Jaden still wants to go, but he doesn’t know any better. He didn’t believe me when I told him Robin stole Nina.
“Why would she do something so mean?” he asked.
I told him it’s because she is mean.
He said, “Let’s tell the therapist, and she’ll make Dad break up with Robin.”
I told him not to be a dork. Now he’s mad at me.
My bedroom door is open, so I hear the doorbell then Dad’s voice as he talks to Jaden. He calls my name. “Let’s go!” he yells from the living room.
I don’t budge.
Dad appears at my bedroom door. “Come on, Amber.”
I fold my arms and stay silent. Try and make me. I know he won’t.
He glances down the hallway. “Where’s your mother?”
“At Robin’s,” I mumble.
Dad’s eyes open wide. “What’s she doing there?”
Jaden comes in and leans next to Dad. “Getting back Nina,” he says and rests his head against Dad’s waist.
Dad puts an arm around Jaden. “What’s going on here?” He sounds mad.
All of a sudden, Mom’s shouting from the living room. She’s back.
Dad calls out, “Vanessa? What’s happening?” He puts his hand on Jaden’s back and steers him toward the living room.
I decide to come along. This could be interesting.
Calista’s there, trying to calm Mom down only it’s not working. Mom’s face is red, and she’s yelling bloody murder about That Bitch. When she catches sight of Dad, she goes up to him and waves something in his face. Nina’s collar.
“You see?” Mom screams. “Do you see what your girlfriend’s done?”
Dad stares at her like she’s speaking a foreign language. “What are you talking about?”
“This!” Mom holds the collar right up to his face. “I found it on Robin’s doorstep.”
I turn to Jaden. “See? Told you.”
Dad shakes his head, looking like someone offered him a bite of dog poop. “I don’t know what the hell is going on, but Robin didn’t take Nina. Period. Now I’ve got therapy with the kids, and we’re leaving.” He turns to us. “Amber, Jaden, into the car. Let’s go.” He claps his hands.
Jaden goes with him. I stay put.
“Come on, Amber.” Dad stares at me.
I shake my head.
“I mean it. Get in the car.”
“No!” I yell. “I’m not going.” I start to cry. I can’t help it. Everything is so crazy.
“Amber, please, honey.”
I keep crying.
“That’s enough,” Mom warns him. “Leave her alone.”
Calista comes over and stands next to her. “You tell him, Nessie.”
“We had an agreement,” Dad says. He gives Calista a dirty look. “You stay out of this.”
Calista rolls her eyes.
“Can’t you see she’s upset?” Mom’s actually taking my side for once but only because she’s mad at Dad over Robin.
“Isn’t that exactly the reason to talk to the therapist?” Dad asks.
“I’m not crazy!” I yell.
“No one said you are, Amber.” Dad’s trying to sound reasonable, but I can tell he’s annoyed.
“I said to leave her alone, Ben.” Mom sticks out her chin. “Take Jaden and go.”
Dad checks his watch then shakes his head. He puts a hand on Jaden’s shoulder. “Let’s go, son.” He leads my brother to the car.
I watch them leave. Jaden let me down again. He used to be on my side. I guess he thinks he’s a grown-up or something.
Mom lowers her head. She’s like a balloon someone let the air out of. Calista hugs her.
Yuck. “Mom?” Maybe I should thank her for sticking up for me.
“Amber, go to your room.”
Fine by me. I don’t need any of them. I knew they wouldn’t make me go.
TWENTY-TWO
ROBIN
HOLDING AN ICE PACK to her bruised cheek, Robin phoned Ben. “Damn,” she muttered as it went straight to voicemail. “It’s me. Please come over as soon as you get this. Something’s happened.” As she ended the call, it occurred to Robin he’d gone to the family therapist and no doubt shut off his phone.
She sat with her cell phone in hand, trying to decide what to do. Without thinking it through, she called Gloria, unsure of exactly what she would say but certain her fury would supply the words.
“Good morning, Robin.” Gloria sounded cheerful, even smug.
“Not for the Martin children. They miss their dog.”
