SPOILERS
Wow. What a fascinating look at a ruminating Esteban. He's so understandably conflicted over his feelings for Ellery and over just about everything else in his life, too.
He spared a kind look for her – at least she hadn’t changed toward him. Joe, his oldest friend in the department besides Ellery – had seemed to turn on him, especially now that the Griffin thing was coming apart. It was like being the man standing on the streetcorner doing nothing in particular when somebody gets punched in the kidneys.
The way he went to the hospital determined to see Ellery, but then balked and left the card instead really moved me. This was beautifully written, Louise, with such depth and humanity. Thank you!
I had originally intended to get much more deeply into the Esteban situation, but it turned out to be a lot more of a group Sheriff's department police procedural - which seems to be what my stories end up being nowadays, I just can't help them getting that way!
Which means maybe I have to do a real Esteban-centric story one of these days!!