I’m sitting on my towel, still in my wet suit because I forgot to grab my old clothes from Aggie’s master closet. No way was I going back in that house. “That was fun,” Carter says, “but don’t tell Packard we swam like that. He’d be angry that we risked our credibility.” “I’ll never tell,” I say, happy to be a trusted member of the squad. Doing work that means something. We pass a sprawling suburban hospital. You can see a few people in the windows, and I even spot an IV bag on a pole—a sight that once filled me with dread. Not anymore. I sigh a happy sigh and tell Carter about Aggie and me in her closet. “She is so smart,” Carter says. “You used to manage a dress shop, right?” “Yeah.” “She was seducing you with clothes. She sensed that was a way to get to you. God, she is so dangerous. But you did great. It’s great you joined us.” I smile. My squad depended on me and I came through. “It’ll be easier from here on in,” he adds. “Eventually she’ll roll on her own, without your help, maybe after a few more visits.”
