A Bad Day for Sunshine (Sunshine Vicram #1)(108)

“We’ll figure something out, okay? I promise.”

Maybe she didn’t lose her sixth sense in the move, after all. Levi was good. She knew it. She could feel it to the marrow of her bones. But that wouldn’t be for her to judge. She would have to leave that to the DA, but she’d damn well make sure they knew the particulars of the case.

After Hailey left, Sun buckled down. No more distractions. They had to find out who’d abducted Sybil before he tried it again.





24


Being an adult is like folding a fitted sheet.

Don’t worry. We can help.



—SIGN AT DEL SOL MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES

Sun had Principal Jacobs get Auri personally. He brought her to the front where Sun waited, the look on her face one of concern until she saw her mom.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“I need to talk to Sybil, but I’d like a friendly face there. You up for it?”

Auri almost jumped into her arms. “Totally. Thanks, Mom.”

They drove to the urgent care center and met up with Marianna and Forest St. Aubin.

“I hear we have you to thank for finding her,” Forest said to Auri.

She shook her head. Quite vigorously. “It was a group effort.”

They pulled Auri into a group hug. She let them.

“Do you think she’s up for some questions?” Sun asked them. “Our guy is still out there. She could have seen something or heard something without even knowing it.”

They glanced at each other, then Mr. St. Aubin nodded. “Just not too long?”

“I promise. You ready?”

Auri nodded and seemed to mentally brace herself as they went inside her room.

“Sybil?” Auri said softly. The blinds had been pulled and the lights turned low.

A tiny figure in the bed shifted. “Auri?” she said, her voice hoarse.

Auri rushed forward. “Sybil, I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“Auri!” Sybil latched on to her, and they hugged for a solid ten minutes. They both cried, and Sun sent up a quick thanks for having a kid like the one he’d given her.

Their reunion gave Sun a chance to check out the room. If their suspect could get Sybil out of a home with state-of-the-art security and through a window in the laundry room with no one the wiser, he could possibly get her out of the hospital window. The facility was only a one-story. Otherwise, she would have her moved to the second floor or higher. The windows didn’t open, but could they be opened with a tool of some kind?

She was trying to think of any possible way the suspect could get into the room.

The quickest and surest way would be to wait until the guard went to the restroom. If there wasn’t another guard around, they would put a nurse in charge of keeping people out, but nurses were busy people. And emergencies that could call a nurse away from his or her post happened.

The truth was, Sybil was far from safe. They needed to move her as quickly as possible.

“How do you feel?” Auri asked her, breaking their hold. “Do you feel like it’s over?”

Sybil released a sad sigh. “I don’t know. I don’t think I’ll believe it’s really over until my birthday passes and I’m still alive and breathing, which could happen thanks to you.” Tears sprang to her eyes again.

“Thanks to my mom,” she said, gesturing toward her. “Do you remember her? You met last night?”

A line formed between Sybil’s delicate brows. “I think so.”

“It’s okay, sweetheart.” Sun stood beside her daughter. “You had other things on your mind.”

She smiled shyly.

“So, I got your letter, and I’ve studied your diary. I hope that’s okay.”

Auri helped Sybil to sit up and got her more comfortable. “It’s okay. Is that how you found me?”

“We found your note,” Auri said. “The drawing you taped under your desk at school before winter break.”

“You found it?”

Auri nodded. “You knew I was coming.”

She shrugged, like it was no big deal. “Everyone knew you were coming. Your mom won the election.”

“But you knew I was coming and you left the drawing for me. The note to me in your letter led me to it.”

“Clever girls,” Sun said.

They brightened.

“Would you mind if I asked you a couple of questions?” she said, treading carefully.

“Sure. I’m okay.”

Sun took in every aspect of her demeanor as they spoke. Every gesture. Every word. Every tone in her voice and direction in her gaze. Not because she didn’t believe the girl. Far from it. But sometimes people don’t tell the whole truth because they are embarrassed or they don’t think it’s important.

She lifted a plastic bag. “Sybil, do you recognize this button?”

She took the evidence bag that contained the button they found at her house. “Yes,” she said, thinking back. “That’s from a backpack I used to have when we lived in Chicago.”

“Like this?” She showed her the picture Anita had found.

“That’s it.”

“But you lost it? Any chance that button had fallen off and was still in your things?”