He would need multiple daily visits from a nurse to help out and evaluate his progress, in addition to daily physical therapy. Dr. Badalia had suggested a full-time, in-home nurse for a few months but Ryan had balked at the idea. Jessie didnt want to make him feel powerless so shed consented to his wishes. But she worried that even with all the equipment shed had installed, including handrails, bath and toilet accessories, and help buttons in every room, she might still not be prepared for the responsibility.

Caring for a wheelchair-bound thirty-two-year-old man who might have cognitive impairment was a challenge on its own. Doing that while simultaneously raising a seventeen-year-old who was still recovering from seeing her adoptive parents murdered felt borderline insurmountable.

But it wasnt all darkness. Kat had been an amazing friend, offering her place as a safe haven after Jessie and Hannah couldnt return to the condo where Ryan had been stabbed. Shed also been a shoulder to lean on and someone to vent to, even as she was trying to keep her own fledgling private investigator business running.

Another good distraction for Jessie was work. After officially leaving her job as a criminal profiler for the LAPD, she had been teaching a weekly forensics seminar at USC, her alma mater. She was supposed to instruct a full-on class in the subject when the fall semester began a week from Monday.

In addition, shed come to an informal agreement with her former boss, Central Station Police Captain Roy Decker. If time permitted, shed offer her services as a profiling consultant on major cases. Shed already worked on two as part of the arrangement, one involving the death of a faded movie star and just last week, the murder of an abducted oil heiress.

But with Ryans arrival later today and classes picking up in a week, she doubted shed be able to help out much on the law enforcement front going forward. And if Hannahs reaction when Jessie told her shed be expected to help out with Ryancursing under her breathwas any indication, just keeping her head above water was going to be job enough.

Her cell phone rang and she quickly silenced it. Even before looking at it, she knew that at this hour, the call could only be from one of two places. She was relieved to see it wasnt the hospital.

Hey, Captain, she said. A little early to be calling on a Sunday morning, dont you think? The suns not even up.

Sorry, Hunt, he replied, maintaining the last name formality even though she was no longer an employee. You know I wouldnt reach out like this unless it was a big deal.

Whatever it is, Im think Im going to have to take a pass on this one. I start teaching in a week. More importantly, Ryan leaves the hospital this afternoon.