The Wife He Buried Alive novel · Chapter 24 of 32

Chapter 24: The Chair

On Thursday morning Milo's counts turned the corner.

The doctor came to the glass door with a printout and a face she was trying to keep professional.

"The new cells are taking," she said. "It's early, but this is the number we hoped for."

I put both hands over my mouth.

Winston stood next to me and said nothing.

When I looked at him, he was crying quietly, without turning his head.

Juliet had signed her statement for the detective at three that morning.

She had promised again to stand beside me on Saturday.

The detective had not said no to the gala.

He had only told Winston to call him before we went.

On the other side of the glass, Milo held up Pickle.

He pointed the elephant's trunk at us and waved it.

I waved back with the whole of my arm.

"Mama's silly," I heard him tell the nurse through the intercom, very pleased.

I was still laughing, wet-faced, when the elevator opened at the end of the hall.

Harriet came out of it in a lavender suit, carrying a white box tied with ribbon.

Two of Winston's men moved at once to stand across the corridor.

"Mrs. Garrick," one of them said. "I'm sorry. You're not on the list."

"I am his grandmother, young man."

"Yes, ma'am. You're not on the list."

She looked past him, found me, and smiled.

"Linnea. Tell these gentlemen I've brought a cake."

"It isn't allowed in the ward," I said. "His immune system."

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