Page 42 of Harmony

I swallowed. “Patty is… That is… She’s gone. Disappeared. We can’t find her.”

Silence for a moment, until, “Excuse me?”

“I’m so sorry. We’ve called the police, and you know Bradford Steel has a lot of money. I’m sure we’ll find her, Mr. Watson.”

“What have you done?” he roared.

“I haven’t done anything.” Tears welled in my eyes. “She went shopping, and she didn’t come back.”

“You let her go alone?”

“I…” I didn’t know what to say. Yes, I’d let her go alone. She was a grown woman in a small town. But guilt ate away at my guts like a parasite.

“I’m calling the police in Snow Creek.”

“Yes. Yes, of course. You should do that. They’re looking into this.”

He slammed the phone down so hard that I jerked at the echo in my ear.

I numbly stumbled out of Brad’s office and to the guest room where he’d put my things.

The next day passed in a haze. I couldn’t tell you what I did, who I talked to. All I could think about was Patty. Was she hurt? Struggling? Every horrid thing that could be happening to her went through my head in excruciating detail.

Two days later, I received a phone call from Mr. Watson.

“Ennis, I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but Patty has left the country. She called her mother and me a few hours ago from Togo, Africa.” He draws in a breath so harshly I can hear it through the phone. “She joined the Peace Corps. I’m sorry.”

No.

What?

I went numb once more.

Patty left me? After she said she loved me? The Peace Corps? A noble calling, but she’d only finished one year of college.

Never once did Patty mention any desire to join the Peace Corps.

“Excuse me?” I finally say.

He clears his throat and then clears it again. “Yes, it was a surprise to us as well. Especially that she didn’t say goodbye before she left. But Patty can be prone to impulsive decisions, Ennis. I’m sorry.”

“But—”

He hung up the phone.

And I stared into space for what seemed like forever.

I said a quick goodbye to Brad, Daphne, and the baby the next day and traveled back to London.

BRIANNA

“How did my grandmother end up with your ring, then?” I ask.

“The story’s far from over.” He sighs. “I never believed Patty had left me to join the Peace Corps. To this day, I have no idea why her father told me she did.”

Donny shakes his head. “I’d bet Wendy Madigan had a hand in that.”

“Perhaps,” Ennis says, “since we finally know for sure that Wendy Madigan had Patty killed.” He closes his eyes. “Sometimes I still can’t believe it, but it gives me a sense of peace to finally know she didn’t leave me willingly.”

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