I wasn’t sure how to answer. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.
I pretended Andrew was Christopher and whispered. “Albertsons is closest. The one on Twelfth, but they closed at nine. He got an upsetting call from Brandon before he went out. Maybe he went to talk, but I have a bad feeling. He hasn’t answered his phone or texts. It’s not like him. Something’s happened. I feel it in my gut.”
“It’s late enough and after all the trouble you’ve had, I understand why you’d be worried,” Andrew said.
His voice was even and projected calm. Relief flooded through me that my concern was being taken seriously.
“I’ll call someone at the station, have them send a car to swing by the grocery store and his brother’s. Send me Brandon’s address. Is there anywhere else he might have gone? A bar or pub he might have gone for a drink?”
I shook my head. I didn’t know. He’d done nothing like that in the four months we’d been together. When he used to have beers on Thursday nights with Brandon, I didn’t think they had a usual place. They’d tried different places, so I didn’t know where to start. I took a deep breath to keep from crying.
“With the joyous news you shared this morning, I agree it’s troublesome for him to be gone so long with no word.”
“Thank you.” My voice shook. I hated to seem like a clingy girlfriend, but this was something more. The flowers had been a taunt, a message.
“What was he driving? His sports car?”
I nodded.
“Do you know the license plate?”
I sent the letters and numbers to Andrew.
“Are you without a vehicle? You have work tomorrow. With your stalker on the scene again, I’d feel better if you didn’t bus or walk alone.”
I shook my head. “Rental SUV. We took it to the cabin and kept it because of the snow.”
“Good. At least you’re not stranded.”
I took a deep breath that made my constricted chest ache. The fear wouldn’t dissipate and the tight band remained.
“Congratulations on the other news. We texted, but it’s better to say it when I can see your face. Meghan and I are happy for you two. You deserve something wonderful.”
I blinked my eyes to keep the tears back. It felt like a car had parked on my chest, making it hard to breathe.
My brother-in-law’s face held sympathy. I hated to feel so helpless. So much for regaining strength and confidence. One evening alone shouldn’t leave me a pathetic wretch.
“We’ll find him. I’ll let you know as soon as I hear something. I’m calling this in.”
“Thank you,” I whispered.
After checking the locks for the dozenth time, I got ready for bed. I gripped my phone, even in bed, hoping Christopher might call.
Forty-five sleepless minutes later, my phone rang. I jumped at the noise and answered, my heart racing.
It was Andrew again, still wearing Officer Jennings’ face and a navy-blue robe over his pajamas. I’d kept him up.
“I don’t want to alarm you,” he said.
My heart stopped and my blood froze. It hurt to swallow and my hands turned ice cold.
“It was good you called this in,” he said. “They found his car outside the grocery store with all four tires slashed. His phone was under the car on the ice. The notifications are your calls and texts. He didn’t see them, but it gives us a timeline. We’ve sent a team to do forensics. He’s only been gone a few hours. We’ll find him.”
Chapter 22
I survived the next week in a daze, sleepwalking from one meeting or a job to the next. Co-workers came up to me at work to express their sympathy and concern. Everyone liked Christopher. I showed them my engagement ring and tried to be positive, but my smiles were forced. Everyone was kind, but it made it harder to pretend that I was okay, because I wasn’t. I was terrified. Friday night, I looked in the mirror and didn’t recognize myself.
I resembled a version of myself I hadn’t seen since the days when I was married to Eric. My eyes were bloodshot and rimmed with red, though I’d refused to cry. My cheeks were hollow, though I tried to eat. Nothing tasted right. Christopher and I had enjoyed eating together. Food had been our first common ground and meals without him were strange. It wasn’t the same alone, night after night, in our house. It was no longer safe and inviting. Just empty.
