It had been with him for months nowthe voice he could not escape. She filled his head as he woke up on most mornings and would speak up here and there throughout the day. It was especially interesting when she wanted to talk when he was on a call at work. It was an odd situation because he knew what she wanted, and he was willing to do it for her. But he also did not want her to go away for good this time. And he feared that if he did what she was askingif he could actually carry it out to the endshed leave.

But for now, she was talking, and he listened as attentively as he could manage.

We dont have much time, she said. We dont have much time, so I need you to listen closely. I need you to think of our time together and what you owe me. I need you to recall all those times you were never able to be quite enoughto be the man you needed to be. You can make up for all of that now. You can be a new thing, a new person altogether. You just need to listen closely and do exactly what I tell you to do.

And then she told him what he must do. He listened closely and focused on the sound of her voice until the alarm on his phone beeped, telling him his break was over and he needed to go back to work.

CHAPTER TEN

Rachel wasnt at all surprised when they found out that Jack had called it exactly right; after an hour or so of speaking with other staff and employees of Harbour Medical Group, they came to a dead end. The only worthwhile conversation was with the woman that had first gone out into the parking lot to see the bodyto make sure the patient that was leaving wasnt just over-exaggerating.

The womans name was Eloise, and she seemed to try very hard to do a good job at recounting what shed seen. She did not grow emotional, and she did not exaggerate or sensationalize anything. She sat with them in a small employee lounge with the same sort of candor one might show during a job interview.

The poor woman that found the body was a lady named Peggy Windham. When she came in to tell us what shed seen, I thought she was going to throw up right there in the front lobby. But we got her to a chair, got her some water, and she seemed to calm down.

When she came in, Rachel said, what did she claim to have seen? Was it just Mr. Webbers body, or did she see anything at all out of place?

Just the body. When the police came, they questioned her about that very same thing. She saw nothing else. They asked if shed seen any cars leaving as she came out, but she couldnt remember.