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“Steve’s in California,” Claire heard herself say. “He told me Rina reached out to some of her contacts. People who might be able to figure out what Gail was up to before she left.”
Russel’s face turned a soft shade of green. “That’s great.”
Claire dried her hands on a kitchen towel and gazed at Russel. Her heart thudded with love for him. She prayed he wouldn’t sense she’d been in his office, snooping. She prayed everything was in precisely the same place.
“Steve said we should try to think of everything Gail might have mentioned to us.” Claire continued. “Rina says every detail could be important. Even the ones we don’t think are anything special.”
Russel scratched his beard, his eyes toward the window. Another few inches of snow had already fallen just that afternoon. “Gosh, babe. I can’t think of anything special.”
Claire’s heart sank. “Abby said something about a fight they had before the New Year’s Eve party.”
Russel arched his brow.
“And apparently, they weren’t getting along that well throughout the semester.”
“That’s pertinent,” Russel said. “Don’t you think?” Color began to return to Russel’s cheeks.
“It doesn’t change the fact that we don’t know where she is.”
“But it means she had reason to leave,” Russel said. “It means her sister had something to do with it.”
Claire bristled. “This isn’t Abby’s fault.”
“I didn’t say that.” Russel took a long slug from his beer, and his Adam’s apple bounced up and down. “I just mean that something happened between them. And Gail is acting out.”
Claire hung the skillet back on the kitchen rack and watched Russel, her distrust mounting. Why was he so eager to pin the blame on Abby?
“Are you back for a while?” Claire asked. “It would be nice to have you here. Abby and I haven’t been doing so well.”
Something like sorrow flickered across Russel’s face. “I wish I could, babe. I really do. But this account is giving me a heart attack. Randall needs me back in a few days. Hopefully not as long this time.”
Claire’s lips fell into a line.
“I can’t put my entire career on hold right now,” Russel continued, his voice edged with anger. “You know that. You know all I’ve worked for.”
Claire knew there was no arguing with him. She peered at him through the slits of her eyes.
Russel walked around her, set his beer on the counter, and wrapped his hands around her shoulders. He began to knead the knots in her back, which were strained and tight after a week of tension and fear. Even as he rotated the muscle, Claire couldn’t loosen up, not like she once had. She stared out the window as Russel told her to calm down, calm down, and wondered if she’d been living with a monster all this time.
ChapterTwelve
Rina woke up at five thirty, put on her running gear, and stepped into the shadows of the hallway, pushing her earbuds into her ears. The coffee pot gurgled from the kitchen, and Rina was grateful for the sound, even with all the baggage it brought. She wasn’t alone in this house all by herself, like always. Someone was here to greet the morning with her.
“You’re up early,” Rina said.
Steve stood in a pair of sweatpants and a white undershirt, gripping the handle of a coffee mug and leaning against the kitchen counter. Rina had told him to help himself to whatever he wanted. He’d slipped into her life easily. That said, she’d meant what she’d said about their “romance” being over. She’d asked him to sleep in the guest bedroom—just one room away from where Rina had tossed and turned.
“I’m still three hours ahead,” Steve said groggily. “It’s eight thirty for me.”
Rina poured herself a mug of coffee and removed her earbuds. The run could wait. “I have to visit my mother today. Visiting hours start at ten. I guess I’ll stay till noon or so.”
“Do you want me to come with you?”
Rina winced. “I don’t know why you would.” Steve was just a friend. She didn’t want to over-complicate things or confuse her amnesia-ridden mother even more. She didn’t want Steve to start to think he owed her anything.
“But we can get brunch after,” Rina added. “I know a good place in Venice.”
“Venice Beach?” Steve’s eyes lit up.
