Page 4 of The Inmate
“Huh,” he says.
Damn. I had been hoping she had called him. Told him she had a sick grandma and she wouldn’t be in for the day. “I called her and she didn’t pick up. And also…”
He frowns. “Also what?”
“Dawn’s phone was ringing and I picked it up. And the person on the other line said, ‘Help me.’”
Seth nods. “Okay, so what did they need help with? Did they need information on one of the products? Was it a customer complaint?”
“No, you don’t understand. It sounded like they were in trouble and needed help. I… I think it was Dawn.”
“So… she’s having car trouble or something? Did she tell you what she needed help with?”
“No…” I squeeze my hands together. “She just said ‘help me’ and hung up.”
“Oh.” The expression on his face betrays a distinct lack of concern. He doesn’t look even the slightest bit worried. “Well, just call her back and ask what she needs help with.”
“I have. She’s not picking up.”
He shrugs. “I’m sure she’s fine. What could have happened?”
“I don’t know…” I start to bite on my thumbnail—an old bad habit when I’m nervous—but I stop myself. I spent a lot on this French manicure, and the last thing I want to do is wreck it. “Maybe she was in an accident.”
“Let me give her a call.”
My shoulders relax slightly as Seth picks his cellphone off his desk and scrolls through the numbers. Now that I can see his hands, I notice the wedding band he always wears on his left fourth finger is gone. Recently gone—there’s a visible tan line. My eyes stray to the photograph he always keeps on his desk of him and his wife Melinda, but that’s gone too.
Hmm. That’s interesting.
I’m itching to ask Seth about the missing ring and picture of his wife. But it’s none of my business. He’s my boss, after all. And there are more pressing problems at the moment.
Seth places the call and we both wait while it presumably rings on the other line. After a few seconds, I can hear the muted sound of Dawn’s voicemail message. Seth drums his fingers against his desk as he waits for her irritatingly long voicemail message to run.
“Hey, Dawn,” Seth says. “We haven’t seen you at work today, and I wanted to know what’s going on. Is everything okay? Give me a call as soon as you can.” He disconnects the call and places his phone down on his desk. “Not picking up. But she’ll call back.”
“Oh.”
“You know what?” He snaps his fingers. “I just remembered—Dawn and I were supposed to have a meeting today at two. She made a big thing out of how she needed an appointment and it was so important.”
“Important?” My stomach flutters, remembering the similar email she sent to me.A matter of great importance. It must have been at least abitof a big deal if she scheduled a meeting with the boss about it. “What was so important?”
“No clue. Probably something ridiculous, knowing Dawn.” He cracks what feels like a very inappropriate smile, given the circumstances. “Anyway, she made such a big deal out of it, so I’m sure she’ll show up at two to talk to me.”
I shift my weight between my bright red Louboutins. I always wear heels, and red is my favorite color for shoes, but these are pinching my toes like crazy. I should’ve gotten a size eight. “Maybe we should call the police?”
“Call the police?” Seth blinks at me. “Are youserious? She’s an hour late to work and you want to call thepolice?”
“She called asking for help!” I remind him.
He blows air out between his pursed lips. “Are you sure it was even Dawn on the phone? Maybe it was a customer who needed help.”
“Itwasn’ta customer.”
“Are you sure?”
I start to say yes, but now he’s got me questioning my own memory. I picked up the phone and the other person on the line said “help me.” And they did sound upset. But then again, some customers do sound upset when they call. Is it possible that it wasn’t Dawn calling, and it really was just a customer? And maybe they hung up when they heard my voice instead of hers?
“There are a hundred things that could’ve happened to her,” he points out. “I don’t think we need to call the police. They would laugh at us.”
