Eloise shivered and closed her eyes. “I’m alone again. I’m cold. I’m in a dirty, white nightgown and a brown sweater that’s too big for me. I smell mold and rotting food. It’s making my stomach turn.” She rubbed her stomach. “Sometimes I wake up vomiting, sometimes I can’t wake up at all, but if I do, I feel restless and can’t go back to sleep.”
“Is it the same dream every night, or does it change?”
“It was the same up until last night. The fat man.”
“Valentino Marquez?” he asked, trying to follow her.
“Yes, Valentino. He shows up with my tray of food.” She paused, pushing her tongue to the roof of her mouth. She wanted to curse and scream, but she held back, something she was used to do. “He liked the power he had over me. He was a real bully, for lack of a better word.”
“Hmm.” He sh
