Sarah stepped into their hotel room, weary to the bone. The numbing effect of the meds had definitely worn off. Her hand and abdomen were throbbing with pain. She dropped her purse on an armchair and entered the bathroom. Her hand hovered over the Tylenol, but she felt like crap, so she tipped a pain pill out of the prescription medication container, saying a silent blessing to Mick. He’d had the foresight to remove the childproof lid when he’d brought the pills back from the twenty-four-hour pharmacy last night. She swallowed it dry. Then she returned to the living room, hoping the numbing effect would set in shortly. On the taxi ride to the hotel, Sarah had decided she was going to tuck into the new Nora Roberts novel she’d purchased at the airport, raid the minibar, and possibly take a nap. She perused the selection of goodies in the minibar, finally settling on peanut M&M’s. It was awkward ripping it open, had to use her good hand and her teeth. A blue one and a yellow one escaped. They rolled across the carpet and under the coffee table. Normally, she would have plucked them up, citing the five-second rule, but it was too much hassle to risk aggravating her stomach and hand to try to fish them out of their hiding place. She placed the opened packet of candy on the end table beside the sofa within easy reach, returned to the minibar, removed a can of Coke and placed it by the M&M’s. She padded into the bedroom. Sarah was glad they had consolidated rooms and Mick had moved her stuff into his when he’d woken up. She was plucking Nora’s book off her bedside table when the phone rang. The unexpected noise caused her to levitate. One day, she promised herself as she reached for the receiver. One day, all that’s gone on will be a distant memory and you will no longer jump at shadows.

She brought the receiver to her ear. “Hello?” Her voice was a little breathless. Her heartbeat was still recovering from panic mode.

“Sarah? Is that you?” It was Phillip Clarke, his voice sounded ragged, as if he hadn’t slept all night.

Oh shit. He doesn’t know about Vicki. “Hi there. Yes, it’s me.”

“Did you talk with Vicki?” Damn.

Sarah knew the peace and quiet she was longing for was rapidly fleeing in the rearview mirror. This is important, she told herself sternly, but her inner child was flat on her back, pounding her heels into the floor and wailing, Not fair! “Yes, I saw her.”

“What did she say? Does she miss me? Did she say she would consider coming back?”