She chewed the inside of her lip, nervous about the next part of their conversation. “Please tell me you talked to Alan.”
“I called, but he didn’t answer, so I went to your apartment. The TV was blaring inside, so I don’t know if he could hear me or not, but I pounded on the door for over half an hour and he never opened it. Maybe he was sleeping.”
Tears welled in her eyes. How much longer would she be trapped in this nightmare? “He probably got shitfaced and passed out,” she said. “Or he was at the bar with his buddies. I should have told you about the TV. He leaves it on all the time, even when he’s not home. He thinks it keeps us from getting robbed.” Knowing Alan, he was going out with his friends every night now that she was gone. He’d probably told them she had run away so they’d pat him on the back, tell him how sorry they were, and buy him another beer. The same way he’d let everyone keep buying him drinks after her mother’s wake, while she sat in the corner of the restaurant crying and waiting to go home.
“I slipped a note with my phone number on it under the door before I left,” Eddie said.
“I thought I was going to write it.”
“Did you want me to wait until I could get you a pen and paper?”
She shook her head, realizing how foolish that sounded. She thought it might have helped if Alan recognized her handwriting, but who knew if he would? All that mattered now was that Eddie had left a note telling him she was there. She just prayed he’d believe it.
“He had to have seen it this morning,” Eddie said. “When I get out of work tonight, I’ll go back and make sure. Hopefully he’ll answer the door this time.”
She wiped her eyes, trying to control her emotions. For some reason, beyond the obvious desperate need to get out of Willowbrook, she wished Alan had knocked down the institution doors and demanded her release by now. Part of her hoped he loved her—even a tiny bit. Enough to care if she were dead or alive anyway. She should have known better. He had never cared about anyone but himself. Her real father would have been there to rescue her in a heartbeat. Then again, he never would have sent Rosemary away in the first place.
“Don’t worry,” Eddie said. “We’re not done yet. I’ll talk to my uncle to see if he can help somehow. He’s at a conference right now, but he’ll be back tomorrow.”
“Will he believe you?”
“I’m sure he’ll warn me for the hundredth time to stay away from the residents, but I’ll try. And I’ll let you know as soon as I find out anything. In the meantime, we don’t want Nurse Vic to wonder why you’re lagging behind again, so you better go.”
Sage looked over at Wayne, who was herding everyone out the doors and into the hall, one eye on her and Eddie. By the smirk on his face, he had no intention of heeding Eddie’s warning. “Wayne doesn’t look very worried about your threat.”
Eddie glanced over at him, fury flashing in his eyes. “He thinks I’m joking because we both know what happens when employees rat on each other. If I turn him in, even if he does get fired, I’ll need to be careful walking alone to my car.”
“In other words,” she said, “there’s nothing you can do.”
“I’m sure my uncle and I can figure something out, but even if I could prove Wayne guilty beyond a shadow of a doubt, I don’t want to draw more attention to you right now. And I wouldn’t want to get him fired yet anyway. Think about it, he lets us talk to each other. Someone else might not. Plus, he could easily send you to the pit for no reason and then we’d be screwed.”
“What are you saying? That I should do whatever he wants?”
“No! That’s not what I’m saying at all.”
“What then?” she said. Her chin started to tremble. “How am I supposed to keep him away from me?”
He gently took her hand, his fingers wrapping around her palm, and looked at her with worried eyes. “I don’t know,” he said. “All I can do is try to get you out of here as soon as possible.”
It was the first time in what felt like forever that another person had touched her in a kind, comforting way, but it did little to calm her nerves. She pulled her hand away. “I’m sorry. I know. And I’m grateful for your help.”
“Just hang in there, okay?” he said. “We’ll figure this out. But I better get back. I need to clock out.” He started to turn toward the door.
Then she remembered something. “Wait,” she said. “Norma said some of the female residents were sterilized. Do you know if Rosemary was? If I can show Dr. Baldwin I don’t have a scar, he’ll know I’m not her.”
He seemed surprised by the suggestion. “I don’t know,” he said. “But the only way you’re going to see a doctor is if you’re bleeding profusely or you’re on the verge of death.”
“I know,” she said. “Marla said the same thing.” She held out her arm, wrist up. “So cut me. You must have a knife or something in your cleaning cart.”
He recoiled. “What? No.”
“Then tell me where it is and I’ll do it.”
He shook his head. “Janitors aren’t allowed to carry anything that’s sharp. But even if I had something, I wouldn’t let you do that.”
“Then I’ll get Wayne to beat me up. Please! I have to get out of here. I don’t care how.”
He grasped her by the shoulders and looked her in the eye, his face stern. “The only thing you’ll get by doing either of those things is a nice, long stay in the pit. Is that what you want?”
She covered her face with her hands and shook her head, swallowing the sobs that threatened to tear from her throat.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I know you’re scared, but you’re going to be okay.”
She dropped her hands and gaped at him. “How can you say that? I’m locked up in a loony bin, I feel like I’m dying, my sister is still missing, and my stepfather, the only person who can get me out of here, doesn’t give two shits where I am. He’s probably glad to be rid of me.” She couldn’t hold back any longer, tears fell down her cheeks. “The only people who might care are my friends. Would you go see them and tell them I’m here?”
“I can try,” he said. “Where do they live?”
She wiped her face and tried to pull herself together. “Dawn lives in the housing units over on Belmont Avenue in Mariners Harbor. She’s in apartment 5B. And Heather lives about ten blocks from there on Gooseneck Drive, above the Starlight Liquor store. Do you know it?”
He nodded. “I’ve driven by it.”
“You should probably try Dawn’s place first because Heather’s father is an asshole. If he doesn’t know you, he’ll just tell you to get lost.”
“Okay,” he said. “If your stepfather doesn’t answer the door this time, I’ll go see your friends afterward.”
“Do you think Dr. Baldwin will listen if they come?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “But all we can do is try, right?” He gave her a reassuring smile.
She nodded and tried to return the smile, but her lips quivered and her eyes filled again.