Baby Doll(21)

“Don’t worry, Chicken. There’s no trouble. Not anymore.”

“I saw Daddy Rick but he didn’t see me. Is he mad at us?”

“No. We’re fine. Daddy Rick has to go away for a while, but you and I are going to be okay. We’re always okay, aren’t we?”

Sky sobbed into her mother’s shoulder, whimpering for Rick, but this time Lily didn’t calm her. She held on, letting Sky weep as Lily turned her attention to Eve. Lily was gesturing to the EMTs who were wheeling Abby out.

“I don’t know what happened to Abby… but she lost it.”

Eve gazed at her other damaged child and shook her head, not quite sure how to tell Lily what Abby had endured, not sure if it was fair to let her know how hard it had been.

“Abby gets this way sometimes. Since you… since you were taken, she’s… she’s struggled.”

Lily didn’t comment. Instead, she pulled Eve toward the ambulance where emergency personnel were loading Abby into the back. They’d given Abby sedatives and she was groggy, whispering, “Mr. Hanson. It was Mr. Hanson.”

Eve grabbed Abby’s hand.

“Abby, you’re okay. It’s Mom. I’m here. Lily and I are both here.”

“I shouldn’t have done this. I didn’t think. I’m so very sorry,” Lily whispered.

Eve took in Lily’s guilt-ridden expression.

“Don’t you dare apologize,” Eve said. As far as she was concerned, Lily got a lifelong free pass. Besides, Lily could never have known about Abby’s breakdowns, that they happened with such frequency they had become the norm. “It’s done, Lil. That’s all that matters. Now we can get you both help.”

Eve could tell that Lily was finally starting to falter. Pale and trembling, the adrenaline had likely worn off and she was unsteady on her feet. Eve gestured to the EMT and she took Lily’s hand and helped her into the ambulance. Lily motioned for Eve to follow.

“You’re coming, right?” she said to Eve.

But the EMT shook her head.

“Sorry, Mrs. Riser, but I’m afraid there’s not room for all of you.”

“I want you with us. Please, Mom,” Lily begged, her eyes welling with tears. Eve knew this was a safety issue; they couldn’t have too many passengers, but she hated telling Lily no.

“Eve, I’ll drive. We’ll be right behind you, Lily,” Tommy said, gesturing toward his nearby cruiser.

Lily stared at Sky and Abby, exhaustion and worry winning out.

“You promise?”

Eve nodded. “We’re right behind you.”

With Sky still in her arms, Lily reached out and hugged Eve, and then she sank down onto the gurney and let the EMT close the ambulance doors.

Eve found herself separated from her girls once again. She wanted to bang on the doors, to insist that she go with them, but instead she let Tommy usher her toward his patrol car. As they hurried along, Eve realized how many people were watching them. Dozens and dozens of students were taking pictures, filming them with their phones. She wanted to scream. What was wrong with them? Why would anyone want to document this? Eve couldn’t fight the tidal wave of shame washing over her. She’d always been a private person, always kept to herself. Even after Lily went missing, Dave was the one who did all the press conferences. Now, people were going to ask endless questions—probing questions—about Lily and her sex life and all the things Rick had done to her. All Eve wanted to do was get away from this place, away from all these prying eyes and lenses. As they climbed into the car and pulled out of the parking lot, sirens and lights flashing, the ambulance leading the way, Tommy shook his head in disbelief.

“It’s a miracle, Evie. It’s a goddamn miracle.”

A heavy silence lingered, both of them trying to process what they’d witnessed. Eve finally spoke.

“I don’t understand. I’ll never…”

“Been a cop for twenty-eight years, and I’ve never seen anything like this. Goddamn it, Eve, this is proof that evil is real. It’s not Scripture. It’s living and breathing and walking around among us; I’ll tell you that right now.”

A thought struck Eve as she listened to him. What if the driver of that ambulance was involved? A friend of Rick Hanson’s, maybe. Eve knew it was irrational, but they’d trusted Rick Hanson. Maybe there were more people involved. Why did she always have to follow the rules? Why hadn’t she insisted on going with her girls? The thought of losing them again was too much to bear.

“Stay close to the ambulance. Don’t let it out of your sight,” Eve ordered Tommy, her voice filled with desperation. He gave her a startled look but obeyed, stepping on the gas. Eve didn’t care if he thought she was crazy. Maybe she was, but she’d do anything to keep from losing her family again.

“Just get me to my girls, Tommy. Do whatever it takes to get me to my girls.”





CHAPTER THIRTEEN


LILY


Broken collarbone. Sprained wrists. Two broken ankles. Broken jaw. Six healed rib fractures. Cigarette burns. Ligament scars. Vaginal tearing and extensive trauma. Anemia. Vitamin D deficiency. Visual impairments. The list went on and on and on.

The worst injuries Rick inflicted were in the beginning when Lily still believed she could fight her way out. He’d broken her collarbone and both ankles when she’d tried to escape. He’d been holding her captive for six months, and Lily had decided she had to do something. And she thought she had a chance. She’d seen the light peeking out from the upstairs for almost forty-eight hours. But it was a trap. Lily had barely stepped foot outside the basement when Rick kicked her down the stairs. That beating nearly cost Lily her life. It was also the last time, until today, that Lily ever considered running.