Erin’s one good eye blinked open and focused on her motherbefore flicking over to Melody. She attempted to shift her weight against the mattress but grimaced in pain. She made a whimpering sound.
“Shhh, sweetie. It’s okay. Take it easy.” Sandra tried to soothe her, but Erin only became more agitated.
Melody had hoped to find out what Erin wanted, but she couldn’t watch the young girl in so much pain. “I’ll go get a nurse.”
Erin reached a hand toward her, her lips parting as much as they could. Her speech was garbled, but Melody froze and listened closely.
“Shesh wiff ‘im.”
Sandra glanced up at Melody. “She’s with him. That’s what she said.”
Melody nodded. “Are you talking about Blake Drummond? Does he have someone with him? A woman?”
Erin blinked once.
“It hurts her to nod and speak, so I told her to blink once for yes and twice for no whenever she could to save her some pain,” Sandra explained.
“Can she write anything down?” Melody asked.
Lyric blinked twice, and Sandra continued. “She’s righthanded, and that’s the arm she fractured.”
“Right,” Melody muttered. “Okay. Let’s take this slow. Who does Blake have?”
“Sheesher.”
Melody’s stomach dipped. “My sister? Blake has Lyric. How do you know?”
Erin’s eye fluttered as her medicine threatened to pull her back under. Melody touched her arm.
“It’s okay, Erin. Don’t push yourself.”
She blinked twice. “Sheesher. Hursh. Bake hash her. Hunning caben.”
Melody exchanged a bewildered look with Sandra. “I don’t understand.”
“I think she said your sister is hurt. Blake has her. The last part is what I’m confused about.”
“Hunning caben!” Erin forced the words between her teeth. Her monitor started beeping as she grew more agitated.
“Hunting cabin? Is that where they are?” Erin blinked, and Melody nodded. “Okay. Good. Don’t worry. My friends will find it, okay? Rest, and we’ll talk more later.”
Erin looked over at her mother and squeezed Sandra’s hand several times.
“Oh!” Sandra exclaimed, her eyes widening at her daughter. Erin blinked, and Melody got the impression some secret message had passed between them.
“She means her father’s hunting cabin. She must have told Blake about it before he turned on her,” Sandra said, and Erin blinked again to let her mother know she was on the right track. “It’s not only Hayden’s. He and some of his friends joined together to lease the cabin as part of a hunting club they joined some time ago. It has been empty for a while because none of them have had time to go. Hayden said they were considering letting the leaselapse because the club charges fees even when they don’t participate.”
“Can Blake and the crew get to it if they aren’t members of the hunting club?”
“I don’t know. I’m not sure how it works. But it’s the Ridge Mount Hunting Club. Hayden can tell you more when he gets back. He went to the cafeteria for coffee.”
Erin was drifting off, and Melody could see she wouldn’t be able to tell them more right now.
“Okay. Thank you, Sandra. I’m going to fill Luke in. Thank Erin for me, too, and let me know if she tells you anything else. I’m so sorry this happened to her and to you and Hayden.”
“I’m sorry for your sister, Melody. I hope they find her. We’ll help in any way we can.”
“Thanks.”