Chapter Twenty-Three

Steve tried to tread very carefully. "What do you remember about last night?"

"I was by the river..." Jaime began in a weak, frightened voice.

"Do you remember why you went to the river?"

"No...but I think I was crying..."

"Jaime, you went to sit by the water because you were upset," Steve confirmed. "Do you remember what happened just before you left the hospital?"

"No...."

Rudy had told him that Jaime would probably be very fuzzy on events that happened immediately before or after she was injured. Pushing her too hard could be traumatizing or even dangerous, so he had to proceed as gently as possible. Still, Rudy didn't quite realize how important it was that she remember. "When I found you by the water, you were very upset. Do you -"

"You...were there?"

"Yeah. You told me you'd gotten a phone call..."

- - -

After an uncomfortable hour while his story was being verified, Oscar officially rejoined the investigative team. "We never really doubted you," Trudeau said (almost convincingly). "Just procedure."

Oscar nodded. "I understand. Was Security able to fill in any other gaps for you?"

"We spoke to the head of security for the evening shift – one of the three men you actually met with – and he mentioned that they allowed Marchetti to make a phone call. Why – I don't know."

"To a lawyer?" Oscar theorized.

"Hardly," Hansen explained. "He called his wife."

Trudeau nodded, his face grim. "Looks like we need to have another talk with that little lady..."

- - -

Jaime was terribly confused. "I got....a phone call? Who was it?"

"Try and remember, Jaime – it's very important."

Jaime closed her eyes, concentrating mightily. Steve could see tiny tear drops of frustration and fear pearling and ready to fall. "I don't know..."

"Don't try so hard," Steve suggested. "Just picture yourself answering the phone...and let it come to you. Don't force it."

He could see the exact moment the call came back to her. Jaime's eyes snapped wide open...and she shuddered. "Michael...called me."

"That's right. You went to the water to think because he upset you so badly – but you never told me what he said."

"He....he wanted....to see me. Said he'd give me a divorce....if I came right away...by myself..." She looked up at Steve, pleading not to go any further – but she knew she had to. "I didn't wanna go – didn't wanna see him. But....I had to..."

Steve took her hand, knowing the rest – if she could remember it – would be painfully difficult. "What else do you remember...?"

"I was sitting on the bench...and you found me."

"You were right around the corner from the donut shop," Steve explained. "I was stopping to get a box of your favorites and I saw you sitting there. You told me about the phone call, and said you were planning to walk to Maryland."

"Yeah...I remember that, I think."

"You'd never have made it there walking," he said gently. "Your legs are still shaky. So -"

Jaime's face blanched to a deathly-white. "You...drove me there."

"Yes. The guard wasn't at his post, so I just sort of twisted the latch and drove in. Parked off to the side, in the middle of a bunch of staff cars."

Jaime was crying huge, silent streams of tears as more of the memories returned. "We went in, but the place looked sorta empty. Then I – I heard...Oscar." She was struggling to grab each fleeting bit of information as it drifted through the thick fog that enveloped her mind. "He was talking to some men – guards, I think -"

"That's right," Steve confirmed.

"He said Michael wasn't to be allowed any visitors but if anyone tried to see him, that the guards should let Oscar know right away. But....I had to see Michael....or he wouldn't....Steve, I had to see him!"

She was too distraught to continue. Steve gathered Jaime into his arms as her body convulsed with quiet, helpless sobs.

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