Page 43 of Diamonds

I might be able to trust Dinah, but even she is going to stay on a need-to-know basis until I figure out more about what’s going on.

I’m glad I didn’t disclose any of the grisly details to Dr.O’Rourke.If he reports to Rouge, she’ll know that I’m aware of what she’s up to, and then Maddox and I are as good as dead.

I need to talk to someone about this.

I’ll of course let Maddox know, but he’s probably resting at home.I don’t have my phone on me anyway, and I won’t until the end of my shift.

Damn, damn,damn.

Maybe I can talk to Dinah.

But I don’t want to burden her with this information.You can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube with something like this.

And if there’s anyone who knows about the burden of what you’ve seen and heard…

It’s me.

* * *

Glass isall over the bathroom floor, and Mum is cackling wildly.

Mum looks at her reflection in what remains of her mirror, her face distorted by the cracks and missing pieces.

She pulls the skin of her cheek back, scowling.“I used to be so beautiful, my angel.The picture of youth and grace.”

I take a slow step toward her.“Mum… Did you take your meds today?”

The sneer on her face contorts into a cracked grin.She slowly turns her head to face me.“No, darling.Mummy can’t be herself when she’s on those nasty pills.She can’t be the person God wants her to be, the person He created in His image.So she tossed them down the loo.”

Oh, no.No wonder she’s acting up.And speaking in third person.

I back out of the bathroom.“Dad, are you home?”I call.

“Popsy is out for the day, my sweetness.”Mum takes a slow step toward me.“It’s just you and Mummy.Don’t you remember when we used to have Mummy days when Popsy was out of town?We’d have picnics in the park.I’d make your favorite, strawberry shortcake.”

I vaguely recall those days, but that was before the lemon tree incident.Mum tied me to a tree so she could clean the dirt I’d tracked in.

Mum turns back to the mirror.“But the years have stolen that away.The years”—she whips her head back to me—“andyou,of course.”

“Mum…”

She pounces on me, and I fall back onto the unforgiving bathroom tiles.The back of my head hits the granite hard.

Pain springs into me.Blood trickles from the wound and puddles on the floor.

I’m stunned.I try to touch my head, figure out what’s?—

Mum jumps to her feet.“Children take the best years from you, pumpkin.Then, after you’ve sacrificed everything, watched your body transform from lean muscle into soft fat to give them life, carved wrinkles in your face from worry… They betray you.Like you did, my angel.”

I’m lightheaded from the fall, and I’m losing blood, but I scramble backward like a crab, away from her.“Mum, don’t do anything rash.”

She lets out a shrieking howl of laughter.“That’s something coming from you, darling.You’re leaving your poor mummy, going all the way across the Atlantic Ocean to pursue a degree that will leave you penniless and alone.”

“It’s my dream.”

“And it’smynightmare!”Mum bends over and picks up a shard of glass, not wincing as her own blood trickles down its reflective surface.“But of course, no one thinks of dear, sweet Mummy.How lonely she’ll feel when the person she loves most in the world leaves her forever.”She raises the shard of glass.“Well, maybe Mummycanstop you.”

“Mum…Mum…What are you doing?”