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Amanda sighed and dropped her arms to her sides. She was never the type to hold on to anger. Why would she start now with this man?
Maybe because he can actually leave a mark if I let him?
Gene reached for her hand. “Having said that, I’m sorry I hurt you.”
“I made an appointment for a consult with Dr. Bloom,” Amanda confessed.
“You did?” Gene’s face lifted.
“Just for a consult, a second opinion,” she added quickly. “Doesn’t mean I agree with you.”
“Of course.” Gene nodded and quelled the smile on his lips.
“Having said that…” she copied his earlier words and pulled her hand away from him. “… I think we need to take a step back from each other.” His brows rose in surprise, obviously not expecting her to say that of all things. “This is happening too fast,” Amanda added.
“Right,” he said and literally took a step back. “I understand.”
Amanda was conscious of her decision, but she still felt disappointed at Gene’s instant acceptance. But it was the right thing to do. What did they have in common, anyhow? And if he told her not to risk her health, why would she risk her heart on someone who might not stay, anyway?
Gene turned his back on her as if he was about to leave, but he stopped. “I also got a consult. A second opinion, per se.”
Amanda frowned. “On what?”
“The girl.” He glanced back at her. “I went to see Patrick Alden. Do you know him?”
“Yes. He comes by here once in a while.” Amanda added, “Cinnamon bun and black coffee with a splash of cream.”
Gene’s left brow almost touched his hairline as it rose so high.
“You remember his order?”
“I try to remember my regular customers. And I’ve seen him volunteering in the soup kitchen. What about him?”
“He’s a police detective. I figured he’d know better about how to find a missing person; if we’re assuming she’s missing.”
She knew Patrick was a cop, but she asked, “The police didn’t believe me. Why even bother?”
“Patrick isn’t just a cop. He’s a friend. I know how important it is to find this girl for you, so I asked him to check if there were any reported missing girls in the database who match the descriptions you gave.”
Amanda’s chest expanded in anticipation. She wasn’t sure if it was hope or something else.
“And?”
Gene shook his head with regret. “We didn’t find one between the ages of eleven and eighteen, but there are three that matched—blond hair, brown eyes—but they’re in their early twenties.”
“Oh.”
Amanda’s heart sank. She was sure the girl was an adolescent, closer to the younger side than the older side. But could she be wrong?
“It might not help, but maybe you can look at their pictures to be sure,” Gene suggested.
She nodded slightly. “Yeah.”
“Patrick also suggested that you should sit down with a sketch artist.” He looked at her with hope in his eyes. “Do you think you can do that?”
“Yes,” Amanda replied firmly. “I can do that. I was thinking the same thing.”
Gene smiled and took out his phone. “Great. I’ll set it up with him.”
