“I was a kitty,” Haley said.

“Yes, you were. I remember. You were a very pretty kitty.”

She looked around the room and through the glass wall to the desk where people in hospital scrubs were busy reviewing charts and making notes.

“You’re in the hospital,” Anne said. “You got hurt and you were brought here so the doctors could make you feel better. Do you remember getting hurt?”

Haley shook her head, eyes cast downward. She picked at the tape that held her IV catheter in place then turned back to Anne. “Where’s my mommy?”

Pain squeezed Anne’s heart. There was no easy way to do this, but she had decided to give Haley little pieces as she asked for them. There was no point in telling her straight out that she would never see her mother again when she was feeling alone and afraid, surrounded by strangers.

“Your mommy was hurt too.”

Anne held her breath, waiting for the next question. Can I see her? Where is she?

But Haley Fordham didn’t ask. She sat quietly, eyebrows lowered as she thought it over. When she looked up at Anne, she had moved on to other needs.

“My throat hurts. Can I have Jell-O?”

“I’ll go ask,” Franny said. “I’ll bet you can. The Jell-O is very good here. Isn’t it, Anne?”

“Excellent Jell-O.”

Franny went out the door as Vince got off the elevator, laden down with a couple of duffel bags. He came into the room, eyebrows raised at the sight of Haley sitting up in bed.

“This is a good sign,” he said.

Haley looked up at him. “Are you the daddy?”

“I’m Vince,” he said, bending down to her level. “And you’re Haley. And I have something I think you’re going to be very happy to see.”

From out of one of the duffel bags he pulled a floppy-eared, much-loved velveteen rabbit.

The little girl’s face lit up. “Honey-Bunny!”

Vince handed her the toy and looked at Anne. “Has she said anything?”

“She doesn’t remember getting hurt.”

“Did you ask—”

“I’m not going to push,” she warned.

“I know. I know. I was hoping for what the attorneys call an excited utterance.”

“Hmm. No. No excited utterances,” she said as he deposited the duffel bags on one of the chairs and helped himself to a Russian tea cake on the tray. “Will you be in trouble for taking evidence from a crime scene?”

“The CSIs already took everything they thought might be significant. Thank God the rabbit didn’t look suspicious,” he said, nodding at Haley, who had curled up with her old friend and was looking decidedly sleepy again, a thumb inching toward her mouth.

“She’s so precious,” Anne said quietly. “I feel so bad for her.