“…can’t find her but…”
Can’t find who? Tricia?
Shit.
“Put it on speaker,” I say, reaching for her hand.
She fumbles for the button as Dolly is talking.
“…she was really agitated this morning, but I had the meat delivery and couldn’t get away for a couple of hours. Then they called back and said they couldn’t find her. We searched the place, and she’s not there.”
“What do you mean she’s not there?” Summer demands. “Where could she be?”
“A visitor who’d just arrived said they saw someone who matches her description getting into a cab.”
“A cab? She doesn’t have any money or credit cards!”
“I know, sweetie. I’m on my way to your house because that’s the only place I can think of where she’d go.”
“The key is in the usual place,” Summer responds. “Call me back when you find her—I’m going to call the airline now to get on the next flight.”
“Sweetie, you don’t have to?—”
“Call me when you get to my house!” Summer yells as she disconnects. She immediately turns to me. “How do I call the airline from here?”
“I think you just dial zero-zero first and then the number.”
She starts typing into the phone.
“Honey, slow down,” I say, reaching for her. “By the time you get someone on the line, they may have found her.”
“Yes, but if anything happens to her, it’s my fault.”
“How do you figure?” I ask gently.
She scowls. “What do you mean? If I was there, instead of halfway around the world partying with my rockstar boyfriend, I would have been able to go to her, soothe her before she found it necessary to run away!”
“Your rockstar boyfriend?” I have to admit that hurts my feelings a little.
She waves an impatient hand. “Well, it’s not like you’re really my husband. We both know this is just because of the baby.” Someone on the phone answers. “Yes, hello? I’m in Hiskale and have a family emergency. I need to change my flight…”
I stand there as she sits on the line with the airline customer service representative, who’s patiently trying to find her a seat on the first flight out in the morning.
“The flight is completely booked,” the woman says apologetically. “I can put you on standby.”
“Standby? But there’s only one flight a day.”
“Yes, but if you don’t get on that flight, you can book one to London, which has multiple flights to New York daily.”
“Oh my God.” Summer is pacing like a mad woman. “There’s nothing you can do? Please, my mother is missing…”
“I’m so sorry, Mrs. Jeffries. The flight is completely sold out, but there are almost always no-shows. There’s a good chance you’ll get on the flight.”
“Okay, yes. Thank you.”
“Can I help?” Casey comes down the hallway worriedly. “Does she need to get home?”
“Her mom has Alzheimer’s,” I say quietly and then explain what we know.
