Page 63 of Set In Stone

I set the picture down and shook my head in an attempt to rid myself of the memories. I had to get a grip. Looking at the old pictures was like ripping a scab off a wound, but there wasn’t time to reminisce. And there certainly wasn’t time to become emotional. There was too much atstake.

I walked upstairs and into her bedroom. I opened the closet doors and found her clothes neatly lined up on hangers. The bed was made, the comforter pristine and crisp. Nothing seeming out of place. I went into her bathroom, but there wasn’t even so much as a toothpaste smudge in the sink. Unable to find any sort of clue for her whereabouts, I headed back downstairs to thekitchen.

Once again, I found everything to be neat and tidy. There wasn’t a glass in the sink or a food crumb on the counters. It was almost surreal, as if nobody lived here at all. If I hadn’t already seen the clothes in her closet, I may have actually believedthat.

I looked to the ceiling and reached up to rub my temples. A part of me expected that she wouldn’t be here. But another part of me hoped to find her curled up in her bed, fraught with worry over the interview Charlie gave. I didn’t know if she knew about it, but she had to have. It was the only explanation for her disappearance. I truly believed that Justine was runningscared.

I turned to make my way out the of kitchen, disappointed that I wasn’t able to find any answers. I paused when I saw a small scrap of paper under the kitchen table. Bending to retrieve it, I saw that it was a receipt for a parking garage in Brooklyn. Yesterday’s date and time stamp was printed on thetop.

Brooklyn? Why the fuck would she be inBrooklyn?

I pocketed the receipt, unsure of what to think. I only knew that as soon as Hale was back, I would ask him to look into it. Perhaps there were traffic cams in the area that would reveal something. Between Hale and Gavin, my ingenious computer tech, they were bound to come up with someanswers.

Just as I turned the key to lock up, my cell rang. I glanced at the screen. It wasMatteo.

“What’s up,Matt?”

“Hello, my friend! Have you seen thepapers?”

My stomach dropped. Hale had assured me that he stalled the publication of Charlie’sinterview.

“The papers? What aboutthem?”

“The reviews!” he exclaimed, sounding completelyexasperated.

I breathed a sigh of relief, suddenly realizing what he was talking about. He was calling about therestaurant.

“The reviews,” I repeated. “No, I haven’t seen them yet. Sorry. It’s been a hecticday.”

“You’re killing me! Look them up, man. They are good. Really goodactually.”

“That’s great to hear,Matt.”

My voice was detached, even to my own ears. I didn’t mean to sound like I didn’t care. I had a lot invested in his success, but I just couldn’t feel his excitement at that particularmoment.

“What’s wrong?” Matteo asked, obviously picking up mytone.

“Nothing. Just tired,” I told him and forced myself to match his enthusiasm. “I think we need to celebrate. What do yousay?”

“I think that’s a great idea. Let’s plan for Friday if you’re free. The restaurant closes at nine. We can hit a club or something. One of the ones Allyson goes to maybe. Check with Krystina and maybe the four of us can go outtogether.”

I raised my eyebrows as I climbed into the Tesla. I was sure that we would not be going to any club that Allyson frequented. If I was going to go out, we would do it my way. Still, his mention of Allyson made me pause. Switching over to Bluetooth, I continued the conversation and pulled out of the parkingspace.

“Allyson,” I said, letting her name hang in the air as a statement rather than aquestion.

“What abouther?”

I smirked at his evasion. He knew exactly what I was talkingabout.

“What’s your interest inher?”

“She’s a cool girl. We have fun together. That’sall.”

“Why do I think there’s more toit?”

I heard Matteo sigh through theline.

“Don’t over think it. Really, there’s nothing between us. She’s not the one forme.”

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