Page 36 of Never Leave Me
Midmorning sunlight spilled into the room across the glossy table, his coffee cup the only item on the pristine surface. He fiddled with the handle of the mug, the liquid inside now tepid after the past half hour of going over every detail with Ms. Huxham.
“If you want my help,” she stated matter-of-factly, “you have to be honest.”
“I have been.”
“Abouteverything.”
He picked up his mug and lifted it to his lips but then remembered he had no taste for the coffee. He hadn’t had an appetite for anything since he’d arrived home before dawn. All he could think about was Ellen, that she was probably suffering the same abuse he had. The thought of someone hurting her made him sick to his stomach.
“Ms. Huxham—”
“Sybil.”
She’d asked him to call her by her first name on many occasions, but for whatever reason, he always lapsed to her professional title. “Sybil.” He cleared his throat. “I’ve given you enough information to go on. No doubt she’s been kidnapped by Lionel and has been hidden in the same holding place they took me. I’ve described it as best I can. Now it’s up to you to find it.”
She pressed her lips together.
“Please. I need you to find her.”
She was silent for a long moment before she uncrossed her arms and started toward the door. “Can’t help you, Harrison. Hire someone else.”
Her boots thudded across the large area rug.
“I’ll double the amount I’m paying you.”
Her stride didn’t waver. “It’s not about the money.”
Desperation welled up and crashed through him. He needed Ms. Huxham’s expertise. And he didn’t have the time to hire someone else, especially since she was already familiar with the complexities of the case from last year—or at least as much as he could reveal.
“Please, Ms. Hux—Sybil.”
“Sorry. Can’t.”
As she exited into the hallway, he almost jumped up from the wheelchair. The truth propelled him, nonetheless, and the words rushed out. “She ingested holy water, and it healed her.”
Sybil halted but didn’t turn.
“I vow it’s the truth.”
Finally, she pivoted and fisted her hands on her hips, regarding him with a cocked head. “Tell me more.”
“Do you believe me?”
“I saw her tests.”
“How?”
“I tracked them down before coming here.”
“The tests were supposed to be confidential. I made my physician swear he wouldn’t tell a soul.”
“It took me less than a minute to deduce which of his office clerks was selling information.”
Harrison sat back in the wheelchair. Clearly, the same person had sold the information to Lionel. “If you already knew about her healing, then why didn’t you say so?”
She returned and stood just inside the door, poised to leave. “I can’t work with you if you won’t level with me about every detail. There’s no point.”
“All right. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but you must understand my hesitation in revealing the specifics about her recovery. I don’t want you thinking I’m crazy.”
