When the line goes silent, I press the phone in tightly to my ear, assuming the line has gone dead. It is only when I hear Hugo’s pants of breath do I realize he hasn’t hung up.
“Goodbye, Ava,” he says a short time later before he disconnects the calls.
My finger shakes as I redial my voicemail and listen to his message again, and again, and again, only stopping when a commotion outside of my office draws my attention.
“Sir, you can’t go in there,” Belinda, the office receptionist, says as my office door swings open.
I stand from my chair, shocked when Hugo’s boss enters my office, unannounced. I haven’t seen him since the afternoon at the hospital.
“Where would Hugo go if he didn’t want anyone to find him?” he questions me, his words hurried and abrupt.
“What? I don’t know. I haven’t seen Hugo in weeks,” I reply, pacing towards him.
My brisk strides halt, cut off by the furious glare Hugo’s boss inflicts on me.
“An isolated place he could go where no one would find him? He wouldn’t have any fear of being seen?” he interrogates.
“I don’t know,” I reply, shaking my head, my voice gaining an edge of fury behind it.
“Think, Ava, think!” he demands, stepping closer to me. “There has to be somewhere he could go for privacy?”
The concern in his eyes causes my stomach to twist in panic. He stares at me, his eyes silently begging for me to answer him.
“Lake George?” I suggest.
The suit-clad gentleman shakes his head. “No, it has to be closer. Somewhere local.”
A range of addresses flurry my mind, adding to the giddiness clustering my brain. There is nowhere Hugo could go that he'd be alone. Every residence I can think of is occupied. Suddenly, I freeze. My eyes snap to Hugo’s boss. He is watching me with a pleading look in his eyes.
“Jorgie’s house?” I suggest, my tone flat.
His eyes widen, and his shoulders square. “Yes. Where did she live?”
“Umm… I don’t know?” I reply, my eyes widening.
“Please, Ava, this is very important.”
“I don’t know,” I reply, my eyes relaying to him that I'm telling the truth. “I’ve only ever driven there.”
His hand delves into his pocket to remove an ancient-looking cell phone. The urgency of his movements sets me on edge.
“I could show you where she lives?” I suggest.
He nods before returning his cell phone to this pocket.
“We need to hurry,” he says, pivoting on his heels and exiting my office.
I grab my handbag from my desk drawer and follow him out of my office. Halfway down, Marvin steps into the hallway, checking what all the commotion is about. His eyes flick between me and Hugo’s boss.
“If you leave, Ava, you will risk your career. You will lose everything,” he threatens, his tone deep and intimidating..
Without a hesitation, I reply, “I don’t care. He is worth it.”
I sidestep Marvin with my head held high, pretending my heart isn’t racing a million miles an hour. I slide into the back seat of a Lexus town car parked at the curb. Hugo’s boss holds a conversation on a large brick cell phone as Roger drives frantically through the streets of Rochdale. I don’t hear any of the words he is speaking, the ringing of my pulse is too loud to hear anything. We arrive at Jorgie’s house in record time. Relief overwhelms me when I spot Hugo’s truck parked half a block down. My relief doesn’t last long.Why would Hugo not park his truck in Jorgie’s driveway?
When I attempt to follow Hugo’s boss out of the car and down the sidewalk, he pivots around to face me. The sternness in his eyes causes my steps to falter and has my thighs quaking. Once he realizes I'm frozen in fear, he lifts his eyes to Roger, who is still exiting the car.
“Make sure she stays here,” he instructs, his tone firm.
