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Billie: Where are you? Dinner is getting cold.
Billie: Answer me when you see this, are you okay?
Me: Sorry, darlin’ I remembered something I had to do, but coming home now. Twenty minutes. xx
My mind worked overtime as I climbed back on my motorcycle, thinking it made more sense how Logan had come to be in a hotel with Colby, and why he’d been drunk. However, armed with the truth about Logan’s situation, instead of being able to offer reassurance to Billie and Colby, I’d been left with the task of explaining what Poppy had said, and that Logan could well have been missing.
My hope was my girl would know of friends he could possibly have been with, but I had already decided not to mention what Poppy had said about Logan losing his job, that was Logan’s story to tell. The last thing I had wanted to do was worry Billie and Colby more but, not being in his circle of friends, I’d had no other way of knowing where to look for him.
When I arrived home, Billie rushed toward me and hugged me. “Thank goodness, you gave me the fright of my life. I thought something had happened to you on that death trap you ride. I was ten minutes away from calling the nearest trauma center.”
“Sorry, I do have a reason for going MIA, but let’s eat first and I’ll tell you all about it afterward.”
Colby had already eaten, had his evening shower or whatever, and was ready for bed. It was 7:30 and Billie settled him in bed with a book then came back downstairs.
“Are you going to tell me where you went?” she asked before I had the chance to sit her down.
“Of course, but I wanted Colby to be settled before we spoke about this.”
“Okayyy,” she said dragging the word out, her eyes narrowing and her expression solemn.
“I went to find Logan,” I said in a rush.
“Is he okay?” Her concern hurt my heart because I knew she was going to be even more worried than she had been when he hadn’t turned up to the visitation.
“I’m not sure, I hope so,” I said, quickly. Taking her hands in mine, I took a deep breath and exhaled.
“I went to his condo … only to talk to him,” I added when I saw how anxious my confession had made her. “He wasn’t there, but him being in that hotel with Colby makes more sense now. Logan and Poppy haven’t lived together for a while. I think she said a couple of weeks into the new year, so I’m thinking right after they came home from Florida.”
“That would make sense as to why he brought Colby here instead of taking him to their place,” Billie supposed.
“Thing is, I spoke to Poppy.” Billie’s back immediately stiffened knowing I had been in contact with her. “And she doesn’t know where Logan is.” I omitted telling her what a hardnosed bitch she was during our conversation. I figured Logan might have gained more sympathy from Billie, and she looked as if she was barely managing as it was. Knowing my woman, it may have made her feel guilty about us, too. “Any ideas of where he could have gone?”
At first Billie looked anxious, her eyes wide with worry as she shook her head, but as the minutes passed her anguish turned to fear, and I could see she was trying to rein in her feelings and prevent herself from panicking.
“He only has one single friend, a guy in his seventies who worked in his department when he was younger. I doubt he’d go to any of his married friends.”
“Good, can you call him? Do you have his number?”
“No, why would I have it? He had nothing to do with me. Logan went to visit him sometimes, he retired to a place in Lakewood, I think.”
“Good that’s a start, what’s his name.”
“Jeremy Diamond,” she replied, taking her hands from mine and wringing them in her lap. I immediately covered them with mine to calm her, grabbed the back of her head to keep her attention, and kissed her forehead.
“Don’t worry, we’ll find him,” I promise.
“Thank you,” she replied, her voice small and shaky like she may cry at any minute.
Pulling out my tablet, I immediately began a background search, and thanks to his unusual last name, I had an address for him in minutes, but no phone number. Who the fuck doesn’t have a phone these days?
Certain it was the guy and he was only ten minutes away from Billie’s address, I set off again to find out if Logan’s friend had seen him.
Feelings of anger and frustration that Logan hadn’t turned up to the visitation were mixed with a sense of dread that something bad had happened to him. Having mixed feelings kept my anxiety under control. Although Logan had brought the situation upon himself with Poppy, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the guy. He’d thrown his life with Billie away for someone who hadn’t cared for him as much as he had thought Poppy did.
It was past 8:30 p.m. by the time I knocked on Jim’s first floor apartment door, and I suddenly wondered if he’d even answer it. Many lone residents, in their seventies, seeing a young guy like me at their door perhaps wouldn’t. As I heard him approach the door I decided to introduce myself to help.
“Mr. Diamond, I’m sorry to call unannounced at this hour, but I’m a friend of Billie Collier’s, Logan Drummond’s ex-wife. May I speak with you for a minute or two?”
