Annabelle was nearly out the hospital’s back exit, heading toward the small market next door, when her phone lit up for the third time—Richard again. Without a pause, she hit the side button to silence it and quickly switched to Hazel’s number instead.
Hazel picked up on the first ring. “Where the hell are you? Did you—”
“It’s trouble,” Annabelle cut in, her voice low and urgent. “I just ran into Brian. He knows I’m in New York. And he said… he and Samuel have been looking for me.”
On the other end, there was a beat of stunned silence before Hazel’s voice sharpened. “What was that two-faced weasel doing there?”
“I don’t know,” Annabelle said, gripping the phone so hard her knuckles whitened. “But if they sniff anywhere near Alan—” Her voice cracked, the words tangling in her throat. “H
