AllFreeNovel Stories worth discovering

Joy’s Homecoming

Page 135

by Caitlyn O’Leary

I tried to think through the medication fog. “She left to get food. I remember her kissing my forehead, saying she'd be back in a few minutes.”

“What time was that?” Randy asked.

“I don't know. I fell asleep after she left.” I gestured toward the flowers. “I don't remember those arriving, so it had to be before then.”

Roxie looked down at her phone. “I got a call from her thirty-eight minutes ago.”

“Do you know where she was calling from?” Nash asked.

Roxie shook her head. “I assumed she was in Graham’s room.”

“I'm going to get the security footage from the hospital. In the meantime, keep searching.” Nash left my room.

Roxie hung up and started pacing. Something was clearly bothering her, the way she kept running her hands through her hair and muttering under her breath.

“Roxie, what is it?” I asked.

“Something's nagging at me. Something's not right about this whole situation, but I can't put my finger on what.”

She continued pacing while the rest of us discussed search strategies and potential scenarios. After a few minutes, she slipped out of the room without saying anything.

“Where's she going?” Jase asked.

“Probably following up on whatever's bothering her,” Simon said. “Roxie's got good instincts.”

My phone buzzed with updates from the other men who'd arrived at the hospital. No one had seen Joy. It was like she'd vanished into thin air.

The door burst open as Roxie returned, dragging a confused-looking nurse behind her.

“Tell them what you told me,” Roxie commanded.

The nurse, a middle-aged woman with kind eyes, looked nervous surrounded by so many large, intimidating men.

“About the flowers?” she asked hesitantly.

“Everything. From the beginning.”

The nurse straightened. “Two ladies approached me at the nurses' station about forty-five minutes ago. They asked if I could deliver flowers and a teddy bear to Mr. Wallace's room. One of them had really long blonde hair, very pretty. The other woman was a little older, maybe late thirties, with short brown hair.”

My blood turned to ice. “The blonde woman. Can you describe her?”

“About average height, maybe five-foot-five. Sweet smile. She seemed a little distracted, like she was in a hurry or worried about something.”

“Joy,” Seth said grimly.

“And the other woman?” Roxie pressed.

“Pleasant enough. Said she was a friend of yours, Mr. Wallace, and wanted to make sure you got the flowers. She seemed very concerned about your welfare.”

Roxie and I exchanged glances. “Glenda,” we said simultaneously.

“But that doesn't make sense,” Randy said. “Why didn’t they take the flowers to his room themselves?” he asked the nurse.

“They were heading to the elevators.”

“Let me call Glenda.” Roxie pulled out her phone, then stopped. “Shit. I don't have her number. It’ll be in my records back at the clinic, but that’ll take time to check.”

“Ava will have it,” I said. “She has everyone's number.”