I want to throw something breakable across the room, but all I can manage is to shake my head on my hospital pillow in disgust. “We had him at the top of a fucking mountain. How could you lose him?”

“It’s a mountain, Suzie, not an apartment building. He could have come down any of a dozen ways before we finally convinced the park police to shut it down. Julius Verne helped with that, actually. Started talking the second the cops showed up and convinced them there was another man. He called Finn a psycho and said he’d only helped Finn because he feared for his life.”

“Please tell me the cops didn’t give him a prize.”

“They charged him with kidnapping and attempted murder. He’s being held without bail in DeKalb County.”

There’s that, at least. “How’s Tane?”

“He’s down the hall. Twisted his ankle really bad coming down the trail. Plus he was dehydrated and, well …” Ethan gestures at his ear. “But he’s okay. He asked to see you when you woke up, actually.” He stands. “I’ll go tell him you’re up, and then I gotta get home, let Wilson out. Uncle Gavin sends his love.”

I eye him skeptically. “He sends his love? This is the same Uncle Gavin, right?”

Ethan shrugs. “That’s what the man said. I think he was really worried.” He pauses for a beat. “We both were, actually.” He leans over and kisses the top of my head. “Love you.” And before I can form a response, he’s gone.

I try to take a deep breath, then turn my head to look around the room. There’s a small water closet in the corner, and another terrible hospital room painting, and a chair next to the bed, and a window with blinds. It’s a nice enough room for a hospital. What I don’t want to admit is that I’m relieved the door to the water closet is open to show that no one could be hiding in there, that the blinds to the window are drawn so no one can look in, that there are no bullets lined up on the windowsill.

TANE KAMAKA BANGS into my room in a wheelchair sometime later, one leg in a cast and extended in front of him like a lance. “Hey,” he says brightly. “You’re awake.”

“I am now,” I say, but I smile as I say it. “How are you?”

“I fucked up my ankle big time.” Tane announces this like the world’s proudest ten-year-old. “Gonna have to get a boot or something for it. And that bastard cut my ear off, but I talked to a plastic surgeon today, and he was so cool. They’d build a new ear out of my rib cartilage. Isn’t that crazy?”

“Totally.”