Page 122 of Trust No One

I followed the driveway out to the main road and took a right. A half mile down the road, another right took me between the Hale House pillars.

I hauled the bag containing pieces of Molly’s life upstairs and into the spare room beside mine.

The nightstands and the four-poster bed were made of walnut. Handcrafted and expensive, the furniture looked too old for a little girl. The entire house was trapped in another era, and I couldn’t tell if it was good or bad. Hale House never pretended to be what it wasn’t.

Stripped sheets in hand, I climbed down the creaky basement stairs and shoved them in the washer. Upstairs, I stowed the comforter in a closet, ran a vacuum cleaner, and wiped down the surfaces. The room filled with fresh scents.

Sheets in the dryer, I jumped in the shower, knowing I had less than five minutes of heat.

Dressed in fresh jeans and a pullover sweater, I made a quick breakfast and, after eating a bagel, remade the bed. I wasn’t sure if the room was more welcoming or not.

I Ubered back to the hospital. Judson would eventually figure out the scene had been compromised, but that was another day’s problem.

When I arrived, Molly was starting to rouse. I was at her side when her eyes opened. She looked surprised. A flickering smile vanished as she realized I brought a lot of sadness.

“Hey,” I said.

“Hey.”

The attendant entered the room carrying a breakfast tray. She set it in front of Molly. Cereal, bagel, lime-green Jell-O, a fruit cup.

“Looks pretty good,” I said.

She stared at the food. “I don’t like green.”

“What color do you like?” I was grateful she was talking to me.

“Red.”

“If I got you red Jell-O, would you eat it?”

She shrugged. “Maybe.”

“Let’s see what I can do.” I moved to the doorway, staying in Molly’s line of sight while flagging the attendant. After explaining what I needed, the attendant produced a red Jell-O. “Thank you.”

I waved the cup, smiling as I approached the child. “Ready to give it a try?” When she nodded, I peeled back the top and stuck the spoon inside.

She took a bite. “Where do we go now?”

“We’re going to Hale House. That’s where I live.”

“I want to go home.”

“We’ll go by your house soon. I promise. But for now, it needs a good cleaning.”

“That’s what Mommy always said. She said she could never clean enough to make it look new.”

“It’s a pretty old house.”

“I liked it.” She scooped out a globby spoonful of Jell-O.

“What did you like about it?”

“It’s always making funny noises. And the woods out back are filled with magical creatures.”

“Magical? Who told you that?”

“Amy. She said the woods have fairies and baby dragons.”