“I'm trying to figure out why you're doing this,” he said, peering at her, his blue eyes flashing in the sunlight streaming through the windows. “I'd really like to know the whole story. Did he beat you? Kick you? Were you battered?”

She paused, stared at him, wondered what he was capable of understanding. “Not in the way most people think of ‘battered,'” she said, her heart racing.

“So, what did you do? The guy tried to kill you, you say now. What did you do about it? Did you call the cops?”

“No,” Lily said.

“Why not?”

“Because I knew they wouldn't believe me. I didn't have any evidence, not really. Edward could be so charming, so persuasive. And I wasn't going to let him even lay eyes on my baby while I tried to convince them.”

“You should have called the cops,” he said stubbornly.

“I told my grandmother,” she said. “Because I knew she'd believe me.”

“And did she?”

“You know she did.”

“So, you told Maeve—”

“And then I started making my plans to leave. We started, that is. Maeve and I.”

“Christ,” he said, staring down at Lily's grandmother lying motionless in the hospital bed. Lily saw a lot going on behind his eyes—thoughts and memories of the investigation, maybe. Ways Maeve had lied to protect Lily, to help her get away and stay hidden. “Why didn't Maeve go with you?”

“She had to stay behind, to throw Edward off.”

“By lying to the police?”

“If that's what it took.”

“And that's what you're about to do now?” Patrick asked as the sound of radios came from the hall, along with heavy footsteps. The police were here. Lily felt chills racing up her spine, desperate feelings of near-panic as she wondered what Patrick would say to them.

“If that's what it takes to protect Rose,” she said.

“Jesus Christ, Lily.”

“You don't know the whole story yet, Patrick. Please—don't give us away. Don't give her away. She's just gotten her life back—you have no idea what she's been through, so many surgeries to save her life—”

“I know,” Patrick said. A knock sounded on the door. Patrick moved to answer it, but Lily grabbed his arm.

“Please, Patrick.”

“Tell me this, Lily. Where is she? I have to know she's okay.”

“She's with Liam Neill—that's all I can tell you. But she's with him. He's taking care of her, until I can be there. You know Liam from Cape Hawk—you and Marisa found us at his house. You must know what Rose means to him. Please, Patrick.”

She saw something flicker in his eyes, as if he was making up his mind. Just then the door swung open, and a man and woman peered in.

“Hey, Murphy,” the woman said to Patrick. “What're you doing here?”

“Ah, I just stopped by to see my friend Maeve. Come on in,” Patrick said. “Let me make a few introductions.”