She stopped, panting. I helped her drink some juice and looked at my watch.

“Yeah, Granny. Can’t fight her … Day they came for him … Benji hid inside our sports equipment shed … Saw me … when I was putting away … field hockey sticks … begged for help. Hid him in the shed … took the padlock key home … Did like you guessed … down the fire escape … took Gran’s car … picked up Benji at Vina Fields … drove him out to New Solway … He couldn’t stay in the sports shed. I knew Larchmont was empty … only place I could think of… We found all that … old furniture in the attic. Turned off… motion sensors for alarm. Brought food … when I could get there.”

“But how did you get into Larchmont?”

“trample did go once … last year … I saw him leave, two in the morning … Theresa didn’t wake up … I followed him through the wood and saw him … go into the house. Grample did have a key for the door, the alarm … that part was true … I don’t know how … he got it … Got Grample home … He does come with me … even when he won’t go … with Granny … Daddy was at home, so I didn’t say … anything … but I kept … the key.”

“I thought Theresa had an alarm over her bed so she’d wake up if your grandfather left his room in the night.”

“She does … But sometimes she … has seizures and stuff… she sleeps through alarm … Granny mustn’t know. It doesn’t happen often … Grample likes her … she’s good with him … don’t tell Granny, please.”

She was growing paler and shorter of breath. I assured her I wouldn’t rat out Theresa to her grandmother, and told her to lie down and rest, that we’d talk more another time. Edwards and Renee came in as Catherine sank back against the mattress.

Edwards looked at his daughter, lying with her eyes half shut, her face white, and glared at me. “What have you been doing to her?” He bent over

his daughter and added with surprising tenderness, “Trina, Trina, it’s okay, baby, Daddy’s here.”

A nurse had followed the Bayards into the room. She pushed past Edwards and Renee and put her fingers on Catherine’s wrist. “She’s all right, just very fatigued. I’m going to give her something to help her rest better, and, for now, no more conversation with her.”

Edwards turned to me. “What did you do to her?”

“I talked to her, Mr. Bayard. Just as I plan to talk to you.” My glance swept from him to his mother. “We have a lot of catching up to do, you and I:” Renee’s attention was arrested. “You and my son know each other?” “Not well.” I smiled tightly. “But I hope to change that. We’ve played soccer against each other. Or was it bullfighting? I get the sports confused.” Renee frowned: she didn’t like the tone I was using, or she didn’t like the secret relationship with her son I was implying. “It’s time for you to leave Catherine’s room, but you may wait outside. I want to talk to you about Friday’s events.”