Page 136 of Tear Me Apart

He shakes his head. “I don’t know.”

“What’s going on?”

“Juliet is sick. She got into some poison. She’s in the ICU right now. The doctors think she’ll be okay, but it is a dangerous situation. Where’s Jasper?”

“I don’t know. All I know is no one is answering their phones, and there are cops everywhere, and the news is saying my mom did something wrong.”

“They are?”

She points to the television. He recognizes the outside of the hospital, the curved sidewalk by the parking lot. The sun is setting; the scene is being lit by the many lights of the news trucks. Mindy’s television is tuned to the local CBS affiliate out of Denver, and Zack realizes the story is out.

“Oh, God.”

“What the hell is happening?” Mindy demands. “Can you ask Dad?”

Zack turns to see Jasper striding toward him. “Speak of the devil. I will, honey. Just hold on a second. How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay. I’m tired.”

“That’s normal. I know you can’t sleep, but try to rest, okay? We’re going to figure all of this out.”

“Is Aunt J going to be okay? Tell me the truth.”

“She squeezed my hand a little bit ago, so yes, I think she will be. I sure hope so.”

“But is she going to wake up?”

Using two fingers, he traces an X on his chest, then holds them up next to his right ear. “She is. Scout’s honor.”

Mindy sags back against the pillows, and Jasper gestures for Zack to hand over the phone.

“Here’s your dad.”

“You’re my dad, too,” she says, her words broken by emotion, and he swallows down the lump in his own throat and gives her a blinding smile.

Jasper is in a fine fury, Zack can tell by the tightness in his voice. “Sweet pea, everything is going to be okay. We’re going to find your mom and talk to her. Please turn off the television. You don’t need to see any of this.”

“No. I want to know exactly what’s happening. Tell me what’s going on. I’m not a child, Dad.”

Jasper looks at Zack, beseeching, but Zack shrugs. “Might as well tell her what we know. It’s better she hears it from us than the reporters.”

Mindy nods vigorously.

Jasper swallows. “There’s been a development from Nashville. We think your mom knew your biological mom. We don’t know what that means, sweetheart, so—”

But Mindy isn’t stupid. “You can’t possibly be saying Mom stole me from Zack and his wife. Because that’s what the reporters are saying. That Mom murdered Vivian Armstrong and stole me.”

“Sweetheart, calm down—”

“Where. Is. Mom?” She is shouting now, half out of the bed. Oliver puts a restraining hand on her shoulder.

Jasper’s eyes close, and he whispers, “We don’t know.”

Zack watches Mindy’s face collapse, the tears begin. He pulls the phone from Jasper’s hand.

“We’re doing everything we can to find her, honey. You do us a favor, okay? If she calls here, you let us know, all right? We don’t want her getting hurt, we all just need to talk to her.”

Mindy’s mouth forms a tiny O as she grasps the situation. Her shoulders sag again, and when she speaks, she sounds like a little girl.