“What a shame. My little boy’s not having a good morning either. Do you want to hear how Alex is today? Shall I describe it, Robin?”
“I want you to give back the dog.” Robin sat up straighter, stretching her backbone. She didn’t intend to be derailed by whatever Alex Reyes might be enduring. Still, Gloria’s words struck a nerve, planting an image of that frail little boy.
“Oh, I see,” Gloria said. “You called about a dog, not my son.”
“You took Nina.”
Gloria clucked her tongue. “Now, Robin, we both know you did that. I can only imagine what you’ll do next.” Gloria chuckled. “If you’re willing to stand by and let an innocent child die, a sheepdog is nothing. Isn’t that so, Robin?”
Robin lowered her ice pack and leaned forward, wishing she could throttle the despicable woman. “Damn it, Gloria, Ben’s kids are innocent. What do you think this is doing to them? Your son’s illness doesn’t give you the right to torture other children.”
“Yes, all of them are suffering, Robin. All the children. Yours, too, perhaps.”
A chill passed through her. Sean would arrive in a couple of weeks.
“You can end their suffering, Robin. It’s in your hands.”
Robin swallowed. “What do you want, Gloria?”
“I have Alex’s tissue sample.” She sounded cool, matter-of-fact. Nothing rattled her. “Submit it to the MATCH lab for analysis, and maybe Nina will turn up unharmed.”
Blackmail. She’d cast aside all pretense. “You know I can’t do that. The lab won’t take a pediatric specimen. We’ve been through this.”
“Then send it as an adult sample.”
“That would be unethical, fraud. We don’t even know if the drugs are safe to use with children. I realize you want Alex to get better, but you’d be risking his life.”
“His life is already at risk. You’re his only chance, Robin.”
Robin’s stomach sank as she wondered if Gloria might be right.
“Help me, Robin. Help him. Bend the rules to save a dying child.”
“I wish I could, Gloria.” Drained, Robin wanted to end the conversation.
“Think about it,” Gloria pressed. “But don’t think too long, Robin. Time is running out.” She hung up.
Robin slumped in her chair, the weight of all the children bearing down on her.
The doorbell rang. She rushed to answer and felt a surge of relief when she opened the door to Ben.
“What happened, Bird?” He walked in. “We were at the doctor’s office. I came over as soon as I could. I had to take Jaden home.” He gaped at her face. “What the hell happened to you?”
She’d put down the ice pack while talking to Gloria. From Ben’s expression, she must have quite a shiner. “Didn’t Vanessa tell you about her visit?”
He cocked his head. “She didn’t say much when I picked Jaden up, just that she thought you had Nina. I dropped off Jaden at the door and hurried here after the appointment.”
“We better sit down.” She led him to the living room, where she retrieved her lukewarm ice pack. Without bothering to put it back against her cheek, Robin sank onto the sofa and told him about her encounter with Vanessa and phone conversation with Gloria.
“Jeez.” Sitting across from her, Ben shook his head with a pained expression. “I’m sorry, Bird.”
“I think it’s time we called the police.”
He blanched.
“You want to have my ex-wife arrested?”
“That’s not what I meant.” Vanessa had committed assault and battery, but Robin allowed for the extenuating circumstances. She’d been misled. “I’m talking about Gloria.”
Ben spread his hands. “Bird, we have no evidence she’s guilty of anything.”
Robin glared at him. “This is crazy. She took the dog. She’s blackmailing me.”
“I think you mean extorting,” he corrected, “not blackmailing.”
“For heaven’s sakes, Ben. Why aren’t you taking this seriously?”
“I am, Bird.” He sighed and leaned forward, his hands massaging his forehead, as if her questions were giving him a migraine. “But give me a little credit for knowing how the criminal justice system works. We can’t make accusations based on innuendo.”
“Stop throwing legal theory at me and tell me what you plan to do about the situation. Gloria Reyes wouldn’t have entered my life if I weren’t connected to you. Have you even talked to her yet?”
