“We have a screenshot of the text.”

“Right.”

Morasco took a breath. “All right, Ms. Diamond. Is there anything else you remember about that call? Anything that struck you as unusual?”

Robin started to say no, then stopped herself. “Actually, yes,” she said.

He looked at her.

“I heard noises when he was talking. Children playing. It sounded like he was in a park.”

“Okay,” he said. “That’s helpful.” Though she wasn’t sure whether he meant it or not. There were hundreds of parks in the tristate area. And he’d spoken to her from one of them more than twenty-four hours ago. God only knows where he’d been when he’d texted her.

Robin said, “Why would you confess to a murder and just disappear?”

“Why is for psychiatrists,” Morasco said. “What I’m interested in is how, when, and where.”

MORASCO AND ROBIN waited until Dr. Wu had examined Renee, declaring her to be in excellent health and ready to be released the following day barring setbacks. And even then, Robin was nervous.

“I didn’t expect to see you back so soon,” Renee said. And then she noticed Morasco, lingering near the doorway. “What now?” she said, her face going pale.

Robin watched her. What’s wrong? What are you thinking?

“Mom,” Robin said. “Quentin Garrison confessed to shooting you and Dad.”

Slowly, her color came back. “He did?”

“Do you remember anything about that night?”

“No . . .” Renee’s eyes went to the detective. “Why don’t you ask Quentin Garrison about it? He’d probably have a better memory of it than me.”

“He’s not available, ma’am.”

“Not available?”

Robin said, “They haven’t found him yet.”

Renee sat up in bed, her eyes blazing. She stared at Morasco. “How could you lose a confessed murderer?”

“Mom, please calm down.”

“Don’t tell me to calm down. There’s a man who tried to kill me, and no one knows where he is.”

“We have you under constant surveillance, ma’am. We’re doing everything we can to ensure your safety.”

“Except catching a damn murderer.”

“Mom.”

“I need to rest, Robbie. I need you both to leave.”

“Do you remember anything from that night, ma’am? Any tiny snippet, any image . . . anything at all . . .”

Renee closed her eyes. She took a deep breath, her thin body expanding and settling with it. Robin thought she might tell them to leave again, but when she spoke, her voice was calm. “We had a fight,” she said quietly. “Your father and me. That’s all I remember. The last image I have in my mind of him is full of anger. It isn’t fair . . .”

“Do you remember, ma’am,” Morasco said, “what the fight was about?”

Robin watched her, the rising and falling of her chest, her neck and arms frail beneath the hospital gown.

“Yes,” she said quietly.

Robin’s eyes widened.