“Huh,” he says. “That’s not the same email I have on file.” He spins back around, his eyebrows dipped in confusion.
I hand him back his phone, my hand shaking. “I don’t think Natalie wrote that email, Max. The day you told Natalie to meet me at the market, she told me there was nothing for her back in California. She doesn’t have any family there.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. Also, it’s a long story but Lena’s been getting emails from the same address.”
“Lena?” He sits back in his chair.
I pull out my phone. A text from Lena pops up on my screen, telling me she’s at Abby’s. “I have to go.”
“Where are you going?” Max stands. His expression turns to worry when he sees me walking out of the office. I can tell he isn’t angry at me for ditching him in the middle of the lunch rush. He follows me until I’ve reached the back door leading to the side of the building.
“I have to find Lena. She’s supposed to be meeting Abby at her accounting office. She’s having a grand opening soon but wanted Lena to be the first to see it.”
“Wait, you mean the office space she bought a few months back?”
“Yeah.” I glance over my shoulder. He’s still following me. “Why?”
“I drove by there the other day and the place looks the same as it did the day Abby claimed she bought the place. There’s no way it’s ready for an opening, much less showing Lena anything.”
I stop and turn around. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah.” He blinks, the worry in his eyes matching mine. “I don’t think Abby ever had any intention of turning it into an accounting business.”
“Fuck.” A bad feeling seeps into my veins, shooting through me. None of this made any sense. The only part of it that did is me finding Lena. I had to find her. That much I knew.
I push against the back door with as much force as I can muster, leaving Max in the kitchen. The hot sticky air beats against my face as I dial Lena’s phone number.
It rings three times before connecting to her voicemail. I hang up and dial her number again. I hadn’t realized it, but my feet have already started carrying me in the direction of Abby’s office.
When she doesn’t answer on the third try, I start running the three blocks to Abby’s office. My black shoes land against the pavement, heavy and weighted. Abby’s office isn’t far, but it might as well have been in another city. Three blocks is all that stood between the vibrant part of Seattle and the more desolate side.
Rain starts to pour, the clouds growing from a light shade of gray, darkening as the rain pours harder. My chef jacket is soaked, water seeping into the fabric and onto my skin. When I turn the corner onto the street where Abby’s office is, I immediately spot Lena’s car parked alongside the curb.
A piece of me relaxes but the sensation only lasts for a split second. I stop in front of Lena’s car and look inside. The car is empty. Her purse, keys, and phone are gone. I turn my head and spot Abby’s office three doors down. It looks just the same as when I had driven by it before. I clench my jaw, my stomach turning once again. It rises in my throat.
I try dialing Lena again with no luck.
In the year we’ve been married, Lena has never missed one of my calls. Especially now, after the threat of Julian’s return, I know she would never miss a single one.
I stop in front of the building and catch my breath. The door and windows are covered in a thick film of dirt. It’s impossible to see inside. Hoping it’s unlocked, I pull on the front door. Oddly, it doesn’t budge.
I try Abby’s phone, hoping that there’s an explanation as to why Lena didn’t answer. Maybe her battery died. I considered the possibility, hoping it could be a reason as simple as that one. But the more logical part of me knew that if her phone were dead, it wouldn’t ring at all. It would send me directly to voicemail.
Abby doesn’t answer her phone either. Still unsure of what to do, I decide to walk around to the back of the building to see if there’s another way in. The alleyway is dark, the distance between the back of the buildings and the tall brick wall narrow. It’s just wide enough for a small delivery truck to drive through. The ground is covered in wet gravel causing my feet to slide with every step.
The only entrance I find is a large metal door at the back of the building. Beside it is a small window. Standing up to the window, I cup my hands around my eyes, trying to get a better view inside.
Dirt is covering the glass pane, obstructing my view inside. From what I can see, there’s a small dark hallway leading to the front of the store. But still, it’s too dark for me to make anything out, much less see where Lena and Abby are. I step away from the window and turn my attention to the door.
With a heavy fist, I bang on the heavy metal. “Lena!”
I stand back and rest my hands on my hips, hoping she or Abby can hear me. Thunder rolls in the clouds and I tip my head up to the sky. The clouds are nearly black and full of anger. They roll with the sky, churning like clothes in a dryer. Thunder rumbles again. This time reverberating through my bones.
I wipe the excess rain from my face and bang against the door again. “Lena! Abby!”
Again, no answer.
I’m left breathless, not knowing what to do. My panic intensifies and it feels like my heart is going to beat right out of my chest. I
