Page 38 of A Breath of Life
“Kitty, don’t!” But she was already gone again. “Dammit.” The birds on the window ledge cocked their heads. “Shut up. He’s not here. Get a worm or something. This isn’t a restaurant, and I don’t know where he hides the birdseed.”
They refused to leave—stupid birds—so I slapped the pane, and they scattered in a flurry of feathers. Leaning my head on the cool glass, I peered at the street below, at the traffic, the pedestrians, and the fast-moving city life. Diem was not among them. He was nowhere.
It took seven and a half minutes before Kitty returned that time. “He hasn’t been arrested.”
“Are you sure? I thought of that.”
“Positive. Have you called the nursing home to see if he showed up last night? Perhaps Hazel wasn’t doing well, and he stayed with her or went back this morning.”
I gasped. “That’s it. Oh my god. Why didn’t I think of that? It’s genius. He’s at the nursing home. Thanks, Kitty. I gotta go.”
“Tallus, I haven’t even—”
I disconnected and performed a Google search for Evergreen Estates’ phone number, convinced the answer was that simple. Five minutes later, after being bounced from one person to the next, I hung up and buried my face in my hands as defeat slammed the door on my positive thinking.
Diem had visited his nana the previous night, but he’d signed out at eight thirty-six and hadn’t been back. Of course that wasn’t it. If his nana was unwell, Diem would have let me know, even if he was upset. If his mind was muddled, he would have at least taken my phone calls.
Frustrated and drained, I grabbed my car keys and locked the office. I would check at home one more time, and if he still wasn’t there, I would report him as missing.
***
The apartment was as quiet and empty as when I left earlier. I completed a walk-through to be sure, studying every detail in case Diem had briefly slipped in while I was away. Nothing. No sign of him. Even the few pieces of kibble in Echo’s food dish remained.
Adults didn’t vanish into thin air. Sometimes, they took off, like wives escaping abusive husbands or teenagers following young love across the country without telling their parents. Semi-stable adults with semi-stable jobs and Jeeps and bratty boyfriends and apartments and therapy appointments penned on the calendar stuck to the fridge didn’t up and disappear without a reason.
Right?
Right?
Except they did all the time, and maybe they got tired of said bratty boyfriend and decided they would rather take off than endure a single minute longer in their presence.
No. It wasn’t like that. People disappeared for other reasons. I’d seen the files come through from MPU. Children and adults alike. Many of them went unsolved, but not Diem. It wouldn’t happen to my Diem. Not with his size. Not with his aggressive personality. Who in their right mind would try to kidnap Diem? Plus, he had a dog with him. A dog was an extra layer of protection, wasn’t it?
Moaning, I collapsed on the couch and considered calling my contact in MPU for advice. Detective Quaid Valor was best friends with my cousin. So far as I knew, he was on parental leave, but he would know if my situation warranted filing a report. He wouldn’t mind talking to me, would he? I would have to call Costa to get Quaid’s personal number.
That was what I’d do. Call Costa. Contact Quaid Valor.
What choice did I have? I was running out of options.
Before I made up my mind, the phone rang.
I scrambled to retrieve it from my pocket, adrenaline spiking when I considered it might be Diem finally returning my call. It wasn’t. The number for the Toronto Police Headquarters flashed on the screen.
I connected, slumping on the couch. “Hey, Kitty. Anything? Please tell me he’s not dead. I haven’t called the morgue yet, but I don’t want to. I can’t accept it. Not now. Not when we’re finally having good sex.”
“Sweetie, the less I know about your sex life, the better.”
“Oh, shut up. You and your witchy magic already know way more than I’ve ever shared. Don’t pretend otherwise.”
She concurred with a hum, which disturbed me greatly. “I’ve been thinking. You should go home, Tallus. I have a feeling Diem will turn up shortly. You mentioned a disagreement?”
I pouted. “Yes. It was stupid and all my fault. Spaghetti would have fixed it, but he left before the noodles were cooked, and they’re still in the pot, slimy and surrounded by a strange gray goop. It’s frightening, so I haven’t cleaned it. Also, the ground beef in the microwave is starting to smell like a dead body, not that I know what that smells like.”
“Oh, sweetheart. Does that mean you’ve gone home?”
“Yes.”
“Good. You know Diem. It takes him longer than most to wade through complicated emotions and find balance. He probably lost track of time and is on his way to you right now. In fact, I know he is. I bet if you sit tight—”
