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“Nice. Well, I’m glad everyone thinks so.”
My face flushed as I wondered if they would think that if they knew what Sven and I had been up to.
One by one, the students filed in, the door left open as they went in and out, each seeming to take longer than the last. Professor Hernandez was attentive, I had to give him that. I could only hope he would have as much time for me as he did for the students.
The baby started fussing and reaching in my general direction, as if I were a toy or treat she desperately wanted.
“Do you want to hold her?” Ashe asked, taking the hint.
“Um, sure.”
I’d never held a baby before but figured it would be good practice. Sven had continued to finish up inside me ever since that first night that he had, even though the window of me not being able to get pregnant has passed. I had just taken multiple pregnancy tests the day before, which was part of the reason I was so frantic that I couldn’t find Sven.
At first, I’d thought I was dreaming but then all of the sticks kept turning blue. I hadn’t told Sven yet. I was waiting for the perfect time.
The little one cozied up to me, cuddling into my boobs, making little cooing sounds of contentment.
“She likes you,” Ashe said.
“Looks like it. What’s her name?”
“Cadence.”
It wasn’t hard to hold her, more likely instinct than anything. Little Cadence was emphatically trying to nurse through my shirt, looking confused as to why nothing was happening.
“Oh, looks like somebody’s hungry.”
Taking her back, Ashe put a blanket over her shoulder for discretion and started to nurse Cadence, just as she was summoned into the sanctum sanctorum. Left alone in the hall, I was able to ponder, never once stopping to think about what I was doing.
Eventually, Ashe remerged, baby still at her boob, looking satisfied with the answers she’d gotten. The call went up for me next, and I was in, still wondering what the hell I was going to say.
“Oh, hi Claudia,” Professor Hernandez said. “What’s up?”
“IneedyourhelpSvenhasdisappearedandheneverdoesthatandIknowjustknowsomethingterriblehashappened!”
“Whoa, slow down, and try to put spaces between your words.”
“Sven has disappeared. He never does that. I know something terrible has happened. Help?”
“Is this Sven from The Sanctuary?”
“That’s the one. We were, um, together, now.”
“Ah, yes, I should have recognized the collar.”
“He’s done this with other girls?” I asked, trying to keep the hurt from my voice.
“Oh, no, not at all. He just showed it to me when he bought it, said it was for his one true love. It was really sweet, if a bit unlike him. Why do you think he’s disappeared?”
“I don’t know. He said he would be back. His car is gone too.”
“That doesn’t mean he’s disappeared.”
“No, you don’t understand. He said he would be back, he always comes back. He took me to his place, we, umm, hung out, then he said he had some work to do and went down to the studio saying, ‘I’ll be back by morning.’ Morning came and he’s not here. Something has happened to him.”
It was a bit more information than I’d meant to reveal but he didn’t seem to mind. It sounded like Professor Hernandez knew Sven pretty well anyway. The last six of his albums had been released on Suspicious Activity’s label so it stood to reason that they would have gotten to know each other pretty well, which is why I came here to ask him to help me.
I loved Sven with all my being, but I also knew what he could be like. He generally viewed social interaction as a necessary nuisance for his job.
“That does sound strange.”
“I know! Sorry, I’m just really worried. Sorry to trouble you with this, but my roommate is out, and I didn’t know where else to go.”
“Not at all, I’m glad you came to me with this. Sven is a friend. If he’s in trouble, I would want to know, and I would want to try to help. So, thank you.”
Vindication ruled, as that was basically the response I’d expected. I was glad I went to him too, since Professor Hernandez was far better at plans than me.
Still, we soon found out that the hospitals knew nothing. No one of Sven’s name or description, both rather distinctive, were recorded as coming in. I made sure he asked even the morgues. Wherever Sven was, he was probably alive and uninjured, though that didn’t rule out a ransom kidnapping or—
“Where are you going?” I asked Professor Hernandez.
“Cop shop, come along if you want.”
“Well, someone has to keep you out of trouble.”
Grabbing his pirate coat from the back of his chair, Professor Hernandez graciously said he would drive me down to the station. The rumors were true. He did indeed drive a vintage hearse, refurbished in black, purple, and silver.
