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I mumbled a streak of profanity as I rolled over and picked it up. Bobby’s number flashed on the screen, and I answered with a loud groan and a cough, making sure he knew he was disturbing.
“Good morning to you, too, pumpkin,” Bobby chuckled.
“What do you want?”
“How are you not up yet?” Bobby asked. “Don’t tell me you’re getting old.”
“It’s my day off,” I replied, slowly pushing up to a sitting position and tossing my legs over the side of the bed. I ran a hand over my face and groaned again.
“Well, it’s a good thing I woke you up, then.”
“What time is it?” I asked, glancing around for my watch. The sun had come up, barely, and I was already contemplating hanging up and going back to sleep.
So much for the morning routine.
Fuck the morning routine.
“It’s eight,” Bobby said. “Listen, I’m about to head out, and I wanted to ask you for a favor.”
“Do I have a choice?” I asked.
“Not really.”
“What is it?”
“Andrea’s here.”
My eyes widened, and I tried to force back the haziness in my head. Somehow, I had forgotten about her.
“Is she okay?” I asked, a little more alert.
“Yeah, she’s fine,” Bobby said. “Don’t worry. It’s just, I have to be at the station, and I don’t want to leave her alone. Especially today, you know?”
“Just in case her husband shows up?” I said, finishing his thought.
Bobby was silent for a few seconds before he said, “Yeah, just in case.”
“You could call the police,” I said. “Have them park a cruiser in front of your house.”
“Of course,” Bobby chuckled. “Because the Mansfield PD works solely for me. No, you should be more than enough. She seems to think Dennis wouldn’t believe she’d come here. I have my doubts.”
I nodded, thinking that a close relative would be the first place I’d look if my wife ever skipped town all of a sudden. Bobby was right. Chances were, Dennis was already on his way.
“I’ll be there in ten minutes,” I said.
“Take your time, no rush,” Bobby said. “I’m heading out in a bit, so you’ll probably miss me. I’ll let Andrea know to let you in when you get here.”
“I think she’d recognize me if she saw me,” I smiled.
“The last time she’s seen you was ten years ago,” Bobby said. “I wouldn’t recognize you.”
He hung up, and I tossed my phone onto the bed, stretching as I made my way to the bathroom.
***
Bobby really was gone by the time I arrived at his house. The Ford in the driveway was foreign to me, and I assumed it belonged to Andrea. I made a mental note to later park it in the garage where no one could see it. If Dennis really did pass by while I was here, I wanted to be able to lie to him and send him on his way. I didn’t need that car telling the world that someone else was here.
I parked the Nissan in front of the house, got out and made my way up the walkway. Bobby’s childhood house had pretty much remained the same since our childhood, the only difference a fresh coat of paint I had helped him add a few months back. Other than that, I was brought back to our middle school days when I’d ditch my bike in the exact same place my car now stood, and race around the house to where he would be waiting. Usually with some new gadget his father had bought him. The Canfield’s had always been a fun bunch to be around.