For a moment, Ben stared at her as if he’d been teleported to an unfamiliar place. Then he shook his head. “Robin, I’ve tried. She won’t take or return my calls.”
“Have you tried since Nina went missing?”
He lowered his gaze. “I planned to after the therapy session.”
“Sure,” Robin muttered. She probed the welt on her cheek and winced. “One way or another, this has to stop. Deal with her, Ben.”
Ben got up and joined her on the couch. “I will, Bird.” He massaged her neck. “Should I get you more ice?”
Robin shook her head, pulling away. Placating—Ben’s strong suit. He was not a man of action. She needed more from him.
“Bird, I’m sorry about all the...” He groped for the word. “All the insanity that’s landed on you.”
Robin could only focus on the wall behind him. “Then do something about it.”
He sighed. “I suppose I could go to her apartment, assuming she still lives in the same place. You want me to camp out on her doorstep until she comes out? Say the word, and I’ll do it.” His hangdog expression suggested he would prefer she say no.
Robin stood and walked to the window. She felt as though she were sinking in quicksand and already in over her chin. “Ben, maybe we need a time out.”
He joined her by the window. “What do you mean?”
She didn’t dare meet his eyes. “I think we should consider taking a break from each other until we sort this out.” Robin questioned whether she wanted that, but it might be the only way to make him take her seriously.
Ben pressed his lips to her forehead. “That’s the last thing I want. You know that.” He grasped her shoulder. “Besides, there’s no guarantee that staying apart will have any impact on Gloria. It won’t stop her from trying to get Alex into your program, will it?”
Robin’s eyes welled. He had a point. She put her hand over Ben’s. “I can’t stand being cast as the monster anymore.” She swiped her other hand across her eyes, wincing when she touched the bruise. “Please, can’t you find a way to make it stop? If not for my sake then for your kids’?”
Ben’s hand slid out from under hers, withdrawing from her shoulder. He paced a few steps and paused. “I can think of one way.”
“What?”
“Do what she wants.” He met Robin’s shocked gaze. “Submit Alex’s tissue sample.”
“Ben! I told you I can’t do that.” His suggestion struck her as a betrayal.
“Then take the sample and tell her you sent it and they couldn’t come up with a match.”
Robin’s breath caught. Such a simple, tempting solution. And yet... She shook her head. “Suppose Alex’s tumor has a match, Ben. How can I deter her from seeking a cure?”
He grunted in acknowledgement. “All right, then send it. There’s always the chance his tumor won’t match with a drug, right?”
Robin hesitated. “That’s true.”
“Which means there’s a fair chance of settling all this. Right? If his sample comes back with a negative match, she’ll probably give up and leave us alone, go bark up someone else’s tree. Think about it, Bird. Isn’t that really our best shot at putting a stop to her harassment?”
He made a seductive argument, Robin had to admit, to toss the coin and let chemistry decide, letting her and Ben’s kids off the hook. If she sent in the tumor specimen, Amber and Jaden might get their dog back. She could anticipate her son’s upcoming visit without dreading he would be pulled into the quicksand. But she couldn’t imagine flouting the research protocol by submitting a child sample, or even how she would go about it.
“Ben, I can’t submit a biopsy from a child under eighteen.” Her words sounded like a question, the conviction draining from her voice.
Ben met her eyes, his jaw set. “Then submit it as an adult sample. Send it under another name.” He held her gaze, his voice steady. “Send it out as mine, and let’s get this woman off our backs.”
Submitting a false specimen was an outlandish suggestion. It would be unethical. If the fraud came to light, the consequences could be disastrous, more than disastrous. It might invalidate the study or cost Robin her nursing license. The job at Mountainview represented her fresh start after the debacle at Valley Memorial. It appalled her to even consider jeopardizing it.
Torn, desperate for an answer, Robin saw in Ben’s face the strength and certainty she craved, and she knew she would do it.
TWENTY-THREE
AMBER
JADEN’S BACK FROM THERAPY, and he comes bounding up the stairs to my bedroom. He bounces up and down on my bed a couple of times then starts blabbing about the appointment. At least Dad didn’t come in and bug me about going next time. Jaden says Dad dropped him off and drove away.
