Izzy, I marked the important parts. I’m free to talk whenever youwant.
I didn’t open the book to the tagged pages. Instead, I sat it on the counter and went for my cell phone by the bed. One missed text from Mr. ‘I can’t let it go’ but I ignored it and dialed the number my brother gave me when he’d left for unknown destinations eight monthsago.
Once I gave the passcode, I hung up and waited. Five minutes passed, and I got a call back from an unregisterednumber.
“Hello, Dear Sister,” his voice cut through theline.
I sagged into my bed and lay back on the mussed covers. Hearing my brother safe and sound always gave me a renewed sense of peace. Like I could breathe a little longer. During the time that passed between our talks, my lungs slowly constricted until we spokeagain.
“You sound safe,” Isaid.
He chuckled. “I am safe. What’sup?”
I threaded the edge of my blanket through my fingers and let out a sigh. “I need afavor.”
“Anything.”
“There’s thisguy.”
“Do you need me to kill him and make it look like anaccident?”
I rolled my eyes even though he couldn’t see it. “No, I don’t need anyonemurdered.”
“Offer stands. Especially if he hurtyou.”
“He didn’t hurt me. I just need to know more abouthim.”
Shuffling came through the earpiece. “Ok give me thedetails.”
“DorianGray.”
More shuffling. “Is that a code word I’m not familiarwith?”
I wished it was. “Nope. That’s his name. Claims to bethatDorianGray.”
“Really,Iz?”
“I know how it sounds, alright? Just look into it please. He claimed he was taken by a secret government agency monitoring people with weird genes likehis.”
“I’ll send you what I find. Are youalright?”
No. “Yes, justgreat.”
“You’re not fooling anyonehere.”
A hot tear slid from the corner of my eye, and I swiped it away. “Gotta go, Jake. Time for work. Let me know what you find out. Loveyou.”
“Love you too, Iz. Talksoon.”
The phone went dead, and I let my arm fall to the bed. It slid from my hand into the sheets. More tears threatened to fall, but I held them back and satup.
Shower. Clothes. Adulting for now. Wallowinglater.
Once I shuffled into the bathroom, I stared at myself in the mirror and decided to skip the shower. I brushed my teeth, wet and brushed my hair flat, and swiped on somemascara.
I had a troupe of actors to calm down, a billionaire on my case, and a studio director showing up at my office anyminute.
I pulled on my big girl pants, threw a few necessities in my bag, and headed back to theoffice.
