Page 12 of Question Everything

“I asked. They were called to a shooting a few blocks away right after it happened. Plus, you were on the scene. Maybe they thought that you’d take it? I guess they didn’t know about your –”

Kyle interrupted him before Devon could complete his thought.

“Right, right. They must have thought that I’d do it.”

“Anyway, it’s here, now. Open it up and let’s see what we find,” Devon said with a smile.

She could feel her hand shake a bit as she unzipped the bag. Inside she found a pacifier, some tissues, and a small leather makeup pouch, all of which she rested on the counter next to her now forgotten plate of eggs. She reached in once more and retrieved a matching leather envelope, tied with an elegant strap. She looked up at both men. “Perhaps there’s some sort of document in here,” she said, undoing the fastening.

She shook more contents onto the counter. Two US passports and a white, unsealed envelope with ten one-hundred-dollar bills which spilled out with her movements. She opened the first passport. It belonged to the baby: Sarah Mabel Sawyer. Date of Birth: May 9, 2023. Place of Birth: New York, USA. Then her own: Mia Elizabeth Sawyer. Date of Birth: November 15, 1993. Place of Birth: New York, USA. She read the wordsover again.New York, USA.That seemed both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time and she felt a distinct chill creep up her spine.

“Well, what’s your name?” Kyle asked, a wide smile on his face.

“Mia,” she said. “My name’s Mia, and my daughter is Sarah.”She read the documents correctly, but she had the most awful sinking feeling that she couldn’t express. What does it mean?she asked herself.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mia,” he said. “Welcome to my humble home.”

“Humble my ass!” Devon said. “This is a nice part of town. Shit, I’m stuck out in Marlborough with my wife and kids living that suburban life. What I wouldn’t give for a nice Back Bay pad like this one…”

“Stop complaining, Dev. You know you love it, coaching little league and all.”

“Yeah, well, I suppose so.” He turned his attention to the woman seated at the counter. “Any emergency contact information in there?”

She looked over the contents she’d spilled onto the counter. “Not that I see. This is all there is.”

Well, don’t worry. We should be able to track your family down now that we have your name and a location for you. I’ll run it through the system tomorrow at the precinct and see what comes up.”

“No need, Dev. I can do it from here. I still have – I mean, I have access on my laptop. I’ll run it later.”

“Okay, man. I guess I’ll be going. I’m sure it’s been a long day for you both.” He stood up. “It was nice meeting you, Mia. Take care of that precious bundle you’ve got there,” he said, nodding toward the baby still fast asleep in the cloth carrier.

“I will, Devon. Thank you again for all your help. It will be wonderful to wear some clothes of my own once more and it was very kind of you to bring all my belongings over here.”

“I’ll walk you out,” Kyle said, throwing an arm around his partner’s shoulder and leading him from the kitchen back to the entry hall.

She could hear them speaking in low tones at the front door, not able to make out what the two men were saying. She was confused about so many things. She reached into the purse once more and pulled out a red leather wallet and opened it. She found the boarding passes from a flight that had left London’s Heathrow airport two days before as well as a few hundred dollars in twenties and tens tucked inside. The money felt unfamiliar, but she couldn’t place why it looked so strange. There were only two things in the slots reserved for credit cards: a New York State driver’s license and a gold American Express card. She pulled out the license and first stared at the address, then the photo embossed in plastic. 217 East 76thStreet. Something about those numbers was vaguely familiar, she just couldn’t bring anything to the forefront of her mind. However, as she searched the small square picture and recognized her features, there was one thing she knew for certain: Mia Elizabeth Sawyer was not her name. Not that it mattered. She still had no idea of who she was, or why she was here. She picked up her wine glass and downed the rest of the contents, then stood up to bring their plates to the sink.Wait. 217 East 76thStreet…An image of a yellow taxi flashed before her eyes. A car. Snapping the baby into her car seat.What else?

Something made her feel uncomfortable just looking at that address. She couldn’t place it, but it made her feel like her life was in danger.Why then, did this stranger make her feel like he’d protect her? Why did he make her feel safe?She shook her head. None of this made sense. She glanced back at her licenseon the counter. She closed her eyes, trying to envision the street listed on the official piece of plastic, but the foggy image faded away once more. She let out a breath. She had no further recall, but maybe if she cleared her mind, it might come back.There’s something important that I must remember. What is it?

“Don’t worry about the dishes,” Kyle’s voice behind her brought her out of her thoughts. “Go through your stuff, find something to sleep in. I’ll set up the Pack and Play for Sarah in the bedroom -- Sibby left hers for us to use, and then we’ll all turn in. Tomorrow we can work on finding your family. I’m sure they’re worried sick about you both.”

She nodded, not knowing what else to say. She was glad that Kyle thought that there were people somewhere missing her, but something deep down told her differently. She had the oddest sensation that she was running away from everything she ever knew. A shiver went up her spine.That wasn’t possible, was it?

Then an even more chilling thought crossed her mind. She went back over to her purse and sorted through the contents on the counter. A package of tissues from the airplane, the British Airways logo printed across the plastic front and a few loose, generic, red, and white mints wrapped in clear cellophane spilled out. Conspicuous in its absence was her phone. Everyone carried a cellphone these days. She should have had one, she was sure of it, and it would have been loaded up with her contacts.Whoever leaves home without their phone?she thought.Maybe someone who didn’t want to be found…

CHAPTER 7

Daylight crept across her pillow, and she woke with a start. Nothing around her felt familiar; the mattress, or the prevalent musky, masculine scent that perfumed the sheets. When she sat up, she saw that the Pack and Play next to the bed was empty. She felt a jolt of sheer terror climb up her spine -- where was her baby?

She pushed herself up, not noticing that she was wearing only camisole top and pajama shorts and left the bedroom feeling her heart race. She stumbled into the kitchen to find Kyle holding Sarah in one strong arm while preparing coffee with the other. Her daughter was cooing, which immediately made her calm just a bit. Gathering her wits about her, she walked toward the sound of his low voice, singing something unfamiliar to her daughter. Just as she approached, Kyle lifted his head and saw her. She felt his eyes on her then, sweeping over her scantily clad body and landing on her face.

“Good morning,” he said. “I hope you don’t mind. You were sleeping so soundly that when I heard Sarah start to wake, I just wanted to save you from getting up, so I came in and grabbed her.”

“You didn’t need to do that. I can take care of her.”

“I’m sure you can, but doctor’s orders, you know. You still need to take it easy, stay off your feet as much as possible.”

“I’m really fine,” she responded, a moment too soon. She felt a wave of dizziness overwhelm her and she started to sway, grabbing on to the counter for balance.

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