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Erin’s cries continued, and Donovan’s words were lost. Finally, he returned to the line. “Will you call us if you hear anything?”
“I promise.”
That was one promise I could keep.
We said goodbye, and the O’Connors hung up. Frankie stared up at me from the chair she’d tossed her coat in with tears in her eyes.
“I am so sorry.”
Couldn’t bring myself to try to ease her guilt. Problem was, she had a bad habit of doing exactly that. Barging in and making demands without thinking of anyone else.
I’d done the same, ruining one of the best friendships I had by following her lead. I had a lot to atone for.
Just one more reason I wouldn’t stop looking for Kelly. It was the least I could do to make up for my mistakes.
Frankie lifted her eyes toward the ceiling, blinking back tears. “What happened?”
“You know about the boat?” Frankie nodded, knocking a tear loose. “She spent a few days in the hospital afterward.”
I pressed at my chest, as if it could somehow ease the pain that pulsed with every beat of my heart. I explained how Kelly came to stay at the safehouse. How I’d spent nearly every minute of my day and most nights at her side.
Told her how her parents had complained about their inability to get Kelly into a therapist, and how I’d used the Sarcone and Leonetti names to secure an appointment.
“She was supposed to call.” My throat tightened to the point of pain, but I swallowed it down. “She walked out of her therapist’s office without her phone, and no one’s seen or heard from her since. I’ve had Vinny’s hacker friends scouring the city, looking at traffic cameras and tracing her history, trying to find out where she’s been in the past, in case that helps us figure out where she could have gone.”
“It’s been two weeks?”
My head dipped in a nod, but it was too heavy to lift. “Don’t know what I’m going to do.”
I fuckin’ missed her. Her laugh. Her smile. The way she was starting to trust me. Starting to open up and let me in.
She had to be the funniest person I’d ever met. Her dry, sarcastic humor. Her quick wit. And she was fuckin’ smart, too. She saw things I couldn’t fathom. Like telling me to hire Van and Joss. Telling me to take the step to move. To do the one thing I’d been thinking of since this past summer when more shit had hit the fan.
Frankie was quiet a moment, but I could tell, she had something on her mind. I looked back up at her, saw her holding back. Then I told her, “Why don’t you go ahead and say it?”
“Say what?” She didn’t wear innocence well.
“Whatever it is you’re trying not to say. You came barging in here yelling, so get on with it.”
She scoffed. Crossed her arms over her chest. Her emotions played out all over her face, and before long, the dam she had holding them back burst.
“Why didn’t you call me? My fuckin’ cousin, Lee. My sister-in-law!”
“You’ll have to take that up with your family. They’re the ones who decided not to bother you. They knew you would have come racing back, and there was literally nothing you could have done.”
“That’s no excuse.”
“Take it up with them.”
“I told you to call me if there were any emergencies.”
“What could you have done? You were on a beach in another country on your honeymoon. You gonna strap a rifle to your back and fly home to help?” Her face pinched, looking like she swallowed a bitter pill. I slid a stack of files from the corner of my desk, tapping my fingers atop them.
One of her brows quirked up. “What’s that?”
“Been busy.” I shrugged. “Not getting much sleep right now.”
She motioned for me to hand over the files. I took the top two folders off the pile and pushed them her way. “Joss Monroe and Van Thaylor?”
