Page 42 of Please Remember

I've always hated how cute Sage is. She's not sexy like Allie is, but she's attractive. Even sitting in sweats with her hair pulled up in a messy knot on the top of her head, she looks adorable. Any guy on the street would ask her out, and I cannot pull that effortless attractiveness off to save my life. I have to put hours into my appearance to look like she does.

"I came to check on Allie. Wewerefriends, remember?" I say and sit down.

"Is it weird because you were engaged to Jax when I showed back up?"

Giving Allie what I hope is a reassuring smile, I choke out, "It's fine." Allie sits down in the middle chair, and I do my best to ignore Sage. "Have you remembered anything?"

"Not really. There are some things, but no memories."

"Having you back is a miracle," I say, hoping it doesn't sound how it feels coming off my tongue. Like battery acid.

She smiles, but the look she gives is one I can’t quite interpret. Suspicion, maybe? "That's what I'm told."

"It is," Sage says.

"Has it been a media circus?" I ask.

Shrugging, Allie looks at the table. "Kind of, but it's not as bad now. The novelty has kind of worn off."

"I bet. Not a lot happens in this little town, and we haven't seen anything this big since… Ms. Moran," I say, leaning back as it pops into my mind. "I never realized until now how similar your cases are."

"Who's Ms. Moran?" she asks and looks between Sage and me. "What happened to her?"

Sage's eyes widen, and for the first time in what feels like a decade, she doesn't look at me with disdain. "Oh my God, I completely forgot about her."

"Who is she?" Allie asks again.

"Ms. Moran was a teacher at our school. She went missing when we were in seventh grade. Just vanished without a trace," Sage says.

I nod and try to think back. "Her car disappeared with her, too, and they believe she just up and left."

"Why would she do that?" Allie asks, looking between us again. It almost feels like the three of us really are old friends.

"There were rumors she was involved with a student. She was young, I think fresh out of college when she got the job, right?" I ask Sage.

She nods her head slowly. "Yeah, the rumor was going around that she'd gotten knocked up by a student, and she took off before theycould prosecute her. Who was the kid? I don't know that I ever heard a name."

I look around the room as I try to think back. It's been so long since I thought much about Ms. Moran. Not that I was unhappy she disappeared. She was a bitch. "Danny Tomlin."

"Oh my God," Sage gasps.

"What?" Allie asks. "Why is he 'Oh my God' worthy?"

"That's the guy you got fired from the bank."

Pointing a finger to her own chest, Allie stares in confusion. "Me? I got him fired?"

"He was stalking you," she says. "He would leave you presents at your desk, and when you refused him, he started leaving you horrific gifts. Dead roses, then dead rodents. When he broke into your car to leave you an old-school mix tape after stealing your keys from your purse in your office, he was fired."

"Wait, seriously?" I ask, wondering how I never heard about Danny before.

Sage nods. "I think it was one of the last times the cameras outside the bank were working. Or the last time they remembered looking at them. How did I not make the connection before now? Your caseisreally similar to Ms. Moran. Her car disappeared with her just like yours did."

"What kind of car did I have?" Allie asks.

Wow, she either really doesn't remember or is giving an Oscar-worthy performance right now.

"A white Jeep Wrangler," I tell her.

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