Page 36 of Little Shattered Dreams

“Grace wants the women here to feel safe,” I said.

“She does. Now when someone has a visitor, we check in with the guest to make sure they want to see the person who’s visiting.”

It made sense, and I applauded Grace for her efforts. She wasn’t joking in what she’d told me earlier. She had put everything into making this place the ultimate sanctuary.

“Back to Quinn,” I said. “What happened after you opened the gate?”

“Quinn got inside the car and talked to the other woman for a while.”

“How long?”

“Ten … fifteen minutes. I can get you the exact time if you want.”

“I might. What happened after they talked?”

“Quinn got out of the car, waved to the woman, and the woman drove off. When she walked back to the gate, I asked her why she decided to stay. She didn’t say much. She just said she’d changed her mind. I don’t think she was in the mood to talk, not to me anyway. She looked like she’d been crying.”

My curiosity about the mysterious life of Quinn Abernathy continued to grow with each new tidbit I learned. Still, there was so much more I didn’t know, things I was sure were the key to solving this case.

“Thanks for talking to me after the way I behaved when we met. You could have blown me off, and you didn’t.”

“You threatened to tell Grace I wouldn’t cooperate.”

“I’m not surethreatenis the right word.”

He wagged a finger at me. “You and me both know you would have done just that if you didn’t get your way.”

I laughed. “Yeah, well, I still appreciate it.”

I pivoted and started walking in the other direction.

“You have a great rest of your day now,” he shouted after me.

I glanced over my shoulder and smiled. “I don’t suppose you got the name of the woman who came to see Quinn?”

He thought about it for a moment and then his eyes widened. “I asked her name before I called Quinn. I believe she said it was Jane.”

CHAPTER16

It was almost dinnertime, and tonight I wouldn’t be late. As I walked toward the dining hall, my phone rang. It was Giovanni, the man I’d been in a relationship with for the past two and a half years. Tonight, he was at home, tending to Luka, my Samoyed.

“How is everything going?” I asked.

“We’re doing just fine,cara mia,” he said. “Although one of us is missing you more than usual.”

“Oneof you is missing me?”

“All right. I’ll admit it. We’re both missing you.”

I laughed. “I’m missing you too. More than you know.”

“How are you enjoying the retreat?”

“Oh, it’s great.”

“I detect a hint of sarcasm in your answer.”

“Aside from the woman next door to me being murdered last night, there’s a guy who does one-on-one sessions with us every day. He used to be a licensed therapist. He seems hellbent on getting me to talk about my feelings.”

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