“I have to go,” I said to Mia. “I need to check on her.”
Mia’s shoulders sagged in relief. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” I said. “I haven’t found her.”
“But you will,” Mia said, eyes dancing. “And I wasn’t thanking you for saving her. I was thanking you for not being a dick about the situation.”
“Let’s not jump to any hasty assumptions yet,” Tenor said. “Jury is still out on whether Piers is a perpetual dick or only a situational one.” Though I knew he was being serious, there was a part of Tenor that was also teasing. I didn’t want to hope that his words and actions meant he forgave me for the way I’d botched things up in the beginning with him and Mia. However, I couldn’t help but feel as if significant strides had been made in that direction.
I wouldn’t hesitate to admit it: I missed my best friend. Since the age of thirteen, Tenor had been by my side and helped fill in the gap Bri’s absence had left. It was almost too much to think I could walk out of this mess with two restored friendships: Tenor and Bri.
For the time being, I wouldn’t listen to the voice saying I wanted way more than friendship from Bri.
My first stop was, obviously, back to Bri’s apartment. I didn’t realize how far I’d walked until I started back the way I’d come. I debated taking the train, but I hadn’t lied before when I told Bri I hated that fucking thing. Knowing my luck, it’d stop underground or in a tunnel, and I’d be stuck inside a tin can with a bunch of strangers who would soon learn I suffered from claustrophobia. It wouldn’t be pretty.
I continued walking.
As I drew closer to Bri’s apartment building, I couldn’t help but think on that one moment in time when we were both deceived. Why would the director of a children’s home go through so much trouble to ensure the separation of two young teenagers? And was that separation in any way related to the Organization Bri now worked for? It didn’t seem likely, but I couldn’t deny it was a possibility.
I should have asked Bri more questions about her employer. What was their end game? Why was I so important to them? Yes, I’d worked for some major businesses before, but I couldn’t put a finger on anything resulting from those businesses that could equal the utter mess I now found myself in.
Nor did it seem possible that any of my pro bono cases could bring about the wrath of a questionable organization.
I wanted to get my hands on the information they had given her to see if it was real, doctored, or completely made up. What offenses had been cast at my feet? It bothered me to know someone could have found my services lacking and never told me. I needed to know details and had to hold back my impatience, telling myself whatever had been devised hadn’t been planned or created overnight, and because of that, I couldn’t expect to correct it that quickly.
I made it to Bri’s apartment. The doorman, who recognized me thanks to my many visits over the past few weeks, didn’t stop me but waved me inside. I made a note to talk to Bri and the building’s management. While I couldn’t deny I benefited from the lax security, it really wasn’t a safe practice. Just because I’d been seen with Bri didn’t give me carte blanche to come and go as I pleased.
I took the elevator up to her floor, wondering if I should have called before coming over. Too late to worry about it now. Besides, I reasoned, if I had called, the odds leaned heavily to her ignoring me.
Not that it mattered. I made it to her door and knocked. Nothing from inside. I glanced at my watch to check the time. It wasn’t late enough for her to be in bed. But unfortunately, I didn’t know what time it had been when I stormed out, so I wasn’t sure how long I’d been gone.
I knocked again. “Bri,” I called out, probably louder than necessary. “It’s me, Piers.”
Still nothing.
The third time I knocked, the door to the apartment next to hers opened and an older gentleman stuck his head out into the hall. “Stop your shouting,” he said, obviously disgruntled at my presence. “You’re being way too loud.”
“Sorry,” I apologized, even though I wasn’t sorry at all. “I’m looking for Bri. Do you know if she’s inside?” It was a stupid question. Where else would she be after ten thirty at night?
“You think I have nothing better to do than to sit around and concern myself with when that girl goes somewhere with someone?”
Was he saying she’d left tonight with someone? “Of course not,” I said in response to his question. “It’s only you come across as someone who knows what’s going on.”
I said nothing else. There was no need. Instead, I watched his chest swell with pride. All the while hiding a grin. Because I knew he was about to spill everything he knew.
“Hell, boy.” He shook his head and laughed. I stood frozen because I suspected he was getting ready to call me out for the number of times I’d come by in the past week. “You really know what you’re doing, playing me like that. But you should know better than to play a player.”
I took a deep breath, preparing myself to leave. “Right.”
“I like you though,” he said before I could convince my feet to move. He waved me toward him and dropped his voice to a whisper. “She’s not there. She left not long after you took off a few hours ago.”
“Ah,” I said, abashed. “What can I say? I came to my senses and want to apologize.”
“Good luck with that,” he said.
“Thanks. You don’t know where she was headed, do you?”
“I’m good,” he said with a soft laugh. “But I’m not that good.”
I shot him a smile, a genuine one because I truly liked Bri’s neighbor. “Worth the try.”
“I hope you find her,” he said and closed the door between us.
“Me too,” I whispered to the empty hallway. “Me too.”
It was after one in the morning before I trudge into my apartment in the city. I’d gone by the Bachelor International building to check her office and called Tenor and Mia to make sure Bri hadn’t gone by their place. I didn’t bother calling the hospitals or airlines because I knew I’d get nothing useful from them. Instead, I contacted a few of my best trackers and had them do their own checking.
I drove by the library and the museum. Neither of them were fruitful, and I felt defeated making my way home with empty hands and no additional information to work with. I could only hope a few hours of sleep would prove beneficial and I’d awake with a few new ideas in the morning. I was so exhausted I crawled on top of my bed and fell asleep in the clothes I had on.
Chapter 21
Piers
One week later, Bri was still nowhere to be found. She hadn’t shown up at Bachelor International, and neither Mia nor Tenor had heard from her. We contacted the police, but there was little they could do.
I went by her apartment even though her neighbor—Frank Gillespie, I’d learned—had told me he’d contact me if or when she returned. But so far, nothing.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that her disappearance had something to do with the man inside her apartment. His words that evening had been calm, but I knew better than to underestimate the man. Why should he bother showing displeasure at all when he had a sharpshooter following him around?