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I shake my head. “N-no. But she was supposed to work the next day and never made it to the hospital. But that wasn’t completely unexpected. Everyone knew she’d probably had too much of a good time the night before and that she slept through her alarm or something. It’s not the first time that had happened.” I lean against the side of my house and let out a shaky breath, racking my brain for any last details she might have shared before I left with Steven. Something about a glass of something delicious at the bar. Knowing Jules, it wasn’t a cocktail.
“When did you last see her?”
“It was around nine o’clock, I think. I’d just given a speech and she was congratulating me. I was going to leave with a…a friend, and she said she was going to the bar.”
“Was she alone?”
“Yes…” I furrow my brow and drum my fingers on the railing. “At that point, she was. But I think she had her sights set on a guy. She wasn’t ready to leave yet. But I don’t know who she ended up with. I left before she did, and never heard from her afterward. I figured she’d give me the scoop at work the next day, but that never happened either. I texted and called her so many times and nothing. I just figured something came up.” Tears pool in my eyes. “I never thought she was in any trouble, that she…” I choke on a sob. “That she might be hurt. Or worse.”
The officer nods. “Unfortunately, we have no confirmation either way, just that she’s missing.”
“Do you have any leads? Did anyone see her with a guy?”
“I do have reports of her being seen with a young man about twenty-five with dark hair and dark eyes. By all accounts he was on the taller side, nicely dressed, tattoo on his left hand.”
My blood runs cold.
Tattoo on his left hand. Gianni?
He was there. She was horny.
Oh, my God.
“Did you say he had a tattoo on his left hand?”
The officer peers at his notebook. “Yes. No color, just black.”
“I think she might have been with a former patient. I’d been the one to treat him when he came to the hospital about a week ago. I know he was there last night because I spoke to him early on. He fits your description, and he has a tattoo on his left hand.” Chills invade my body, blasting my insides with a cold frost, and I hug my arms tight around me.
“Do you have a name?”
I tug on a strand of my hair. “His first name is Gianni, but I can’t remember the last name. Aren’t there any ticket sales you can check? Maybe the hospital has a record of buyers you can cross-reference?”
The officer’s lips curl upward. “Yes, we have the guest list. If he’s on it, we’ll find out the name. Did you have an exact date that he came into the hospital?”
“It was definitely last week, but I’m not sure of the day. I work twelve hour shifts so days kind of blend together.”
“I understand. I’m sure we can get the records from the hospital. This has been very helpful, Miss Camarena.” He flips his notebook shut and sticks it in his pocket.
“But isn’t that information confidential?” It’s such a stupid question, and I don’t even know why I said it, but for some reason it’s at the top of my mind. Patient confidentiality and all that.
“Not in this type of investigation. If there’s just cause to access it, we will get it.”
I nod. “Is there any way I can follow up with you? Do you have a card? If it’s okay, I’d like to reach out to see if you find anything out.”
The officer hands me a card. “That’s my direct line. And please, Ms. Camarena. If you hear anything from Ms. Marquez, don’t hesitate to contact me as well.”
“Do you…” I bite down hard on my lower lip. “Do you think you’ll find her, Officer?”
His face takes on a grim look. “You gave me a good lead, and I really hope it will help our investigation. In cases like this, it’s hard to tell. We will use every tool at our disposal to make sure your friend is found, but unfortunately there are no guarantees. We lose a number of women each year in circumstances like this. Hopefully, your friend won’t be part of that tally.”
I swallow another sob that’s rising in my chest and nod. “Th-thank you. I’ll be in touch.”
The officer tips his hat and turns toward his squad car. I watch as he slips inside and drives down the street, disappearing around a bend.
I sink to the cold concrete. Dammit, how could I have not remembered Gianni’s last name? Something Italian…I need to figure it out. I need to help them find my friend. I’ll just get dressed and go to the hospital and check the computer down in the emergency room. Screw privacy laws. I can’t sit around and just wait. What if the cops need to get a warrant? I’m sure there will be lots of red tape to cut through and it may take too much time, time that Jules may not have.
I gasp and jump up. Wait! Max! He knows Gianni’s last name, of course he does since he wanted to stab him with a fork. I just need to get it from him, and then I’ll call the officer back.