“It’s a lady doctor,” he tells me, like that’s a big deal. “She’s nice, Amber, real smart too. I told her about you. She wants to meet you.”
“She better not hold her breath. And don’t go telling her stuff about me either.”
“Aw, c’mon. Why don’t you come with us next week?” Jaden’s got those puppy-dog eyes. He’s cute, and normally I would laugh, but this isn’t funny.
“I told you a hundred times already. There’s nothing wrong with me, and I don’t need a doctor for nutcases.” I sniff at him. “I didn’t think you did, either, Squirt. Guess I was wrong.”
Jaden looks like I punched him. Then he says something really mean. “You’re just scared to go see her.”
“Bull! You take that back.” I shove him, not hard enough to push him off the bed, but he scrunches up his face.
“Will not,” he says.
“Then get out of my room.”
He gets off the bed and walks to the door. “Fraidy-cat.”
I throw a pillow at him, but he’s already gone. I wonder what’s gotten into him. Maybe he really is wacko. It seems like everyone is. I don’t understand why Dad’s wasting time with a shrink instead of getting Nina back from crazy, mean Robin. She’s the one who needs a head doctor. Now Dad’s turning nutty too. Mom’s been loony with her Mood Disorder forever.
It’s like all the grown-ups are crazy—except Gloria. She’s the only one I trust. Mom phoned her after Dad took Jaden to see the therapist. She told Gloria about finding Nina’s collar, and they talked for a while. Whatever Gloria said, Mom seemed to calm down. Then she handed me the phone because Gloria asked to talk to me. She’s so great. She said not to worry. She’s positive we’ll get Nina back. And, surprise, surprise. Mom’s not taking me to Jaden’s T-ball after I threw the water bottle at that dumb kid. Instead, I get to stay at Gloria’s during Jaden’s practice, starting this Monday.
Yay!
That means I get to visit with Alex, since Gloria wants me to keep him company. I wonder what he’s like. He’s the first really sick person I’ve ever met.
TWENTY-FOUR
ROBIN
ROBIN SPOTTED GLORIA AT a table in the hospital cafeteria, crowded with visitors on
the weekend. She didn’t bring Alex with her, to Robin’s relief. It would be difficult enough without the child there.
Gloria waved to the empty chair across from her. “Have a seat.”
Robin remained standing. Gloria insisted on meeting there despite Robin’s objections. Robin wanted to get the wretched transaction over with before any of her colleagues saw her. “Did you bring the slides?”
Gloria opened the purse in her lap. “Right here.” She placed an envelope on the table.
“All right.” Robin sat. Though eager to be done, she still needed the terms clear. She reached for the envelope and slid it across the table, keeping her eyes on Gloria. She detected a glimmer of triumph in the woman’s gaze. “Remember,” Robin cautioned. “There’s no guarantee the lab will come up with a DNA match for Alex’s tumor.”
Gloria shrugged. “I’ll take that chance, and so will you, I guess. How long until we get the results?”
“At least a week.” Robin cocked her head, holding Gloria’s gaze. “When will the kids get Nina back?”
“Quite soon, I imagine. That is, if Alex’s slides go out today.”
Robin scooped the envelope into her lap. “I’ll go up to the unit and take care of it now. FedEx does a last pickup later in the afternoon.” She slid her chair back from the table.
As Robin stood, so did Gloria. “Fine. Let’s go.”
Robin froze, frowning. “You can’t come with me. I set it up in an area restricted to staff.”
Gloria’s eyes glinted. “Do you want the dog or not? Besides, you’re already breaking the rules. What’s one more?”
Robin sighed, wilting in the face of Gloria’s resolve. Deeper and deeper into the quicksand. “All right. Come on.” Her legs felt sluggish, as if they might refuse to move. Even if she had wanted to take Ben’s suggestion and pretend to send in the tissue sample, Gloria’s presence eliminated that option. No wonder she’d insisted on meeting at the hospital.
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