Well, that wasn’t entirely true. Brooke had been born with a bit of a chip on her shoulder, and had been a source of constant strain in Tracy’s family. Brooke’s biological father had hit the road the minute he learned Tracy was pregnant, and they’d never heard from him again. Maybe knowing one of her parents hadn’t wanted anything to do with her was responsible for the chip.

Tracy’s husband, Mike, had come along when Brooke was a toddler and had raised the girl as his own along with Abby and Ethan, the children he and Tracy had together. Mike had recently laid down an ultimatum where Brooke was concerned... He no longer wanted Abby and Ethan living in the same home as their wild and uncontrollable older sister.

Sam had given them the money to send Brooke to the strict boarding school in Virginia, which had been somewhat of a last-resort measure. They’d pinned their hopes—and a lot of money—on the school’s track record of turning around troubled girls.

Sam blew out a deep breath as a staggering array of questions cycled through her mind.

They arrived at the hospital, and the paramedics whisked Brooke inside. Sam and Nick followed behind them. She wasn’t surprised to find her other sister, Angela, waiting with Tracy and Mike. When Tracy tried to follow Brooke into the exam room, the nurses stopped her and asked her to wait outside.

Sam wrapped an arm around her older sister.

“I don’t understand,” Tracy said between sobs. “What’s she even doing here?”

“That’s what I’d like to know too,” Sam said.

“I’m going to call the school,” Mike said.

“Do me a favor and hold off on that,” Sam said. “I’d like to attack this entire situation the same way I would an investigation. I’d rather they not be tipped off before I can approach them as a cop.”

Mike thought about that for a second and then nodded. “Okay.”

“Let’s focus on Brooke right now and whatever she needs,” Sam said. “I promise I’ll get to the bottom of what went on tonight as soon as we know she’s going to be all right.”

A nurse appeared then with forms for Tracy to sign that gave consent for treatment and provided insurance information.

While Tracy and Mike dealt with the forms, Angela approached Sam. “What. The. Hell.”

“I don’t know. I just don’t know.”

“How’d she get to your house?”

“I don’t know that either.”

Angela, who’d given birth to her second child, a girl named Ella, a few months ago, shuddered. “What has she gotten herself into?”

“The paramedics said she was definitely on something.”

“God... Poor Tracy. This’ll kill her. After all she’s done for that kid...”

Nick came up behind Sam and rested his hands on her shoulders.