“Maybe she went home,” Gavin suggested.
“I tried her Springfield number,” I said, already pulling my phone out.
I scrolled through my contacts and tried calling Senator’s Lindsey’s house line again. Predictably, there was no answer. I knew Mitch was in DC for work, but I hadn’t tried him directly. Once I was sure that Tori had left me for Gavin, I’d given up on trying to reach her friends and family.
This time I dialed his cell. He picked up after the third ring, sounding distracted and annoyed.
“Stefan,” he said flatly. “What is it?”
“Is Tori at your house in Springfield?” I asked.
Gavin leaned forward, and I tilted the phone in his direction so he could hear the senator’s reply.
“She’s your wife,” Mitch said with an obnoxious laugh. “I thought it was your job to keep a leash on her now.”
I hated him, but forced myself to take a deep breath before I responded. Even Gavin was clenching his jaw, having overheard the senator’s booming voice.
“We had some words and she took off,” I said, keeping the details vague. “I’m trying to track her down.”
“She isn’t there as far as I know,” Mitch said, “but why don’t you try the house? The staff will answer. Or maybe she’s with one of her school friends. Either way, I’m sure she’ll turn up soon.”
He hung up on me and Gavin and I stared at my phone. How could this man be so dismissive when his daughter, his only child, was missing? She wasn’t with her school friends, and no, the staff at the senator’s mansion would not answer. I had been calling the Springfield house day and night, but no one had ever picked up. Which was strange if you thought about it, since it was their job to answer calls and take messages for the senator and his family.
“Fuck.”
“What?” Gavin asked anxiously.
“I’m an idiot.”
Gavin put his hands up. “You said it, not me. Where is she?”
“She’s gotta be at home,” I said. “I’ve called that line more times than I can count, and the staff hasn’t picked up a single one of my calls. They’re avoiding me. On purpose.”
“You think she’s there, then?”
I nodded. “Has to be. I’m gonna head out. If I leave now, I can probably make it in under four hours.”
“Wait. Can you—can you have her text me?” Gavin asked. “Just so I know she’s okay.”
“Sure, man,” I said, holding out my hand. We shook on it. “Thanks for showing up.”
“No problem,” he said. Maybe he wasn’t such an asshole after all.
We went our separate ways and I headed to the underground parking garage to get my BMW. The M5 had over 600 horsepower and went from zero to sixty in three seconds. This wasn’t the time to call a chauffeur. I needed to get to my wife as soon as possible. I needed to see her now. Even if that meant breaking a few traffic laws in the process.
Just as I was about to pull out of the garage, ready to ignore every speed limit sign in the state of Illinois, my phone rang. I glanced at the screen on the dash and saw that it was Emzee calling. I put her on speaker and sped away from the condo, my tires screeching as I peeled out.
“Not a good time,” I told her.
“It’s about Tori,” she said, and I eased up on the gas pedal.
“I know where she is,” I said. “I’m on my way now. Make it quick.”
Emzee let out a huge sigh. “Good,” she said. “I’m glad. Did she call you?”
“No.” I cut somebody off, waving as I sped by. “But I’m going to get her anyway.”
“Okay. Never mind then,” she said. “I’ll let you drive.”
