A Bad Day for Sunshine (Sunshine Vicram #1)(113)

“I know what you’re going through, Mari. If you ever need someone to talk to.”

“Oh, honey, you can’t possibly.”

She took Mari’s hand. “I can, actually.”

When her meaning sank in, Mari cupped both her hands around Sun’s. “Did you—? What happened?”

Sun felt the corners of her mouth tilt up, and she whispered, “Auri.”

Mari’s hands flew to her mouth. “Oh, my god. She’s amazing. She’s . . . Should I have kept him? Should I have tried?” A fresh round of tears slid down her face.

“No, Marianna. You can’t compare your situation with mine or anyone else’s. You did what you had to do.”

“Wait.” The truth was sinking in at last. “Is he . . . Did—did he do this?”

Already knowing what the answer would be, Sun brought out her phone and pulled up a picture of one of her very own, Deputy Lonnie Price. Or the man posing as Lonnie Price.

She angled the phone for Mari to see, and the blood drained from Mari’s face a microsecond before she dove for a trash can by the door. She emptied her stomach as both the heaving and a round of sobs shook her shoulders.

“Yes,” she said through the sobs. “That’s—He came to my door.”

“What? When?”

She wiped her mouth on a napkin, then sat back down. “Sybil was tiny. Maybe four? And this kid rang our bell. His parents were sitting out in a car, and I recognized them from the adoption agency. I knew instantly who he was.”

“You’d met the adoptive parents?”

She nodded. “Only once, but they seemed nice. He told me who he was and asked if he could live with me.” Her hands pressed into her mouth, and she sobbed. “What was I supposed to say? Forest didn’t know. I was so afraid he would look at me like my parents did because I’d lied to him.”

“Mari, this is not your fault.”

“No, it is. I grieved for him every day and yet, I—I turned him away.” She broke down again. “Is that why he’s doing this? Oh, my god. He doesn’t know what that did to me.”

“He’s doing this because he’s hurt by his past, Mari. This is not your fault. But right now, I have to find my deputy.”

She had no choice. She had to leave Mari in agony as she texted Quincy. “On my way. Read the note.”

Hurrying toward the recovery rooms, Sun turned the corner and saw a stunned expression on Quincy’s face. Zee’s jaw dropped when she read the note, but Sun pushed past them and into the room.

A tuft of red hair poked out from the blankets on the bed where Sybil slept. Sun scanned the room. Rushed into the restroom. Turned a full circle, then looked at the state officer who’d been assigned to guard the room.

“Where’s Auri? Where’s my daughter?”

He stepped in and checked the area. Deputy Salazar followed, panic draining the color from her face. “She was just right here.”

Sun ripped back the covers and almost cried out. Auri lay sleeping in Sybil’s bed. She hugged her. But then, “Where’s Sybil?”

Marianna stumbled into the room.

“Who’s been in here?” Sun asked the officer.

“No one. Just a couple of nurses.”

The charge nurse stepped just inside the room, her face the picture of shock.

“Which nurses?” Sun growled.

“Her,” he said, pointing at the charge nurse, “and a male nurse.”

The nurse shook her head. “We don’t have any male nurses on duty today.”

“Son of a bitch,” Quincy said. “Lock it down!”

He ran to get security to lock down the facility as her other two deputies and the state officer checked the immediate ward.

“I need surveillance yesterday!” Sun shouted, then gestured for the nurse. “She’s not waking up.”

The nurse sprang into action, pressing the emergency button to call for assistance and rushing to Auri’s side. The area flooded with medical personnel as the nurse checked her vitals.

“She’s okay,” she said. “Her passageways are clear. Her pulse is strong. She’s just asleep.”

“He drugged them. How did he get Sybil out?”

“Where’s my daughter?” Mari asked, and Sun was worried she would pass out.

“He was pushing a cart,” the state cop said when he came back. “I didn’t think anything of it at the time.”

Of course he didn’t. This wasn’t his fault, but Sun wanted to rip him apart, anyway. Price could have killed her daughter, and he could still kill Marianna’s.

“Sunshine,” Mari said, terrified. “Please.”

Sun ran to her and gave her a hug before calling in every city, county, and state employee in the area, from the highway patrol to the water department.

Price would know they’d discovered Sybil missing, but not that they were onto him. With any luck, he would keep up the game and report to the urgent care center to help in the search.

“Auri, honey?” The nurse put a cool compress on her forehead and was patting her cheek. “Wake up, love. Can you hear me?”

Auri groaned, and Sun almost fell trying to get to her side.

“Auri? Sweetheart?”