“Did you bring a formal dress?” I asked.
“No, but I could borrow one.”
I shook my head. “No. I don’t care if we all wear what we’re wearing now.”
“It’s a good thing Ana isn’t here,” Vicki said. “She’d be wringing her hands.”
“I’ve decided to call them tonight, once the wedding is done.”
Van pulled his phone from his pocket. After a second, he looked up. “That was Michael. Oscar is at the gate.”
My focus went to the large clock on the wall. It read 8:32 a.m. “He’s early.”
“He wanted to talk to us before Lawson arrived.”
“Did Albert get a time from Officer Howard?”
“He said morning.”
I looked down at my plate, my appetite waning. “I would like this all resolved by noon. What about the judge?”
Van nodded. “I doubt anything will be resolved. We’ll be dealing with this fallout for a while. Now that Lena is funding Madison’s legal defense, it could be years.”
“Great.”
Van’s lips quirked into a grin. “I’ve heard more believable words of approval come from your lips.”
I sighed. “I’ll rephrase. I want today’s episode of the Madison aftermath to end by noon. The judge?”
“Judge Nichols said he’d arrive at 12:30.”
“We’re going to do this,” I said with a smile.
“I can get scarce,” Vicki offered, “while you talk to the police.”
“Did you talk to them?” Van asked.
“Yes. I spoke to one man from the Ashland Police. I think his name was Lawson. He was with a man in uniform. They came to the hospital.” She shook her head. “I wasn’t much help. It was like a light switch was pushed, and my memory was gone.”
“I told the detective on the phone,” I began, “that I remembered Madison telling me her name and then I felt pain in my arm. It was so strange to see and hear but have no control of my body.” I turned to Vicki. “The drug she injected is one used to sedate patients. I was told she probably got it from the institution where she had recently been released.” My entire body did a shiver. “I recalled her dragging me up the stairs to the third floor. Once she shut the closet door…” I shook my head. “I thought I smelled smoke. That’s when the light switch was pushed for me.”
“Was it Lawson?” Vicki asked.
“I don’t recall. It was a man.”
Van spoke, “I’ll invite Oscar in, and we can hear what he thinks is best.”
Instead of us all going to Van’s office or the living room, Van invited Oscar Fields into the kitchen for a cup of coffee.
“Ms. McGrath,” he said as he entered.
The last time I’d seen him was the morning we met for my interview.
That seemed like a hundred years ago.
“Mr. Fields.”
“It’s good to see you again.”