After She's Gone (46 page)

 

S
he didn’t belong here, Allie thought as she stared through the window to the manicured grounds of Mercy Hospital.

No matter what the doctors or the lawyers or the judge thought, Allie Kramer did
not
belong in a psych ward, and especially not the same one where Cassie had so recently stayed.

It was outrageous.

And she’d told them all so.

No one had listened.

Her doctors insisted she needed help.

Her mother was relieved she was “safe.”

Her damned sister seemed to think it was ironic.

Her lawyers told her to stay put; they were pleased that she was in the hospital rather than jail and promised to spring her soon.

But she really was going out of her mind. As she walked through the connecting rooms of the psych wing she itched to get outside, to be free again. The other patients, well, they should probably be here, especially that freaky Rinko kid who studied her so intently. He’d been Cassie’s friend and he was weird as hell.

She made her way into a common area where a couple of patients were playing checkers, another one knitting, and still another reading a book. Rinko was there, too, going through a magazine about cars.

Ugh.

She flopped onto the couch and wanted to scream and rail at the heavens at the unfairness of it all, that she was a star, damn it, that she was Allie Kramer. But she didn’t and forced her gaze to a television in the corner, one of those old bubble-faced ones. On the screen an advertisement for some antacid gave way to a promo for another show, and there, bold as brass, was Whitney Stone’s intense face.

Allie couldn’t stand it. She snapped off the television and walked out of the room and onto the sunporch where she stared outside to the lawn. And there on the porch, too near to her for comfort, was Rinko. Had he followed her here? God, the kid was weird.

“Hey!” a female voice called, and she turned to spy an attractive woman of about twenty standing under the archway. She walked into the room and offered a smile. “You’re Allie Kramer, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” Allie said, relieved that someone recognized her. From the corner of her eye she saw Rinko moving stealthily, trying to get out of the room. She ignored him. “And you’re?” she asked the girl with the sad eyes.

“I’m new. A transfer,” she explained. “And my name’s Shay.”

Rinko, standing behind the newbie paused and looked over his shoulder. He gave his head a slight shake, a warning, as he stared at Allie. She felt as if a ghost had crawled up her spine. What was
that
all about?

“So,” Shay said, commanding Allie’s attention again, “I hope we can be friends.”

“Sure,” Allie agreed and slid her gaze to the spot where Rinko had been standing.

But he was gone.

KENSINGTON BOOKS are published by

 

Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018

 

Copyright © 2016 by Lisa Jackson LLC

 

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

 

 

Kensington and the K logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.

 

Library of Congress Card Catalogue Number: 2015951103

 

 

ISBN-13: 978-1-61773-465-6
ISBN-10: 1-61773-465-6

First Kensington Hardcover Edition: January 2016

ISBN: 978-1-6177-3465-6

First Kensington Electronic Edition: January 2016