Page 69 of Only Girl Alive

“I’m not sure.” Eve shrugged. “Maybe our husband would have ice cream day twice a month. That would be wonderful.”

“Yeah, it would. Why do you think all the young girls marry old men?”

“They don’t.” Eve shook her head and thought about it. “Well, some of them don’t.”

“A lot of them do,” Sheila said stubbornly. “I don’t want to marry someone old. I think they’re nicer when they’re young.”

She could be right. The older men didn’t smile much. They watched the girls all the time but rarely said anything. The boys didn’t get much chance to talk to girls outside their families but they did smile when no one was looking. Eve’s brothers got to play with other boys but girls didn’t play with anyone.

Aaron walked onto the patio. “What are you gossiping about?”

Eve opened her eyes and glanced around the hotel room. Bina was at the sink brushing her teeth.

The previous evening had been hectic. Ray and Collin took the warrant to the courthouse and had it timestamped to keep it valid. She finally heard from Judge Remki. It was a short phone call and he sounded tired. She didn’t go into detail but told him a full report would be submitted to his office in the next seven days.

She wanted to have a meeting with the team but Clyde refused.

“I’m going to work out and you’re going to bed.” There was a very small gym in the hotel that consisted of a treadmill and a set of weights.

She hadn’t argued. She and Bina ate dinner in the room together and went to bed early.

Her dream about her childhood left her frustrated. Aaron had been angry at her and Sheila but Eve couldn’t remember how he retaliated. His many cruelties were jumbled in her head.

She had to contact him today.

By now he would have an explanation concocted for why the officers left the Tanner home, why no law enforcement answered the 911 call that brought the ambulance, and why there had been no contact at all since her assault. She wanted to hear what he had to say and then he could explain it again to Judge Remki.

Aaron’s press conference had drawn the media away from the Tanner and Wall homes. Eve didn’t have a timeline for when Linda dropped Hannah off. Their actions were highly suspicious.

She couldn’t help thinking the confrontation with Hannah was a set-up. Had they planned for her team to find her? One of them could have been killed. It frustrated Eve that there were so many questions and few answers.

She was tired of Aaron invading her dreams. It was time to stand up to him and get some things from their childhood out in the open. Past time.

She sent a text to Clyde.

I’m heading to the guys’ room for breakfast.

See you in ten, was his immediate response.

Bina went with her. Collin and Ray had gone out and picked up breakfast from a local deli. They needed to decide on a plan for today. Clyde knocked and Bina let him in. He grabbed a chair and sat down to eat the yogurt he carried.

“Don’t you ever get tired of that crap?” Ray asked him.

“I think you need to look up the definition of crap,” Clyde said and grabbed the spoon next to Ray’s Styrofoam box that held eggs, bacon, and toast.

“My stomach disagrees. Your food would keep me in the bathroom full-time.”

Clyde ignored him and turned to Eve. She spoke before he could ask.

“My head doesn’t hurt. I had a good night’s sleep and I’m ready to take back over command.”

“Uh-oh,” said Bina, and the guys looked at her. She shrugged. “I may have been a little bossy yesterday about Clyde being the acting supervisor.”

“He was,” Eve told her. “I’ll try not to hold a grudge.” She smiled. “Has anyone heard a word about Hannah?”

They all shook their heads.

Collin grabbed his phone and called the hospital. He gave his badge number and agency then hung up.

---