“Yes.”
“Interesting. I wonder if that has anything to do with why Hannah left home. Or why someone tried to kill her. All right, well, I’ll talk to her about it and see what she wants to do. Will you text me their number, and I’ll give them a call? If nothing else to let them know she’s being taken care of.”
“Will do. We have received several calls from people who were in the area around the time of the accident, but when we ask about a man with a red hat, they draw a blank. Hopefully, something will pan out soon. We specifically asked for folks with dashboard cameras to look through them in case they unknowingly caught something.”
“Good thinking. It’s a busy intersection, so that’s possible.”
“Tell Hannah we wish her well. We’ll keep you posted if anything new or useful comes up.”
Hannah texted him about thirty minutes later to say she was ready, and he picked her up where he’d dropped her off.
“How’d it go?” he asked, as she threw her backpack in the back seat and buckled up.
“Good,” she said. “After I talked to the counselor on the phone this morning, she got in touch with my professors and asked them what they thought. All three said I was an excellent student and shouldn’t have a problem catching up. And they all offered extra help if I need it.”
“Awesome. So, back to school on Monday, then?”
“Yep. And guess what? Once I was on campus, I remembered it! I know where my classes are and the light rail station and where I get coffee…everything. Just from going in that one building. Isn’t that great?”
“Yes, that’s fantastic. A real breakthrough. Congratulations.”
“Thanks for waiting. I hope it wasn’t too boring.”
“Actually, while you were in there, the detectives called. I have something to run by you.”
“Okay.” She stretched out the word, indicating trepidation.
“Your picture was on the news last night, and this morning your parents called the detectives. They want to see you. I told Detective Grossman that you’d have to decide. He texted me their phone number and asked me to let them know either way.”
She sighed and began clicking the top of the pen she was holding over and over.
“What do you think I should do?” she asked.
He turned onto the ramp to get on the 520 Bridge. “I could call and arrange to meet them first. Feel them out and see what their intentions are, then you could decide.”
“That seems like a chickenshit move. Let’s just call them and set up a time to meet. I seem to have made some questionable decisions in the past. Maybe this amnesia is a chance to fix some of them and start over.”
“All right. I’ll call them when we stop and find out when they’re available. And, Hannah, I just have to say, your life may seem bleak to you now, looking back, but you don’t have any context. As far as I know, you were happy and loving life. You had goals and were working toward them. You wanted to finish school and then buy a coffee stand or shop somewhere. The main thing was that you wanted to do it all on your own, and you have. You’re a very independent, tenacious woman.”
She inhaled deeply and heaved out a sigh. “I want to believe you, really I do. And maybe you’re right. Maybe it’s just my diet that’s horrible. A Diet Mountain Dew really does sound good right now, though.”
“Let’s go find one. We’ll grab a late lunch, and then I’ll call your folks.” He was still mulling over whether to tell her that they were multimillionaires and pretty famous in Seattle. He wondered if the money and fame might be the reason Hannah walked away.
After talking to the detectives, he’d done an Internet search to see if there were any stories about it, thinking that if they’d had some big, public blow up, it would have made the news. He didn’t find anything that might explain an estrangement.
Though their last names matched, he’d never thought to ask her if they were related. And since she’d never offered the information, she must not have wanted anyone to know. He understood. Jake rarely told anyone about his relationship with Sam. Only his buddies at work and Hannah knew his brother was a billionaire. And except for his family, no one knew Jake was a millionaire. Money could make things weird, so he kept his financial situation to himself.
They stopped for lunch at a sandwich shop in the same strip mall as the cell phone store. While Hannah was busy with the clerk getting her new phone set up, Jake found a spot where he had overwatch of the whole place, including a clear view of Hannah, and called her father.
“Sir, this is Trooper Jake MacDonald. I’m a friend of Hannah’s. The detectives handling her case called this morning and mentioned that you’re interested in seeing her?”
“Yes. Thank you so much for calling. Can you bring her by the house this evening?”
“I’m going to leave the decision to her, but if she wants to, then yes, we can come by tonight. I need to warn you, though, Hannah has a temporary case of amnesia. She doesn’t remember who she is or who you are, or why you’re estranged. I don’t know, either. Even before the accident, she didn’t mention her family, except to say you don’t talk. Is there something she needs to know before coming out there? Anything that could upset her?”
“No, no. Nothing like that. Just a misunderstanding that got blown way out of proportion. We can explain it to Hannah if she comes by. We, her mother and I, would really like to see her. My wife is beside herself with worry. If you have any pull with Hannah, we’d appreciate it if you could talk her into it.”
“I’ll see what I can do. Can I text you at this number?”
