Page 31 of His Gift
"He's still out there." I don't need an answer: her grimace says it all.
"The doctor's getting antsy, so I'll be quick. We'll protect you, erase your presence here, and hurry to get a warrant based on the information you gave me. I'll let you recover as much as possible, but I'll be back with more questions. A lot more. We'll move you when it's safe. One last thing for now. Anyone you want to notify? Ex-husband? A friend? Usually we advise against it, but given the circumstances, support might be crucial."
The room feels suddenly colder and Conrad's name hovers on the edge of my tongue.
twenty-three
Conrad
She left me behind.
twenty-four
Conrad
Ipalm Harper's keys.
I never gave them back, and she didn't ask. But I'll give them back tonight. I want to show her I'm listening. I want to show her we can work through ourimpasseand find a way forward.
My heart beats a little faster as I slide the key into the lock. I've missed her.
To fillthe hours away from Harper, today I went to my company again. I have a hunch my employees liked it better when I was showing up once in a while, but I'm starting to enjoy it. I'd forgotten how much I love being in a lab, doing research, and occasionally coming up with a very good idea. Another gift from my sweet girl. My life is so much better since I met her—more chaotic, more confusing, scarier in a way, but also brighter, filled with so many things I didn't know existed or cared about. That's why it's inconceivable I can lose her. I can't let her go. She's opened a world for me. She's…
Does she feel the same? Has her life improved since she met me? I pause, my hand on the handle. No, I guess not. Fuck.
Is she right? Did I just take from her, exactly like everyone else did? If she hadn't remembered her past so soon, things would have been different. I would have shown her all the care in the world. I'd have nudged her toward writing and publishing, toward her true calling. I'd have…
Doesn't matter. Things are exactly as they are, but I can do better now. I can't even imagine losing her. I can't be the reason she feels not enough. I won't let her run from me.
I'll show her, even if all we have are dinners to bridge the lost time until she changes her mind—until she welcomes me back into her bed.
No. I must avoid pushing. I'll have to make the most of the time she gives me, however short it might be.
Taking a deep breath to steady my reeling mind, I push the door open and my smile twists into a grimace.
She's not home yet.
She hasn't answered a single phone call, a single message. My calls go straight to voicemail and none of my messages are getting through.
"Hi, I'm Miss Schmidt's brother, Conrad. She should've picked me up at the airport two hours ago, but she's a no-show and isn't answering my calls. I'm starting to worry. Is she still there? Can you connect me with her extension?" With bated breath, I wait to see if the night guard will throw security concerns to the wind in favor of helping a frantic brother.
"I'm not supposed to say…"
"I understand. You're right. I'll catch a taxi and… If I come there will you…" Confused, worried, pitiful just enough, hopefully.
"Don't come here, Mr. Schmidt. Your sister didn't show up at work today. Maybe you're right to be concerned. You should check on her."
"Didn't show up? Oh God, thank you! I'll go straight to her apartment. Thank you!" I close the call and look around. Iamat her fucking apartment. What the hell happened?
If I start calling hospitals, they won't tell me a thing unless I can prove who I am. And even if I narrowed the search to the closest ones, hacking them all could take all night or even longer. It might not be even possible.
Think, think, think.
The cameras I installed when I met her. I haven't checked them since I took her. I don't like to watch my gift on a screen but I forgot to take them down. I pick up my phone and access the last recording before I came here.
She looks beautiful, determined. She smiles at her phone, probably because of the messages we exchanged. Nothing looks wrong. Nothing seems amiss. And she leaves her apartment at the same hour she always does now that I buy her breakfast and grant her more time. She didn't eat, though.
In a rush, I'm out of her apartment and follow the route she always takes to the subway. Unless she Ubered to work. But she didn't use her phone before leaving… One thing at a time. I speed up and in a few minutes I come across yellow tape cordoning off what looks like the scene of a car accident. My blood goes cold. There's a shop a few steps away, but it's closed. The owner surely knows what happened, but he won't be here until seven tomorrow morning. It's still the fastest way to find out if the accident involved Harper.
