Page 73 of Blade

Jolene Montgomery: Yes, but . . .

Ada Olson: And what did that evaluation say?

Jolene Montgomery: That she had an extremely high IQ. That she had some impulse issues ...

Ada Olson: I have the report here. It says more than that.

Jolene Montgomery: Okay.

Ada Olson: It says that she demonstrated signs of conduct disorder—a precursor to antisocial personality disorder in adults.

Jolene Montgomery: Yes, but that all went away after I got her on the ice. There’s been no sign of it since she was six or seven.

Ada Olson: Until the day Emile Dresiér disappeared. It’s right here—captured in this video.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Ana

Before—One Year and Nine Months at The Palace

Jolene was gone, just like Kayla, except with a shorter goodbye and a much bigger heartache.

And Indy grew even more defiant after her disastrous finish at Nationals, her trajectory flattened, her promise fading. Dawn pawned her off on Coach Emile that whole spring and throughout the summer.

But when the fall rushed in and The Palace began gearing up for the start of the competition season, Indy’s reprieve from practicing the triple Axel appeared to be over. And the bruise that had receded came back with each new failed attempt, each crash, hip onto ice.

Mio didn’t understand any of this when they told her. It was Monday at ten o’clock, and they should have been asleep because of the early training and school the next day. But they needed help.

“Why didn’t you tell me about this sooner?” Mio asked, looking at the bruise on Indy’s leg, holding the near-empty bottle of DMSO.

“It’s not legal,” Ana answered.

“I didn’t want you to get in trouble,” Indy added.

But, they both explained, taking turns as Mio absorbed the information with great alarm, her supply was low and she needed a ride to the vet where Hugo used to go ... andplease just drive us there tomorrow.

Mio leaned in closer, gently touching Indy’s damaged hip.

“You need a doctor,” she told her. “This stuff from the vet—how do you even know what it really does?”

Indy started to explain about Hugo, and how he said it was legal except for the morphine that was added, but Mio cut her off.

“This has to stop, Indy,” she said.

“It will—when I land it. And I will. I know I will. I’m getting closer. I just have a mental block.”

Mio shook her head. “No, Indy. That’s not why.”

Indy explained about Dr. Westin. “He said my mind is making my body hold back, not get the speed, not use all my strength on the takeoff ... because I’m afraid.”

Mio cut her off again. “That is all bullshit,” she said.

She climbed out of bed and straightened her pajamas. “It’s not your body holding back, Indy. It’s not about fear. It’s your technique. The takeoff is wrong, and Dawn knows it.”

Indy was stunned. “What do you mean?”

Mio sighed. “I told her last year, when you fell even harder. I told Dawn what I saw. She even nodded, becauseshe knows. I thought she told you, but that maybe you didn’t listen.”