away from her face.
“What secrets have I kept from you?” I asked, sitting down next to her on the edge of the fountain.
She twisted around and pointed a finger at the door hidden behind the grove of plastic plants. “Him! You didn’t tell me you were bringing him.” She jumped to her feet on the narrow ledge and cupped her hands around her mouth. “Come out, come out, wherever you are!”
“Valerie, get down!” I tugged at the hem of her bathrobe. “You’ll fall if you’re not careful.”
She reached down and swatted my hand away. “You should be the one afraid of falling, not me. I know where I stand.”
The plants rustled and parted as V stepped into view.
Valerie shrieked and covered her eyes with one hand. She flung out her other hand, fingers splayed. “Stop right there!”
V stopped midstep, his eyes locked on Valerie.
I could see the emotions warring on V’s face: confusion, shock, and sadness. In the end, despair won out, and I watched as he stepped back, seeming to shrink a little into himself. Clearly, he had imagined a different reaction.
The air around him shimmered. He was going to jump away from this time and place, but I couldn’t let him do that. How would I ever explain his disappearance to Dr. Blair? I could almost feel her leaning closer to whatever television monitor she had tuned into to watch this drama unfold. The fake birds continued tweeting their looping songs. It made me want to scream.
“V, wait!” I rushed to his side. “Just wait a minute, okay?”
“She doesn’t want me here,” he said, shaking his head. “I was a fool to think she would.”
“No, it’s fine. She just needs a minute.” I tugged on his sleeve. “Come on. Come sit down.”
He followed me with halting steps to the fountain. Valerie towered over us like a vengeful priestess calling down wrath from the heavens.
“Valerie,” I said in as calm and reasonable a tone as I could manage. “Please sit down. V has something he wants to say to you.”
“I don’t have anything I want to hear from him,” she said. But she did lower her hands, and her body lost some of her pent-up anger.
“He’s come a long way just to see you,” I continued, reaching up to take her hand in mine. “Come on. Be nice.”
She trembled, cutting a glance in V’s direction. “But he’s not a good person,” she whispered in a voice loud enough for both of us to hear.
“Yes, he is,” I said, gently drawing her down from the ledge. “He’s a very nice person.”
Valerie frowned. “Nice people can still be not good people. You’ve met the lady doctor. You know.”
I did know. I forced myself not to look up at the black dome eye watching our every move. “It’ll just take a minute. I promise.” I helped Valerie sit down next to V. “Trust me.”
V inched closer to Valerie, his eyes soft. He held out his hand and waited.
She looked from his face to his hand and bit her lip, worry lines rippling across her forehead. “That’s what the Pirate King wanted too. He just wanted his crew to trust him. He was going to take them to amazing places, show them amazing things.” She shook her head sadly. “But they didn’t trust him. They abandoned him when he needed them the most.”
V curled his hand into a fist. “He asked me to hurt you. I wasn’t going to do that. I couldn’t.” His voice dropped to a bare whisper. “I love you.”
She ignored him, and I saw the hurt move across V’s face.
“So he did what every good king and captain does when faced with betrayal, with mutiny.” Valerie narrowed her eyes at V as the word twisted from her lips. “He killed them all and left them for dead.”
“I’m not dead,” V said.
“That’s because he hasn’t killed you yet,” she said with a chilling calm.
He looked to me, but I shrugged helplessly. I didn’t know what to say. I had hoped this reunion would be a good thing, but the conversation was quickly unraveling into madness.
“And you think you’re so safe?” Valerie turned to me, her dark hair swishing around her ears as she tilted her head. “Tell me, Abby, do you miss Hannah?”
I felt dizzy. “You remember Hannah?” I asked.
“I remember everything,” she said, smiling like the sphinx. “That’s my job.”
V stood up, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. “Do you remember this?” He pulled Valerie to her feet, wrapping his arms around her in one smooth, fast motion.
And then he kissed her.
Valerie tried to pull away, but he held her tight against him. Slowly, she relaxed into his embrace, her hands coming up to lock behind his neck.
I looked away, feeling a blush stain my face.
And that’s when I saw Dr. Blair standing nearby, her hands folded passively in front of her, her face strangely slack and void of expression. The birdsong overhead suddenly cut out with a strangled chirp.
In the silence that followed, V broke off the kiss, his head whipping around to follow my stunned gaze.
Even as my blood froze in my body, even as my mind shrieked in denial, some distant part of me was grateful for small favors, glad that Valerie’s eyes were still closed—her face upturned, her lips slightly parted—so that she couldn’t see what I was seeing.
Dr. Blair wasn’t alone.
&
nbsp; This time she’d brought Zo.
Chapter
22
V disappeared in an instant, taking Valerie with him.
My mouth opened in surprise, my attention divided between the rippling air that still held the afterimage of two people embracing and Zo standing in front of me, his gold-banded hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans. The
handle of his guitar rose above his shoulder like the hilt of a sword, and the black leather strap crossed his chest like a royal sash.
“Hello, Abby,” he said as though he had just noticed me standing there.
“What are you doing here?” I blurted. It wasn’t the question I really wanted to ask, but it was the first one that came out.
“The same thing you are. I came to visit an old friend.” He smiled and tossed his head so his hair flipped out of his eyes.
“You came to see Valerie?”
He laughed in honest surprise. “Not this time. I was supposed to meet V here. But he seems to have left rather unexpectedly.”
I sank back on the edge of the fountain, my knees refusing to cooperate. “But V said he . . . He said he wasn’t working for you anymore.”
“Of course he said that. I told him to say that.” Zo’s voice was gentle and made goose bumps lift on my arms.
“But he . . . he . . .” My thoughts spun out of my control. Had all my interactions with V been a lie, then? Every one orchestrated by Zo for his own purposes? “We had a deal.” I knew it was a silly thing to latch on to, but it was the only thing I kept coming back to.
“Oh, my sweet, trusting Abby.” Zo shook his head in mock remorse. He exhaled a deep sigh and turned to Dr. Blair, who was still standing motionless behind him. “Go back to your office. I’m done with you.”
She turned around and shuffled to the door like a rusty robot.
“What did you do to Dr. Blair?” I didn’t even try to keep the horror from my voice.
“Who?” Zo asked, looking over his shoulder. “Oh, her. I just made a few . . . modifications so she’d be more pliable to my needs.”
“You changed her? But I didn’t notice—” I bit off my words as Zo’s attention swung back to me, a suspicion lurking in their dark depths.