Page 74 of Only Girl Alive

“We’ll turn in our reports and leave it to the attorneys to fight over. The wives will always do what their husbands say. I don’t want to be here right now and an arrest would be more paperwork than it’s worth. I’m ready to go home. We all need a vacation.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Bina said, relaxing slightly.

They drove to the hotel and had the room cleared within ten minutes.

They were on the road a short time later. Eve didn’t look behind her. They would be back and she would face her stepbrother again. He would find a way to wheedle out of this mess but she wouldn’t stop. He would eventually go down. She just wanted to be home. After the mountain of reports were finished, she planned to take that vacation.

Daisy’s sorrowful meows greeted Eve when she opened her apartment door. She scooped her up and brought her close for a hug. Daisy purred and purred, along with giving a few pathetic whimpers to make sure Eve knew she was to blame for leaving her.

The team was meeting bright and early the next morning to start typing their reports. Eve wanted to sleep in her own bed and cuddle Daisy all night.

Hannah’s eyes still haunted her. Family Services notified her on the ride home that the first hearing before a judge was in two days. Eve and her team had to be there. Hannah needed to stay in custody. For now, it would most likely be a juvenile facility. Hopefully the wheels of justice would go faster than usual and they would place Hannah in a mental health facility quickly. She’d meant what she said to Aaron. He would not be prosecuting Hannah unless he wanted Eve making a deal with a major network. She didn’t care if it cost her job.

Opening the refrigerator, she saw its dismal contents and was reminded she needed to pick up groceries and restock. These mundane thoughts were welcome. Placing Daisy on the floor, she made the cat’s dinner first while Daisy wrapped in and out of her legs. She added wet food to the dry kibbles exactly as her spoiled highness preferred.

While Daisy devoured her food, Eve heated a can of soup and sat at her small breakfast nook to eat. This was her lonely life. Little on the walls, sparse furniture, and no style whatsoever. Not a real home. It needed to change.

After she finished, she decided to watch the news and possibly find a show that would allow her to relax. The evening edition had stories of the Tanner murders but they didn’t yet know about Hannah. That would change sometime before the hearing.

Her cell rang and she glanced at the screen. Clyde.

“Hi,” she answered.

“I’m checking on you.”

She smiled and sank into her couch cushions.

“I appreciate it. I just finished eating and so did Daisy.”

“How are you doing mentally?”

“Exhausted, wired, sad. I’m sure we’re all going through it. How are you?”

“The same.”

“It’s hard to grasp but we’ll push through,” she told him.

“Are you giving me a pep talk?” he asked.

She chuckled, so glad he had called.

“Maybe. Now it’s your turn.”

“Any chance you’d like to come to dinner on one of your vacation days, if you’re not out of town?”

She’d told them all to schedule time off and that she was going first.

“I’d love to.”

“I’m heading to the gym to work out and then getting some rest. I’ll see you in the morning.”

She hung up with a smile. Daisy jumped on her lap and she rubbed her soft fur.

Thirty-Three

Hannah’s first hearing was a media circus. They swarmed the area and Eve and her team had trouble getting into the courtroom. The judge slapped a gag order on everyone involved in the case so leaving the courthouse was easier.

Hannah was remanded to juvenile detention awaiting psychological testing. Two separate psychiatrists were ordered. Three weeks later, Hannah was sent to a mental health facility. Eve’s recording showed more about Hannah’s instability than any doctors could write in a report.

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