The Perfect Child(77)

I’d read all that in his chart. It wasn’t anything I hadn’t already known. “Yes, but what happened?”

She had hesitated, as if it had been some kind of secret.

I had raised my hands, open palmed. “Look, I’m not sure you’re aware, so I just want to be really clear with you—we are on the same team. I want what’s best for these kids as much as you do.”

Her face had flushed with embarrassment. “That’s not it.”

I had raised my eyebrows. “Really? It sure feels like it.”

She had shaken her head. “I’m sorry if I gave you that impression. I’ve never worked on a case this serious before.” She’d dropped her voice to a whisper. “I just want to make sure I don’t do anything wrong.”

I’d smiled. She was new, really new. “I’ve been exactly where you are. So why don’t you take me through what you know, and we can start working on this thing together?”

She’d smiled back. The intensity had lessened. “Cole suffered a head injury. They’re worried there might be blood on his brain, so they ordered the CT scan. The doctors aren’t sure if he was shaken or if he fell.”

“But they’re positive it’s a head injury?”

She had nodded. “He has a soft, swollen spot on the side of his head. There’s also pinkish fluid draining from his ears.”

My stomach had flipped. “I still don’t get it. Why is there all this confusion over what happened? What do Christopher and Hannah have to say about it?”

Her brow had furrowed. “That’s the thing. Christopher wasn’t there when it happened. It was only Hannah and the kids.”

“So what does Hannah say?”

“She’s not talking.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

She had shrugged. “Christopher found them all in the bathroom. The tub was full of water, and everyone was soaked. He says Hannah was incoherent when he got there and started screaming when the paramedics arrived. The paramedics didn’t even let her ride with them in the ambulance because she was such a mess. She created a scene when they got to the hospital, and that’s when the doctors gave her Valium to settle her down. They weren’t going to let her into the NICU otherwise.”

None of what she had been telling me had fit with anything I knew or had experienced with Hannah.

“Christopher doesn’t know what happened.” She’d added as an afterthought, “Or so he says.”

“What about Janie? What happened to her?” I had asked.

“We’re not sure about that yet either. She has a dislocated shoulder.”

“What room is she in?”

“Room 29c.” She had tapped her screen and scrolled through the file. “Her aunt’s name is Allison.”



Allison’s height had surprised me since Hannah was so short, but you couldn’t miss the similarity in their faces. They had the same angular jaw and thin lips. Both had huge green eyes framed by dark lashes. She had looked stricken.

“Hi, I’m Piper Goldstein, Janie’s social worker,” I had said, standing in the doorway of Janie’s room.

Allison had motioned for me to come in. “Christopher texted that you were on your way up.”

Janie had sat cross-legged on the bed. Her left shoulder had been in a blue sling. The TV had been on in front of her. I had walked over to her first. “How are you doing?” I’d asked.

She’d looked lost. Her face had been blotchy, and snot had been dried on her face.

“I know this is really scary for you right now, but things are going to be okay. I’m going to make sure you’re taken care of.”

She’d nodded, her lower lip sticking out like she might start crying again at any minute.

I’d straightened up and looked at Allison. “I’m so sorry that you and your family are having to go through this.”

“Thank you.” Her eyes had brimmed with tears. “I just can’t believe this is happening. It’s so horrible.”

“Let’s step out in the hallway for a minute.” I hadn’t wanted Janie to overhear anything. “Janie, me and your aunt Allison are going to be in the hallway right outside your door if you need us, okay?”

She’d nodded.

Allison had followed me into the hallway and started talking immediately. “What were they doing in the bathroom? You don’t bathe babies in the regular tub. I never did. Hannah didn’t either. She was hysterical at the hospital. Did they tell you that?” She hadn’t waited for me to answer. “I’ve never seen her that way before. She was completely unhinged. It was awful. She kept letting out these animal-like shrieks, and I couldn’t calm her down. Nobody could. I’ve never seen anyone act that way before. Is that normal? I mean, what’s normal? It just doesn’t make sense. None of it. Hannah tried to attack Janie when she came into the room. She went after her. Did they tell you that?”

“Nobody has told me much of anything yet.”

She had grabbed my arm. “Cole’s going to be okay, though, right? I mean, he’s going to make it through this, isn’t he?”

There had been too much desperation in her face to tell the truth.

“Absolutely,” I had said.