Inevitable Sentences Read Free Page B

bring someone searching for one of us.”
    Adrian looked in the direction Lorraine had gone. “Yeah. And that’s a fear for all of us, right?” She was bouncing Gemma lightly as she spoke.
    “Right.”
    “Where does Lorraine get off?” Adrian pressed.
    Celeste smiled warmly at Adrian. “I appreciate your support, Adrian. Nevertheless, you don’t need to worry about me, you know. I’ve handled tougher cases than Lorraine.”
    Adrian’s eyes twinkled. “I bet you have.”
    The baby began to cry. Tomika bolted up and ran to her. “What’s wrong? Is she okay?”
    Celeste circled an arm around Tomika. “Gemma’s fine. She’s probably hungry. Let’s get you back by that fire. We’ll get Gemma settled.”
    Priscilla dragged out a cradle that was usually stored near the bookcases, and placed it by the fire. “Gemma needs to be changed and put into warmer clothes. Then we need to get her some formula.”
    From a nearby chest, Celeste pulled out diapers and baby clothes. “Even though these might be too big, they’ll do until we buy others.” She handed them to Priscilla. “We’ll give her a bath tomorrow when things calm down.” She turned to Adrian. “Will you and Marcy finish the dinner preparations, please, while I speak to Priscilla about Tomika?”
    Celeste checked the young woman. Although Tomika never took her eyes off Gemma, she seemed to realize she was in safe hands. “And would you get a bottle for the baby?”
    “Sure.” Adrian laid Gemma in the cradle still wrapped in the tattered blanket she had arrived in and went with Marcy to the kitchen.
    Priscilla removed the blanket and swiftly changed Gemma. “Well,” she said, straightening from her task, “at least she’s dry and warm.” She laid a hand on Gemma’s stomach. “You’ll soon have this filled, too.”
    “What do you know about Tomika?” Celeste asked.
    Before she could answer, Lorraine returned with a sweater, socks, and sweatpants. “I think these will fit.”
    “Thank you, Lorraine. Will you help Tomika change? When you’re through, see if she’d like to use the bathroom.” Maybe Lorraine’s involvement with Tomika would diminish whatever concern she had for the newcomer.
    Lorraine didn’t argue this time. Instead, she knelt next to Tomika and gently helped remove her shoes. Celeste shook her head at Lorraine. She was such a puzzle.
    Celeste and Priscilla huddled in the area closest to the bookcases on the other side of the room to be out of Lorraine and Tomika’s hearing range. As Priscilla’s tale unfolded about how she had come upon Tomika, Celeste could only marvel about that wild card in life: chance.
    T OMIKA HAD TURNED TWENTY the day before. Gemma had only been born three months ago. Tonight, Tomika had escaped from her boyfriend, who was nearly twice her age. He was so drunk, he passed out on the living room floor before he could lock Tomika up for the night like he usually did. She knew it would be her only chance to get out so she grabbed a jacket, wrapped Gemma in a blanket, and ran from the house. She ran and ran.
    By some miracle Priscilla was in Lansing for a meeting, driving the same road on which Tomika had fled, and spotted the desperate woman, who had no idea where she was going or in what direction she was headed. Tomika jumped into the car with little persuasion.
    Once inside, she collapsed in hysteria and poured out a horrific tale to Priscilla. For the past two years she’d been held like a hostage in a farmhouse with no neighbors for two miles and no phone, except Herman’s cell. She was never allowed out of the house unless her boyfriend was with her. She had no friends and no family to speak of. Her only sibling, Danny, was in prison, and her parents had died in a car accident two years earlier.
    While Tomika talked, Priscilla changed course, driving the rest of the night to the lighthouse. Thank heavens the weather hadn’t turned bad until she crossed over the Mackinaw Bridge. Other than