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As far as Toni was concerned, Bri was her sister They’d been best friends for ten years They spent their holidays and vacations together God knew their real families didn’t want them

Which hy it was so weird for Bri to leave the hospital with her aunt and uncle Toni had heard so little about this couple over the years, she couldn’t even recall their full na-or-other who occasionally remembered to send Bri a Christmas card Why had they suddenly developed an interest in their niece?

Toni located a pink fuzzy address book and thues It was sad ho names were in the book Even sadder how many names had been crossed out over the years Poor Bri It was so hard for her to find people she could trust

Toni carried the address book back into the living room and flopped down on the love seat Vanderkitty jumped onto the back of the love seat to perch by Toni’s ear

"Youas a yes "Yeah, es of the address book "Aha!" Under the Ps, she found Dr Joe Proctor and Gho lived in Westchester This had to be theh Toni hadn’t known Uncle Joe was a doctor

She reached over the sofa arm for the cordless phone on the end table and noticed the blinking es Three were from her, since she’d called three times Maybe the fourth one was from Bri

Toni punched the play button and listened to her voice grow increasingly worried with each e

"Bri, this is Justin You gotta forgive me, babe--"

Right Toni turned the e off Then she dialed the nuist? Her snort was interrupted by a feminine voice with a Hispanic accent

"Dr Proctor’s residence"

"Hi Is Sabrina there?" Toni heard round

A different voice ca This is Gwen Proctor"

"I’m Toni, Bri’s roommate I’d like to talk to her"

"I’m afraid that’s not possible at the , and we hate to wake her up, the poor dear She’s been through such a terrible ordeal"

Tell me about it Toni had survived a vaht?"

"Yes, of course" A definite chill had crept into Gwen’s voice "Thank you for calling"

"Can you tell her to call me when she wakes up?"

"We don’t want to upset her delicate condition"

Was that a no? "Bri ant to talk to me"

"Perhaps, but you’re not qualified to talk to her properly

My husband is an excellent psychiatrist, an expert in the type of severe psychosis that Sabrina is exhibiting right now"

Toni’s stomach dropped like she’d sed a cement brick "Bri is not psychotic"

There was a pause where Toni could hear whispering

"Ms Davis?" a brusque male voice came on the phone "This is Dr Proctor, Sabrina’s uncle I can assure you she’s receiving the best care available"

"I just want to talk to her"

"Under the circumstances, I cannot allow that"

Toni’s fist squeezed around the receiver "Look, she’s twenty-three years old You can’t decide whom she talks to"

"You would not be a positive influence on her at this tiirl believes she was attacked by varitted her teeth "Yes, I know--"

"And she fears they’ll return to har her a safe environreat, but I still want to talk to her"

"The last time she talked to you, she asked you to prove that her attackers were actual vareed"

"She was lying there injured in a hospital room How could I say no?"

"I cannot allow her to speak to anyone ill encourage her in these paranoid delusions You would severely jeopardize the progress we’veto her?"

"Giving her expert care Good night" He hung up

"Wait!" Toni glared at the receiver "You asshole!"

"I hope you’re not referring to me"

Startled, Toni juh the kitchen

"Carlos!" she scolded her next-door neighbor "How long have you been there, listening?"

"Long enough"

"In that case, I was referring to you" She hung up the phone Now that she thought about it, she was glad he had eavesdropped She needed a friend she could confide in, and with Sabrina gone, Carlos was all she had left

It wasn’t the first time he had snuck up on her The race She assumed he’d acquired the skill frole, where a person was better off not announcing his presence With his shoulder-length black hair, black sweater, and black leather pants, Carlos was barely visible on the fire escape landing their two apartments shared

He straddled the sill, his white teeth flashing as he grinned "Coht need someone with my talents"

She snorted "Which talent would that be? The one where you dance the sa?"