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Now he just felt like shit. The steaks sizzled, his stomach growled, and a headache was beginning at the base of his skull. “Please. Sit.”
He raked a hand through his hair. “I don’t know what happened. Last night, well, yesterday, Kiera and I spent the day together, had dinner and then I stayed at her place. This morning I woke up to her gone. No note. Nothing. It’s thirty years ago all over again. My stomach is in knots, and, frankly, my heart is broken.”
“What?” Both Sam and Gray exclaimed in unison.
“That doesn’t sound like her at all. She’s very responsible and dependable. Did she have somewhere to go today?” Sam leaned forward. “Gray, she didn’t have to work today, did she?”
“No. Nothing pressing that would call her in.” Gray leaned forward in his chair, his forearms resting on his knees. “Did you call her?”
He let out a long sigh. “No.”
“What?” Sam scooted to the edge of her chair. “You didn’t call to see where she was? Find out when she was coming home? Nothing? Why would you go a whole day and not try and find out anything about her whereabouts?”
“Sam, you don’t understand. Thirty years ago when she disappeared, I tore myself up calling around for her. All of our friends, her teachers in school. I ran around town looking for her. I stopped at every little park, shop, store we ever went to. I didn’t eat for days, frantic. I didn’t know what really happened until her mother finally told me a few weeks later that she’d married and left the area. I couldn’t. No, I won’t go through that again.”
Sam quickly stood and crossed her arms. “Shame on you. You own a damned security company for crying out loud. You of all people can do searches and find people. You didn’t even bother to so much as call her. Nowadays we have cell phones and use them. Did you even do a skip search?” She looked at Gray. “Honestly, is this what you would have done if I left without a word? Just go ride and drink and feel sorry for yourself?”
“Hey, hey, hey. Don’t be mad at me. I didn’t do anything.”
David stood. “I shouldn’t have stopped. Now I’ve got you two arguing. I’ll go home.”
Sam quickly stopped him with her hands on his arm. “David. Don’t leave. I’m sorry, I guess I’m just surprised, that’s all. But, I do say this, you need to call her. You need to talk to her and find out what happened. It could be very innocent. Don’t jump to conclusions.”
She picked up her wineglass and stepped toward the house. “I’ll leave you two to talk it out ‘guy talk.’ I’ve got a couple things I need to prepare for supper.”
Gray’s hand snaked out and wrapped around her waist. “Give me a kiss.” She chuckled and pecked his lips, then stepped into the house.
Gray chuckled. “She’s passionate about certain things and some people. She’s grown attached to Kiera. She says there’s a sadness in her soul.”
“Yeah. I believe there is. Has she told you about her past?”
“No. We haven’t had any deep conversations.”
Taking a deep breath, he relayed all he knew about Kiera’s life with Nicholas.
23
Parking his bike in the garage, stomach full, head a bit woozy and that headache that had begun before dinner, was now in full force. Tapping the button to close the garage door, he sighed heavily and dropped into a kitchen chair.
He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and tapped a few icons that brought up Kiera’s picture and number. Taking a deep breath, he tapped her number and put the phone to his ear. He listened as the ringing on the other end turned into three rings, then four and finally her voice.
Hello, you’ve reached Kiera Donnelly. I’m afraid I can’t come to the phone now, so please leave your name and number, and I’ll return your call. Thank you.
His voice croaked, “Kiera.” He let out a long breath. “Kiera, this is David. Please call me and tell me you’re okay.”
Heaving himself from the kitchen chair, he made his way to the office and booted up his computer. Pulling up the Haggerty Security site he browsed for Kiera’s name, then looked at her security logins. She’d logged in a few hours ago, one failed attempt then one successful one. But the system hadn’t been re-engaged. So, she was home and not answering her phone.
Staring at the screen, anger floated to the surface of his mind. Why would she do this to him again? Clicking on a few screens to check her location on her phone, he noticed that it sat idle for a few hours. Unless his software wasn’t pinging her location correctly, her phone appeared to be in the parking lot, which made no sense.
He walked to the bathroom and pulled the aspirin from the medicine cabinet. Downing two little white pills, he drank a glass of water and went to the kitchen to make coffee. He needed to sober up or at least wake up fully before he went over to check on her.
* * *
Parking next to her car in the parking lot, he took a deep breath and exited his vehicle. His heart hammered in his chest; his skin was perspiring, and his breathing was irregular. Moment of truth right here.
Looking into the windows of her car, he noticed the front seat littered with a few items—the rest of her car was clean. Walking to the passenger side of the vehicle, he took a closer look and saw a nail file, a receipt for something, and her phone peeking out from the receipt. Trying the handle, the car was locked. The green light flashed at the top of the phone signaling a message. Probably his, but who knows?
Steeling himself for what he would find, he took the stairs two at a time. Finding himself a bit out of breath at the fourth floor, he leaned against the wall and waited for his breathing to regulate. Being fifty-five didn’t allow for taking four flights of steps two at a time.
