LOGINCharlene slipped it onto her wrist.
“Not because it looks expensive.”
“Why, then?”
“Because I like it.”
Margaret's smile widened.
“That's a good enough reason.”
The consultant brought out another outfit.
“Would you like to see this navy blouse with the trousers?”
Charlene nodded.
“Yes. But only a few more.”
“Of course.”
She looked bac
Charlene slipped it onto her wrist.“Not because it looks expensive.”“Why, then?”“Because I like it.”Margaret's smile widened.“That's a good enough reason.”The consultant brought out another outfit.“Would you like to see this navy blouse with the trousers?”Charlene nodded.“Yes. But only a few more.”“Of course.”She looked back at the mirror.“Mom?”“Yes, sweetheart?”“Do you think people will recognize me when I go home?”Margaret's expression changed.“Some may.”“And if they do?”“Then they'll have to accept that you're here.”Charlene lowered her eyes to the bracelet.“What if they don't believe me?”Margaret stepped closer.“Then we'll show them th
“Then we'll have to retire half your wardrobe.”Charlene gave him a dry look.For the first time in several days, Margaret laughed without trying to hide it.Across the city, Eric Reese placed a photograph on his desk.Marcus Hale stood opposite him, holding a tablet.“The footage from the garage has been enhanced,” Marcus reported.“Any improvement?”“Not enough to identify the person.”Eric picked up the photograph.The image showed a figure wearing an oversized hooded jacket, standing beside a dark vehicle. The camera angle was poor. The face was hidden, and the light from the streetlamp barely reached the pavement.“Can you determine the person's height?”“Not reliably. The camera was mounted too high, and the vehicle distorted the proportions.”“Gender?”“No.”Eric looked up.Marc
Charlene tightened her grip around the handle of her cane.Nina stood a few steps away, one hand ready to catch her if her injured leg gave out.“I'm beginning to think you enjoy watching me suffer,” Charlene muttered.Nina laughed. “If I enjoyed it, I wouldn't be standing here ready to catch you.”“That's comforting.”“Come on. Three more steps.”Charlene glanced at the parallel bars. Then at the open space beyond them.Three steps.A month ago, she could barely sit upright without assistance. Now she could cross the rehabilitation room with a cane, though every movement demanded concentration.She planted the cane firmly.“One.”Her right foot moved forward.“Two.”Her left leg followed, trembling slightly.“Three.”She reached Nina, who offered her a hand.Charlene ignored it.“I did it.”“You did.”“Without your help.”“Technically, I was still here.”“Don't ruin this moment.”Nina raised both hands in surrender. “Fine. You did it entirely on your own.”Charlene looked down at her
“Run that footage again.”Marcus Hale leaned toward the monitor and rewound the recording.“That's the clearest image we could recover from the garage's old security system.”Eric stood behind him, his arms folded across his chest.“Go back five seconds.”Marcus adjusted the timeline.The footage showed a dark vehicle approaching the far end of the street. It slowed before stopping near the garage entrance.A figure stepped out of the passenger side.The person appeared to exchange a few words with someone standing near the workshop before returning to the vehicle.Eric leaned closer.“Pause.”The image froze.“Can you enlarge it?”Marcus adjusted the footage again.The figure became larger on the screen, but the image only revealed a dark hood covering the person's head and most of the face.Eric narrowed his eyes.“Can you sharpen it?”“I already tried.”“Try again.”Marcus ran another enhancement.The picture became grainier.The hooded figure's outline was visible, but the face re
“Again, Miss Charlene. One more time.”Charlene looked at the short flight of steps in front of her.“Are you sure you don't have an easier assignment for me?”Her physical therapist, Nina, folded her arms.“You walked the entire rehabilitation corridor yesterday. Surely three steps won't defeat you.”“Three steps?” Charlene glanced at the staircase. “Those look like thirty.”Nina laughed.“Come on. Hold the railing.”Charlene placed her hand against it.“Slowly,” Nina instructed. “Put your right foot on the first step.”Charlene did as she was told. Her leg trembled, but she managed to lift herself.“Good. Now the other foot.”She followed.When she reached the second step, she stopped.“Can I complain now?”“You can complain after the third.”“That's a terrible arrangement.”“Keep moving.”Charlene shook her head, smiling despite herself.With Nina beside her, she climbed the final step.“There,” Nina said. “You did it.”Charlene looked down at the steps she had just climbed.“I did
“Then you can stop looking like someone is about to give you bad news.”“I'll consider it.”Dr. Adrian closed the chart.“Keep attending your therapy sessions, follow your medication schedule, and get enough rest. I don't want to hear that you've been practicing walking alone in your room.”Charlene looked away.Daniel immediately turned to her.“Have you?”“No.”The doctor narrowed his eyes.“Miss Charlene.”She sighed.“Only once.”Daniel shook his head.“Of course.”“Don't look at me like that. I was just testing my balance.”“By yourself?”“I was careful.”Dr. Adrian pointed toward her bed.“No more experiments. If you want to walk, call the nurse or your therapist.”Charlene raised both hands in surrender.







