She had a bandage near her hairline. She was staring at the ceiling, lost in her own world, until she heard us enter. She turned her head slowly.
Her eyes met mine.
The recognition was instant. Panic contorted her features, stripping away the yoga-teacher serenity I knew so well. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out. She looked like a fish gasping on a dock.
There was no remorse in her eyes. Only the terror of a predator caught in a trap.
I didn’t scream. I didn’t cry. I walked into the room, my steps heavy and deliberate. I stopped at the foot of Michael’s bed, but I didn’t look at him. My gaze was fixed on her.
“He wasn’t alone,” I said.
My voice was low, but it resonated in the sterile silence. I repeated the officer’s words, throwing them back at her.
Jessica flinched as if I had slapped her. She pulled the sheet up, trying to hide.
“Laura, I…” she whispered, her voice broken.