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Sally’s right. It is amazing.
As I finish the slice, I think of her. I know she’s mad at me right now and I can’t call her to ask for her expert advice, but I wonder what she’d say to me if she was here.
Think. What would Sally say?
She’d tell me to give Lara back. That’s one thing. Though maybe I could make her understand why I don’t want to. The only reason why she doesn’t understand that is because she was so hurt that she didn’t give me a chance to speak. We didn’t get to talk properly. As for Antonio, I have a feeling she’d tell me to go after him. Wasn’t she telling me to be brave? To take a leap?
And I realize that’s what I want to do. No matter what, I want to get Antonio back. But how? I don’t even know where he’s gone. For all I know, he may be out of the city by now, on his way back to Summerset. Do I follow him there? But what if that’s not where he went?
I look at the clock again. It will take three hours for him to get to Summerset. In the meantime, I should get some sleep.
~
When I wake up, it’s already 5:00 AM. Lara’s still asleep. I guess she’s back to sleeping through the night. Thank goodness.
I wait until six and call Sally. I know I probably shouldn’t be talking to her, but I don’t have anyone else in Summerset I can call.
“Hello?” she answers after the third ring.
“Hello, Sally. It’s me, Triss. I’m sorry for calling so early. I just have a question.”
She doesn’t answer. As I thought, she’s still mad. I should ask her my question before she hangs up.
“Would you happen to know if Antonio is back there?”
A pause.
Please, Sally. Just tell me.
“No, he’s not,” she finally answers.
“You’re sure?”
“I’m here at the clinic right now and he’s not here.”
So Antonio’s not in Summerset.
“Shouldn’t he be with you?” Sally asks me.
“Yes, but…” I don’t really know where to start explaining what happened.
“Is something wrong, Triss?” Sally asks.
This time, she sounds like her old self, the one who was my friend. I can’t help but smile.
“I’ll be alright, Sally,” I tell her. “Thanks.”
I hang up.
Antonio isn’t in Summerset, so where can he be? Wait a second. He didn’t go looking for Jim, did he?
I feel a stab of panic so I call Ned’s friend.
“Sgt. Rob Miller speaking.”
“Hi. I’m sorry to call so early. I’m Triss Conrad. I mean Triss Woods. Ned’s friend. We were supposed to meet at ten.”
“Yes. What’s up?”
“You see, my husband… Antonio has disappeared. I was just wondering if you might know if he ended up in jail or the hospital or something.”
He pauses. “I didn’t hear anything over the radio. Wait. You said he disappeared?”
“Well, he just left. Do you think you could just check for me? Please?”
Another pause. “Okay. I’ll call you back.”
~
To my relief, I learn Antonio isn’t in jail. He isn’t in a hospital, either. Rob ran his plates as well and told me his car hasn’t been spotted in the city.
Where could he have gone? There are so many possibilities I nearly go crazy.
I draw a deep breath.
“Just think, Triss. Try to remember what you know about him, about the places he’s been to, about the people…”
My shoulders perk up. Back at the garage, that man, Louie, called Antonio a different name. Leonardo Ursini. What if that’s Antonio’s real name? Even if it’s not, it may be a clue to Antonio’s past, a clue he tried to pursue.
I have to pursue it as well.
~
I fidget with the ring on my finger as I sit in the lobby of the headquarters of Ursini Corporation. After a search on the internet, I found out this is where Leonardo Ursini works. He’s one of the high-ranking executives, actually.
Unfortunately, that’s why the receptionists won’t let me see him without an appointment.
I should have brought Lara with me instead of leaving her at the hotel daycare. If I had, maybe they would have taken pity on me.
As things are, there’s nothing I can do but wait here so I can ambush him when he passes by. I know he’s in this building, and thanks to the picture I saw on the internet, I know what he looks like. He looks a lot like Antonio, actually, but with longer hair that’s more wavy, paler skin. I’m sure they’re related.
The minutes tick by. Then the hours. I tap my shoe on the floor as I start to grow impatient.
Where can he be?
When noon comes and a lot of employees start to leave the building, I decide to be more vigilant. Leonardo Ursini could be on his way down here, too, on his way out to have lunch. I can’t miss him.
