‘I was too, but you were so brave. You did everything I said and made me so proud of you. What we did last night was dangerous.’
She nodded, her eyes looking old again. ‘People aren’t supposed to run away from home.’
He swallowed. Because they get murdered when they try. ‘But I did and I took you with me. I had a good reason.’
Her face pinched. ‘Because Mercy isn’t really dead?’
‘Partly, yes. Partly because I found out some things about Eden that weren’t so nice. Weren’t so safe. And I need for you to be safe, Abi-girl.’
She patted his cheek. ‘I am. You keep me safe.’
Her utter surety weakened his knees and he fell forward, landing on those weak knees and drawing her into his arms. ‘I love you, Abigail.’
She patted his back. ‘I love you, Papa.’ Then she patted his pockets. ‘What is that?’
He laughed around the lump in his throat. ‘Miss Millie gave me a treat for you. Let’s find that picnic table so you can eat it.’
He rose, taking her hand. The Sokolov women had watched them and were visibly shaken. ‘I think you must have a story to tell us, Mr Terrill,’ Irina said. ‘Come. You can tell us about your journey and we can tell you about Mercy.’
‘And you can show them your pictures, Papa,’ Abigail offered.
Amos’s hand went to his shirt pocket where the Polaroids were safely tucked along with his grandfather’s pocket watch. ‘I can.’
Santa Rosa, California
Tuesday, 18 April, 1.25 P.M.
‘A wire?’ From her position in the van’s middle seat, Mercy stared in disbelief at the microphone Tom Hunter held in his hand, the device disguised as a butterfly lapel pin. ‘You want me to wear a wire? Like Ephraim’s mother is John Gotti or something?’
Standing at the van’s open door, Tom’s mouth twitched up on one side. ‘No, not like she’s John Gotti. More like she might be the only one to know where Ephraim would hide. But yes, I want you to wear a wire. We can’t go in there with you and we need to know what’s said. This is a camera that will transmit both video and audio to my phone. I’ll wait with Gideon and Rafe while Liza goes with you into Mrs Franklin’s room.’
‘For the record, I’m still against staying in the lobby,’ Gideon grumbled. He’d left the vehicle that he and Daisy had ridden in, still visibly annoyed at being sidelined.
Rafe only scowled. He’d already made his objections known, but apparently Agent Molina was pulling the strings, even if she hadn’t physically joined them.
Mercy could understand their point of view, but she also saw the extreme possible downsides. ‘Sorry, Gideon, I have to agree with Molina on this one. If Ephraim – I mean Harry – told his mother that you stabbed his eye out after killing her other son? I think your presence might do more harm than good.’
Gideon nearly pouted. ‘Yeah, but still.’
Mercy nearly smiled. ‘Yeah, but still.’ She turned to Rafe. ‘And if I’m supposed to be Harry Franklin’s worried wife, having you hovering over me looking all protective and alpha male won’t look right, either.’ She softened her words with a smile. ‘But I wish you both could be there with me. I’m . . . nervous. What if I don’t know what to say? What if she won’t talk to me at all?’
Farrah squeezed her hand. ‘You’ll be fine. And if she doesn’t talk to you, we’re no worse off than we were before.’
It was what Mercy had been telling herself, but now that they were in the nursing home parking lot, she wasn’t so sure.
She gave Rory an absent pet. ‘I wish I could take you with me,’ she murmured.
‘Go ahead and take him,’ André offered from the front passenger seat. ‘Tell the staff that he’s a comfort cat. Or at least that he comforts you. I’m sure they’d buy that this is a stressful visit for you.’
She looked up, amused. ‘I don’t think he’d go for a baby sling like Daisy wears to carry Brutus.’
‘Then take him in the carrier.’ Rafe picked it up from the floor and opened the latch. ‘If anyone hassles you, tell them that the cat was the old lady’s and you brought him to visit.’
‘It’s not a bad idea,’ Liza said. ‘Animals are often used in therapy with seniors, and this facility allows pets if they’re supervised. I checked their website while we were on the road. I say go for it.’
‘Does the cat get a wire?’ Farrah asked with a smile. ‘Because if so, it needs to be a magical medallion.’
‘If the cat gets a wire, then I definitely should have one,’ Liza said cheerfully. ‘I think it’s only fair.’
That Liza would be accompanying Mercy had been news to everyone – and neither Gideon nor Rafe had taken it well, but Mercy saw the wisdom. Liza worked with dementia patients every day. If anything went sideways, hopefully Liza could pull the conversation back on course.
If there was any conversation to be had. The FBI had sent nurses in to talk to Mrs Franklin on three different occasions in the six weeks since they’d discovered Ephraim’s true identity, but the woman had refused to talk to any of them. Mercy hoped the photo in her locket would be enough to spur the woman into talking with her.
Tom chuckled. ‘The cat does not get a wire, but you do, Liza.’ From his pocket, he drew a chain from which a pendant dangled. ‘Also a camera, video and audio. I can toggle whose feed I’m watching at any given time. And you’ll both wear earpieces, so I can communicate with you if needed. They’re small and not visible unless someone sticks a scope in your ear. Which better not happen.’
‘No scopes,’ Liza repeated obediently. ‘Is that a dragon camera? Because . . . cool.’
Mercy was aware that Liza was keeping it light on purpose, and she appreciated it.
Tom made a face. ‘I’m glad at least one person here isn’t mad at me.’
‘I’m not mad,’ Mercy said soberly. ‘I’m just nervous. I have to remember to call him Harry, not Ephraim. And his brother is Aubrey, not Edward. What if Ephraim or DJ or even Pastor has an inside person in the home? I don’t want to trip any alarms. The FBI has kept Eden out of the press until now. What if this brings it all to light and Molina loses the element of surprise? What if Ephraim feels cornered and . . .’
Rafe slid his hand around the back of her neck and pressed his lips to her temple. ‘Stop. Stop borrowing trouble. You’ll do your best. If we get nothing, then we’ll regroup and come at it from a different angle. Finding Ephraim Burton does not rest entirely on your shoulders, Mercy.’