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Sabrina placed her hand on her chest. “Oh my, that is such a shame. We didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye to them!”
“Why did they leave in such a hurry?” Simon asked. “You just got here.”
I let out a frustrated breath, not wanting to divulge too much of my saga. “Remember, I’ve made some mistakes. Veronica is trying to protect herself. She thinks I’m going to break her heart again. And to top it off, she thinks I’m back only because I need to find a queen to marry, which couldn’t be further from the truth. She refuses to believe I still have feelings for her.”
Sabrina waved dismissively at the idea. “Oh, that’s just silly. The way you look at her? That’s nothing but pure love.” She paused, knitting her brows together in thought. “What's your next move?”
“That's exactly what we’re trying to sort out,” Caleb chimed in, checking his phone for any new updates from Daphne.
“Keep texting her,” I suggested half-seriously. “Maybe if you annoy her enough, she’ll respond, just to get you to stop.”
Caleb chuckled and began tapping away on his phone. Meanwhile, I continued to nibble on the array of freshly baked pastries and colorful slices of fruit on my plate, though a simmering frustration overshadowed my appetite. Every lead seemed to dead-end into more uncertainty.
Suddenly, Caleb’s phone buzzed. He nearly spilled his juice in his rush to check it.
“It’s Daphne,” he announced, a wry smile playing on his lips. “She told me to stop being a pest, but confirmed they’re okay by sharing this picture.” He flipped the phone towards me.
I leaned in, analyzing the photo for any clue that might reveal their location. Both Daphne and Veronica were smiling, holding up their drinks in a toast. It appeared to be an outdoor restaurant, and the darkness meant it was definitely taken last night.
“The good news is, they’re still in Africa,” I said with a hint of relief.
“How do you know?” Simon asked.
“Because they’re drinking dawas, the national drink of Kenya.” I scrutinized the photo again. “Other than that, there are just shadows and the vague outlines of other patrons behind them. Not much else, unfortunately.” I exhaled in frustration, feeling no closer to finding them. “Do you see anything? Maybe I’m missing something.” I held the phone toward Sabrina.
She leaned closer and squinted, studying the image closely, then shaking her head. “No. I don’t see anything that’s jumping out at me. You’re right. It’s very dark.”
As I pulled the phone back, her expression suddenly brightened.
“Wait a minute!” she exclaimed, yanking at my wrist and pulling the phone back toward her again.
“What is it?” I asked, hope flickering.
Sabrina pointed to their drinks in the photo. “Look at the glasses. They have the letters ‘PH’ on them. It’s hard to see because of the ice and the bad lighting, but I’m sure of it.”
Simon leaned closer from the other side of her, also squinting. “Where have we seen that before?”
“Remember where we stayed for our anniversary two years ago in Italy?” she asked, arching an eyebrow. “The hotel …”
Simon thought about it, then snapped his fingers. “The Park Hyatt Milan.”
Sabrina smiled. “Exactly. Park Hyatt. PH. We had those same glasses!” She handed the phone back to Caleb. “That can’t be a coincidence.”
“Please tell me Park Hyatt has hotels here in Africa,” I said, already knowing what the answer might mean if they did.
Caleb’s fingers flew over his phone’s screen, tapping, scrolling, then he paused, his face expressionless. “You will not believe this.”
“Please tell me you found something,” I said, holding my breath.
A triumphant smile spread across Caleb’s face as he turned the phone to show me. “Park Hyatt Zanzibar, located in Stone Town.”
The revelation was like a shot of adrenaline.
“Yes!” I pumped my fist in the air, then leaned toward Sabrina and kissed her on the cheek before I could stop myself. “You are an absolute angel in disguise! Thank you so much.”
Sabrina blushed. “I’m just glad I could help. Now, go get your girl!”
“Veronica will not know what hit her,” Simon chuckled. “I wish I could see the look on her face when you show up and surprise her.”
