Chapter Nine
I don’t remember a lot about the next 24 hours. They took Fern to the local hospital. I followed the ambulance, after grabbing Fern’s old battered purse from the floor near her. It was one of my old purses that I had given her years ago. Maybe even a decade ago. She was a strange child.
I thanked Joanie for saving Fern’s life.
“Remember that,” Joanie said, “whenever you get the urge to rat me out.”
“Rat you out for what?” I asked her. “You haven’t done anything wrong.”
“Just remember that.”
George was gone by the time I came out to my car again. I glanced at the roof, but I couldn’t tell if he had done anything or not.
Hayword eventually met me at the hospital. He had to fly in because the traffic from Palm Springs to Los Angeles to the village was so bad. I told him ab
