He stood up and walked to my side, placing a warm hand on my shoulder.

“You need to rest now, Hannah.”

“The medication is starting to work.”

“Your heart needs to stabilize before you can speak to the detectives.”

I nodded, the warmth of the blanket finally starting to seep into my bones.

My eyes felt heavy.

The constant tension of the last few weeks was beginning to give way to exhaustion.

I closed my eyes and let myself drift into a deep, dreamless sleep.

When I woke, the room was bright with morning light.

The rain had stopped, leaving long streaks of water on the window.

My father was still sitting in the chair, his uniform immaculate.

He looked as though he hadn’t slept a wink.

“Morning, sweetheart,” he said.

“How do you feel?”

“Better,” I said, sitting up.

“My chest doesn’t feel as tight.”

“Good,” he said.

“The emergency order was signed at four-fifteen this morning.”

“It has already been entered into the state database.”

“Ethan and his family have been legally served.”

A knock on the door interrupted him.