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off.”
    â€œBig-time. She had become very involved emotionally with that little girl, who she called Jenny, while she was reconstructing her skull. She and Joe Quinn came out here to try to find a clue to who that little girl was.” She added, “And to catch her killer. That’s why she wanted me to go to that grave in the forest and see what I could find.”
    â€œAnd what did you find?”
    â€œNot as much as I would have liked, but I was helpful. Joe and Eve discovered that the name of her killer was James Walsh and started to try to track him. It became very convoluted because Walsh was on the hunt himself. He was an enforcer for a Mexican drug cartel, very nasty character, and had been hired by the head of a rival cartel to kidnap and kill Juan Castino’s two daughters. They were supposed to just disappear, but something happened. The older girl was killed, but the younger child, Cara, and Elena, the nurse who cared for the girls, escaped. Walsh searched for them for years.”
    â€œBastard.”
    â€œOh, yes. It was a very bloody hunt. But we managed to find Cara almost at the same time as Walsh.”
    â€œTell me he’s dead.”
    â€œYes, a very painful demise. Eve has only a minor concussion.”
    â€œAnd the child?”
    â€œCara is alive, but there are still problems. Eve is sure she can work them out.”
    â€œAnd are you sure?”
    â€œReasonably. As long as she’s willing to accept help from her friends.”
    Kendra laughed. “You?”
    â€œWell, I do like to see things through to the very end.”
    â€œI’ve noticed. An iron will occasionally peeks out from behind all that sunny sweetness.”
    â€œSweetness? How cloying. I feel ill. And in dire need of an apology.”
    â€œYou’ll not get it.” She was suddenly serious. “You’re okay, Margaret?”
    â€œSure, I was just drifting along with the current.”
    â€œNever.”
    â€œWell, sometimes. Now the current is persistently reminding me I have to get Eve out of this hospital.”
    â€œOkay, okay. I’ll talk to you later. But that explanation was very sketchy. I’ll want details.” She hung up.
    And Kendra would keep at Margaret until she got all those details, Margaret thought ruefully. She was not only brilliant, she had boundless curiosity and fantastic instincts.
    And she hadn’t liked being passed over for Margaret when Eve needed help. She always liked being in control.
    But then, so did Margaret.
    So finish packing Eve up, then try to think of a way to get Eve to let her trail along and help put a period to this nightmare that was haunting both her and Cara.

 
    CHAPTER
    2
    â€œWill you be all right here?” Joe asked Cara. He gestured to the long bench outside the administration office. “I shouldn’t be long. Just signing papers and giving them a credit card. Five minutes, no more.”
    She nodded as she opened her computer. “Unless you want me to go help Eve.”
    He shook his head. “Margaret will take care of her.” He smiled. “And Eve usually prefers to take care of herself. You’ll find that out if you choose to stay with us for a while.”
    â€œI’ll stay with you.” She gazed gravely at him. “And I think that you take care of Eve whether she wants it or not. Let me help.”
    He studied her face. “It should work the other way around, you know. You’re just a kid. You have a right to have people look after you.”
    â€œYou did look after me. Eve saved my life. You saved my life. Elena always said that I had to look after myself.” She moistened her lips. “And now she’s gone, and I can’t expect any more help from anyone. I have to earn it.”
    â€œAnd you think you should earn your way by helping Eve?”
    She nodded. “If she’ll let me. If you’ll let me. Will you?”
    â€œI believe that can