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"There was something about the way he looked at me after they sedated him. Like he was desperate but couldn't verbalize why. That's why when I found the paper, I felt like I had to tell you."
"Why wouldn't he trust you if you were treating him?" he asked.
"I only saw him a few times earlier this year. I know he was frustrated with his lack of improvement, but at the time he was completely under control. He wasn't acting irrationally at all. But then he missed his last appointment, which was two months ago."
"Maybe he stopped coming to see you because he remembered how difficult you made it when we were trying to keep our team together."
A spark fired off in her eyes. "We never spoke about that," she said shortly. "And we don't need to talk about it now. I believe Jack is in trouble. Maybe you care about that; maybe you don't. But I thought you should know he was probably trying to see you last night."
"I wasn't here last night." He let out a sigh, wishing he'd had a few more hours of sleep before having this conversation. "I'm going to make coffee. Do you want some?"
"I need to go back to the hospital. I want to see if the tox report came back or if security was able to locate him on any of the cameras."
"It sounds like I need to go there, too. But first, I need coffee, and maybe a little more explanation. Come into the kitchen with me."
"I've told you everything I know," she said as she followed him into the kitchen.
He turned on the coffeemaker. "I doubt that. Were the police called last night?"
"No. I spoke to security. They said there was no evidence that Mr. Barrone hadn't left under his own power, so they didn't feel the police needed to be called."
"I can see why they'd come to that conclusion."
She gave him a speculative look. "I have a question for you."
"What's that?" he asked warily.
"It sounds like you and Jack had a falling-out."
"You could say that."
"If that's true, why would he come to see you now?"
"I have no idea."
"I looked you up after I saw your name and address on the paper. Knowing you served together, it made sense that you were the Ty on the note. I couldn't find anything on you online. When I rang your bell, I wasn't even sure it was going to be you who opened the door. Can I assume you're no longer in the military?"
"Not for almost three years now."
"About the same length of time since you saw Jack. What do you do now?" she asked.
"I'm an FBI agent."
Surprise ran through her eyes. "Seriously?"
"Does it sound like something I'd make up?"
"No wonder I couldn't find anything on you online." She seemed bemused by his new career path. "Back in the day, I had the feeling you'd be in the military forever."
"Things changed."
"You said that before. Care to expand?"
"No. It sounds like you're still serving, Rachel."
"I'm a civilian now. But I like working with veterans. I understand that world."
"I don't think you ever understood that world—at least, not the world outside the hospital."