Page 1 of Into Orbit
‘There’snothingmoreIcan do, Maeve.’
Rian Wilding’s voice was apologetic. Sorrowful, even.
‘There must be something,’ I insisted. ‘Something that hasn’t been done yet.Anything.’
‘Maeve,’ he said gently. ‘Your local officers searched your apartment. They went to Tessa’s work. They spoke to all her co-workers, all her friends, all her social media contacts. They called me. They called my mother. They searched the parks near your apartment and contacted every hospital in the city. They’ve done door knocks, reviewed CCTV, taken forensic samples. They’ve run two media campaigns, one local and one country wide.’ He paused. ‘I’ve done some slightly dodgy things to check that they’re doing everything in their power, and they are. I’m worried, too, but short of quitting my job and pursuing less legal avenues, I’ve done everything I can.’
‘That,’ I said immediately. ‘Do that.’
He sighed. I imagined he was doing something with his hands to alleviate his frustration – pinching the bridge of his nose, rubbing his eyes, running his fingers through his hair. I had no idea what Tessa’s cousin looked like – I’d never met him – but I’d sent enough calls, texts, and emails over the past month to know that I was seriously testing his patience, not to mention his boundaries. Our contact wasn’t above board; he wasn’t supposed to speak with me at all, but he’d bought a burner phone once it became apparent that I wasn’t going to leave him alone. His willingness to bend the rules – along with his obvious tolerance for a strange woman harassing him constantly about her missing friend – made him seem like a decent enough human, and I had the feeling that we would have gotten along, in different circumstances. I’d learned a few sparse details about his life – that he’d spent a good deal of his childhood in Ireland, that he ate takeaway more than was healthy, that he went to the gym between the hours of 6:30-7:30pm every evening he wasn’t working – but, more importantly, I’d become familiar with the way hethought, which was carefully, analytically, unemotionally.
And I knew what he would say next.
‘The note, Maeve. The text.’
‘You know that note was bullshit,’ I said furiously. ‘Tessa walks out of Advena with a strange man and just …disappears?Tessa? Are you fucking joking? Plus, our apartment stank of sex and …male. Has she texted you again? Because she sure as fuck hasn’t contacted me. Something happened, Rian. Tessa wouldn’t just go.’
‘As I said, you’re not the only one worried.’ His tone was maddeningly even. ‘But are you so sure? Tessa loves you, Maeve, but she doesn’t have many friends. She was working in a job she didn’t like and living in a city she didn’t care about. Would you truly say she washappy? I agree it’s out of character, but what did she really have to stay for?’
Me, I wanted to shout, but I suspected his words hurt so much because they were true. If Tessa had been offered adventure, excitement, and a whole lot of smoulder wrapped up in that beautiful, dark-haired man, perhaps she would have just … gone.
‘She wouldn’t do it,’ I said stubbornly. ‘Iknowshe wouldn’t. Something is fucked up about this, and if you won’t help, then I’ll find someone who will.’
I ended the call before he could respond and stuffed my phone angrily into my jeans pocket. It buzzed a moment later, but I ignored it.
Splaying my hands on the office desk, I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down.
‘Maeve? What are you doing here?’
I exhaled, then pasted a smile on my face, turning around in time to catch Claire’s worried frown. ‘Just … taking a break.’
She blinked. ‘A break? But you weren’t rostered on today.’
‘I’d better get out of the office so you can start your shift, then,’ I said brightly.
She pursed her lips. Claire had gorgeous lips, the kind that caught your eye on the street, so the effect was rather lessdisapprovingand rather moresex goddess. Despite the expression, her voice was kind. ‘You’re seeing someone, yeah?’
She didn’t meanseeing someonein the funway. Claire had been gently encouraging me to make an appointment with a counsellor ever since we realised Tessa was missing.
I waved my hand. ‘I will.’
She gave a barely-perceptible sigh but didn’t push. ‘I better start,’ she said reluctantly. ‘Jessa wants to do an audit before the end of the tax year, and I have more work than I know what to do with.’
I forced another smile. ‘I’ll see if Belle needs any help.’
‘You could go home instead,’ she said pointedly.
Hard pass on that. ‘Good luck with the audit.’
‘I’m watching you, Maeve,’ she grumbled, taking her place at the desk and opening the work laptop. ‘Don’t make me get Anna to do her puppy-dog eyes thing.’
‘Cruel woman,’ I muttered, and forced myself into the chaos of the Advena dance floor.
Business was booming, and the bar was packed; we looked to be close to capacity. I shot a frown at the doorway, catching one of the bouncer’s eyes. Jason held up three fingers, letting me know how close we were to closing the doors. I gave him a nod, then eyed my precious bar.
Belle had it under control, even though we had two brand new staff on tonight. The line was minimal and continually moving, and everything was clean and ordered. I hated to admit it, but they didn’t need my help, not even a little bit.
Anna came out from the kitchen, depositing a bowl of hot chips behind the bar for the staff. She caught sight of me; her nostrils flared in a rare show of irritation.You promised, she mouthed. She pointed a stern finger at a free stool at the bar, then disappeared back into the kitchen.
