Slow Burn(82)

    “That kid’s too old for Safe Haven,” said the woman behind the counter.

    The nurse smiled at her. “Yes, thanks, Deloris. You’re very good with understanding the law. I appreciate that.” She turned to me. “Come with me for a minute so that we can talk.” She led me to a waiting area. We sat down on seats with vinyl cushions. “Now, are you trying to drop off this baby under the Safe Haven law?”

    “I don’t know what that is,” I said. “This baby’s mother is dead, and rather than leave her alone with a dead body, I tried to find someplace to take her. But I guess I can’t do that.” I rubbed my face. “But I can’t take care of her. I don’t know anything about babies, and I’m not in a position where a baby would even be safe around me, and—”

    “It’s okay,” said the nurse. “Calm down.” She patted my shoulder. “Was the mother killed? Violently?”

    Was I supposed to lie? I didn’t say anything. I fidgeted with the bib that Dixie was wearing.

    “I see,” said the nurse. “Why didn’t you call the police?”

    “It wouldn’t have helped,” I said.

    “Did you know the person who killed her?”

    “No,” I said.

    She gave me a disapproving look. “I’m not here to get anyone in trouble.”

    I didn’t say anything.

    She reached out her arms. “You want to give me the baby?”

    “You’ll take her?” I said.

    “I’ll make sure that someone does, yes,” she said.

    I handed Dixie over. She murmured in her sleep, but thankfully, stayed still.

    “Listen,” said the nurse. “I appreciate that you came here with the baby today. That was a good thing to do. But if your boyfriend or husband is involved in something illegal, like a gang or some other kind of organized crime, and he routinely puts you in situations like this, then you need to know that there are places you can go that will help you. Even if he has all the money, and you have nowhere else to live. You can get away from him.”

    I shook my head. “It’s not like that.”

    “Even if he isn’t responsible directly for the death of the baby’s mother,” she said. “He still put you in a violent situation.”

    “No,” I said. “It wasn’t him.”

    “You do have a boyfriend,” she said.

    I got up. “I have to go.”

    “No matter how sweet he seems at other times,” she said, “underneath all of it, you have to realize what he’s capable of.”

    “Really,” I said. “You’ve got it all wrong. There’s no gang or anything like that.” I turned and walked, afraid I’d said too much as it was.

    I took the T back to Beth’s apartment.

When I got there, I noticed that the car Griffin had stolen from Nantucket was gone. I thought that was a little strange. My clothes had been in there. Not that I had a lot of clothes. My packing skills when we left Thomas had not been top notch. I went up the stairs to the apartment. The door was unlocked.

    “Griffin,” I called as I went inside.

    No answer.

    The living room was empty. The bodies that had been in there were gone, including Knox. Someone had cleaned up the blood on the walls too. The carpet was still stained, but the furniture had been rearranged to cover most of it. At first glance, I’d never have known what had happened in here.

    I went into the kitchen. My duffel was sitting on the kitchen table, holding down a note and a wad of cash.

    I picked up the note. “Leigh,” it said. “Here’s some money. You’ll be better off without me. I’d only let you down in the end.”

    It wasn’t signed.

    I set the note back down.

    Beth’s words echoed back to me, from days ago. He will abandon you, just like he abandoned me.



* * *

    At first I couldn’t believe it. After everything Griffin had done for me, after all the promises he’d made me. He wouldn’t do this. He wouldn’t leave me on my own with no idea where to go or how to take care of myself.