Dinah widens her eyes. “Then how on earth are they affording to go on a trip for nearly a month? I mean”—she shifts her gaze—“I know what nurses make here. It’s not poverty wages or anything, but a luxurious month in Europe or South America or wherever it is they’ve flown off to…”
I shrug. “Could be they know someone whose place they’re staying at. Then they’d just be responsible for their airfare and incidentals.”
Dinah bites her lip. “So they could just be out of town indefinitely?”
I grab a patient’s chart. “She only has so much vacation time left. I imagine we’ll be hearing from her soon.”
“Or else, what? You’ll fire her?”
I run my hands through my hair. “It won’t come to that. Alissa is a wonderful nurse. She cares so much about the people in this hospital. She’s just having some sort of…liberation moment.”
Dinah crosses her arms. “I don’t know, Doctor. Two of her favorite patients, Carol and Lou, are here. They just went home a week or so ago after their transplants. I’d think Alissa would at least want to check in and see how they’re doing.” She frowns. “This is just so unlike her.”
“But weren’t you saying that dating Maddox seemed to bring out a different side of her? One that wasn’t so straight-laced?”
“Yeah, but…” Dinah rubs at her forehead. “It’s one thing to try something new with a romantic partner. Something like sky diving, or bungee jumping. To take off out of nowhere for a trip lasting God knows how long…”
“I see your point.” I stroke my chin. “And the only correspondence you’ve received from her is by text?”
She nods. “Those two texts. That’s all the word I’ve had in a month.”
I pull out my own phone, scroll through my mail app. “And the only communication I have from her is when she sent an email to the St. Charles admins telling them she was taking some time off.” I scratch my head. “Only texts…”
“Doctor?”
I hold up a hand as I call Maddox.
“Hey. This is Maddox Hathaway. If this is related to my shop, please call the Hathaway Haberdashery’s landline directly. If not, please leave a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.”
The phone beeps, but I end the call. No point in calling the haberdashery. I know Maddox isn’t there.
I call again. Again it goes straight to voicemail.
“Alissa’s phone does the same thing every time I call her,” Dinah says. “Is it possible the two of them decided to unplug for this trip?”
“That could be it. Still…” I rub at the back of my neck, where my hairs are standing upright. “You’ve only received texts from Alissa, right?”
“You already asked me that, Doctor.”
“You’re not understanding my question.” I set down the chart. “When was the last time you heard Alissa’s voice?”
2
BIANCA
Three bucks, two bags, one me!
Those were the words ping-ponging through my head when I stepped off the plane at LaGuardia Airport. The words of the Star-to-Be in the musical Annie. It’s a small role with a single solo in the show, but it’s launched the career of many a Broadway starlet, the likes of which include Sutton Foster and Laurie Beechman.
I had just finished four years of school at Oklahoma City University. Musical theatre major, of course. I spent years perfecting my sixteen-bar audition cuts, studying the acting theories of Uta Hagen and Stanislavsky, and learning the intricacies of ballet, jazz, and tap dancing.
And just like a billion women before me, I stepped off that plane a girl with a big dream.
My name in lights. Singing my heart out to a crowd of strangers. The roaring applause of hundreds as I take my final bow.
Of course, dreams are for nighttime.
By day, my life in the Big Apple has been a nightmare.
