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I pulled on the handle. “I need to go upstairs and get my office keys. I have her paperwork at my office. Do you want to wait here while I get them?”
“I’ll keep the car running.”
I slammed the door and took the steps as quickly as I could.
14
We parked in a deck not far from the clinic. It was easier to maneuver the campus roads on the weekend. Vaughn walked beside me as I guided him to my office.
I turned the lights on as we walked through the halls.
“So this is where the magic happens?” He stood in the doorway while I searched for Lana’s file.
I laughed. “You make it sound more glamorous than it is.”
I opened the filing cabinet and flipped to the F stack. I pulled Lana’s file from the folders. There was a standard contact form we attached to all files. I took a picture of the address listed. It had always been a part of the process. I never imagined I would need the information to locate a missing client.
“Ok. I have her address. We can start there.”
“And if she’s not there?”
“I have no idea. I only have one option.” I closed everything I had opened.
Vaughn examined Addie’s desk. “Is this the infamous office mate’s space?” He shifted the phone and moved a stack of sticky notes.
“Yes. Don’t touch her stuff,” I scolded.
“You think she’ll notice if I do this?” He opened the top drawer a fraction of an inch.
“Vaughn! She’s super picky about her stuff.”
He chuckled. “Let me know if she notices.”
I tugged on the door. “Oh, she’ll notice.”
We walked to the car and plugged the address I had for Lana in my phone. She lived twenty minutes away.
“Thank you for doing all of this.” I looked at him as he drove us to the house.
“Sweetheart, it’s no big deal.”
Maybe it wasn’t a big deal to him, but to me it was an enormous display of just how much Vaughn was willing to do for me.
“Turn here and it’s on the right.” I pointed to the one-story ranch.
The sun had just started to set. There were long shadows across the driveway. I hadn’t pictured where Lana lived. She was young and newly married. She was also a woman who had an affair with her boss. This neighborhood looked like the kind of place people moved to raise families. Not the kind of place that was home to scandal and home-wrecking.
“I think I should go by myself,” I explained. “It’s a very sensitive case.”
“I get it. Confidentiality. I won’t ask any questions, but if you need me I’m right here.”
I appreciated that Vaughn understood my job. He didn’t urge me to reveal Lana’s name or why her deposition on Monday was so important. I yanked the door handle and walked to the front of the house. There were geraniums in pots on the front steps along with a few pumpkins. I pressed the doorbell. The chimes echoed like church bells. I waited for Lana to answer.
I heard footsteps on the other side. The door opened.
“What are you doing here?” Her voice was hushed and urgent.
Lana quickly joined me on the porch and closed the door behind her. Her strong brow was pinched together nervously.
