They pulled up to the entrance to the hospital, where a gurney was waiting. As they loaded her onto the stretcher, Terry managed to grasp Donatti’s hand. He ran with her as they wheeled her down the hallway to the emergency room. As the double doors opened, she said, “I love you, Christopher.”

“I love—” His hand was suddenly yanked from hers and the doors shut closed on him. “I love you, too, Teresa—”

He turned around. Rina was there. He said, “She’ll be fine, right?”

“She’s in the care of people who know what they’re doing,” Rina answered.

“That doesn’t answer the question.”

“Chris, I know as much as you do.”

He sat down on a bench and covered his face with his hands. Then he looked up at Rina, who was still standing. “She was up when they took her in. That’s a good sign.”

“Yes.”

“She was talking. She told me she loved me.” A pause. “Or maybe I imagined it.”

“No, you didn’t imagine it. I heard it too.”

“She said it, right?”

“Right.”

He stood up and began to pace the full length of the hallway. Back and forth, back and forth, several times. He stopped. “How’d you know? About Talia?”

Rina shrugged. “A gut feeling, as Peter would say.”

“Fucking cunt blindsided me.” He sat, then he got up again. “I should have fired her as soon as Terry came back. I should have known! None of the girls liked her.”

Rina was silent.

“I was an idiot. I was lazy. It was just easier to keep her on. She was with me from the beginning.”

“Chris, this isn’t your fault,” Rina said.

He waved her off and began pacing again. “It is my fault. Totally my fault.” A pause. “What the fuck is taking so long?”

Rina looked at her watch. It had only been around ten minutes.

He said, “Shit, I forgot to call the police.”

“I did it.”

“You did?”

“Yes,” Rina said. “I called 911.”

“Someone’s thinking. Did you give them the location?”

“I just said at the trailhead in the mountains. Should I call them again?” At that moment, her phone sprang to life. “It’s Peter. Hold on.”

“Put it on speaker,” Donatti said.

Rina complied. Into the receiver, she said, “You’re on speaker. We’re at the hospital.”

“Is she okay?” Decker asked.

“We don’t know anything yet. Where are you?”

“At the police station. It has two jail cells, but they don’t have a facility to book her or keep her. A guy named Saverhall called in Nevada State Police. I’m waiting here until I know she’s in the proper hands.”

Donatti took the phone from Rina. “Saverhall’s a good guy.”

Decker said, “Yes, he is, but he seems a little out of his element.”