It Only Takes a Moment by Mary Jane Clark Read Free Book Online Page B

quiet and go to sleep, mi hija . We don’t want the man to come in here again.”
    “I hate him,” said Janie with certainty in her voice.
    At any other time, Mrs. Garcia would have corrected the little girl, explaining that it wasn’t right to hate anyone. But how could she judge Janie when Carmen herself felt exactly the same way?

CHAPTER 19
    A s dawn broke, the reporters, producers, and camera crews camped out in front of the large brick colonial pounced on anything that moved. They called out questions and shot video of police cars and government sedans coming and going, as well as video of a black Lexus with New York tags pulling into the driveway. Its occupants were a somber-faced elderly couple.
    “Are those her parents?” asked the CBS reporter.
    “I don’t think so,” answered his producer. “Her parents live in Rhode Island, but I think her in-laws live around here.”
    “The parents of her dead husband, right?” asked the reporter.
    “Yep,” said the producer. “You got to feel sorry for them. They’ve already lost their son. They have to be frantic at the thought of losing their grandchild.”
     
    Katharine and Paul Blake came in the house and headed directly to their daughter-in-law’s side. They found Eliza huddled on the sofa, a hand-made afghan draped around her shoulders. She looked pale and her facewas devoid of expression. She rose when she saw them and took their hands in hers.
    “You’re cold as ice, honey,” said Katharine, wrapping her arms around Eliza.
    “Oh, Katharine, I’m just so scared,” Eliza whispered.
    “I know you are, dear. We all are.”
    “If something happened to Janie, I couldn’t bear it.”
    “None of us could, sweetheart,” Katharine agreed. “But I’ve got to make myself believe that Janie is going to be fine. All of us have to believe that or we aren’t going to be able to get through this.”
    “We’re here now, Eliza,” said Paul. “Why don’t you go upstairs and try to get a little sleep?”
    Eliza shook her head. “There’s no way I’d be able to sleep.”
    “Well, rest then. Just go up and lie down for a while.”
    “Thanks, Paul, but I want to stay down here so I know what’s going on.”
    “I’m going to make some tea,” said Katharine. “A cup of tea will make us all feel better.”
    As she watched the thin figure walk toward the kitchen, Eliza felt a lump in her throat, remembering the way Katharine had acted when John was dying. Positive, capable, and determined while in no way denying the gravity of the situation. Eliza had always admired Katharine for the way she had conducted herself over those excruciatingly painful months. Katharine knew that her son was going to die, yet every single time she had come into that hospital room at Sloan-Kettering, there had been a warm smile on her face. Eliza had always marveled at how Katharine had been able to do that, but never more than right now when she herself felt abject terror at the prospect of losing her own child.
    Eliza knew she had to hold herself together, but she could feel herself slipping away. She wanted to retreat, to withdraw and protect herself, insulate herself from the horror around her. But she knew she had to fight the urge to shut down. She had to keep her mind clear, stay involved, because there might be something only she could contribute that would find Janie. Eliza was fighting for some sense of control in the face of this nightmarish situation that was completely beyond her ability to manage.
    “I think we should send some coffee to the guys out there on the street,” said Eliza, shaking herself into action. She followed her mother-in-law to the kitchen.
     
    A police officer guarded the front door. Annabelle Murphy and B.J. approached and flashed their KEY News ID badges.
    “We’re friends and colleagues of Ms. Blake’s,” said Annabelle. “Would you please let her know we’re here?”
    They waited on the front stoop as the policeman opened the door