Free Life Sentences by Alice Blanchard Page A

might've run
away this time?"
    She frowned. "The thing is, my
mother says they were getting along just fine. No arguments. No triggering
episode. Have you looked in any of those places yet? Local homeless
shelters or halfway houses?"
    "Our resources are stretched
pretty thin." He folded his arms across his chest. "Listen, we have
your sister's computer. Who's Louis?"
    Daisy's scalp jumped. "That's
my little brother. Why?"
    "Some of the files contained
detailed information about her search for Louis's biological father.
We were able to trace her Internet activity as well. She's been looking
at lots of genealogy Web sites, 'fathering' Web sites, ancestry message
boards and the like. Louis died of a childhood illness?"
    " Stier-Zellar's disease."
    "A fatal brain disorder?"
    She nodded.
    "We found a bunch of articles
downloaded onto her computer. Articles you had written for Genetics and Journal of Gene Medicine ."
    "I didn't know she was even aware
of them."
    His eyes were steady on her. He waited
for her to continue.
    "They're very technical,"
Daisy said. "I doubt she's read them all the way through."
    "Why would she be interested
in them?"
    "I don't know. Anna's very competitive.
When we were growing up, she had to have the same things I did. If I got
the latest Cyndi Lauper album, then she had to have
it, too. My mother bought us everything in duplicate, practically."
    "Do you think she's competing
with you now?"
    "Maybe."
    "Do you work with rats?"
    "Mice. Why?"
    "We found three dead rats laid
out on the kitchen table, each one dissected."
    Daisy shook her head, trying to make
sense of it all. "I have no idea why she'd be doing that, but… once
she goes off her meds, all bets are off."
    "Why would she be looking for
your brother's father? Don't you all have the same father?"
    "No. Anna and I share the same
biological father. His name was Gregory Hubbard. He died a couple
months before Anna was born. I was three, and I barely remember
him."
    "But your brother had a different
father? And you don't know his name?"
    She nodded. "It's a big secret
in our house."
    "Your mother never told
you?"
    "No."
    He squinted. "Why not?"
    "I don't know. You'd have to
ask her."
    "Do you suppose Anna moved
out to L.A. in order to search for Louis's biological father?"
    "I don't know." Daisy groaned,
her head beginning to hurt. It was a massive struggle just to think straight.
"Look, can I be honest with you? All I want to do is go back to Boston
and continue my research. I want to get back to work… I can't believe
this is happening…" The air filled with insects, neon-winged insects
flurrying into her face, and then everything went black.
    Daisy woke up moments later on
the detective's oversize pearl-gray sofa. On the wall above her head
was a detailed map of De Campo Beach, with multicolored pushpins identifying
various crime hot spots. "What happened?" she said.
    " Shh .
Just relax. You passed out."
    She tried to sit up, but he stopped
her.
    "Here. Have some water."
He handed her a glass, and she took a sip, her head banging like a gong.
"I know this must be quite a shock…"
    "I don't faint," she said
angrily. "I'm not a fainter. Not even in medical school when we had
to dissect corpses."
    His eyes were kind.
"Drink," he said. "You're probably dehydrated from the
flight."
    She sipped some water, then said,
"How long have you been a detective?"
    "Fourteen years of service.
Five in uniform, two in vice, seven in homicide. I got my bachelor of
science degree in law enforcement from USC and graduated from the FBI
National Academy. Those are my diplomas."
    She glanced at the framed diplomas
on the wall. "FBI, huh?" 'Take a deep breath," he said.
"Try and relax." She did as she was told. She closed her eyes and
took a deep breath, but it didn't make her feel any better. Her body remained
on high alert. She opened her eyes and said, "You think she's dead,
don't you? Her and those other missing people?"
    "I haven't come to any conclusions
yet." She