And completely alone.
20
Jillian scowled at the clock, which had only moved thirty minutes since Ellie left to go check on Valerie. Jumping up from the couch, she paced the living room like she’d done several times already. At this rate, she would never be able to sleep tonight. She was too amped up by Ellie’s call with Katarina. Each passing minute ticked by as slow as molasses while Jillian waited for morning. Sleep was impossible, so she might as well do something.
As she turned to find her shoes, Sam leapt to her feet, obviously mistaking Jillian’s actions for dog-walking preparations. When Jillian didn’t grab the leash, Sam groaned and flung herself back onto the dog bed dramatically. Whimpering, the dog opened one eye to squint at her owner.
Jillian rolled her eyes at Sam’s theatrical display. “Sorry, Sam, but I can’t wind down. There’s too much to do.”
Sam snorted and extended her front paws to the floor, crawling across the cushioned bed until all four feet were on the gleaming wood. Stretching, she let out a huge yawn and smacked her lips together before padding off to the kitchen where Jillian kept the water bowl. Her loud lapping and the resulting bubble of air rising in the large reservoir as Sam drank echoed through the empty apartment.
Jillian opened her cell phone screen and scrolled through her contacts until she found Carl’s number. Sending him a text, she set the phone down on the table and went into the bathroom. As she came out, Sam gave a single woof to let Jillian know she was ready for her before-bed walk.
“Give me a minute,” Jillian mumbled.
Sam chuffed like a dissatisfied client, slunk back into the hallway, and disappeared. The dog bed in the living room let out air as Sam threw herself down and groaned loud enough to be heard in the bedroom. Jillian shook her head and was pulling her socks on when her cell phone buzzed loudly.
Sprinting to the living room, the display was lit up with a message from Carl. What’s up?
Her thumbs flew across the smartphone keyboard as she answered the forensic lab technician. I need your help. Can you meet me at CPD? She hit send and waited, eyes locked on the screen.
Carl answered seconds later. Now?
It’s urgent. Please?
A frowning emoji appeared, then, Give me thirty?
Jillian smiled, so thankful that Carl hadn’t even asked for an explanation. All that mattered to Carl was that she’d said it was important. See you then, she responded, grabbed Sam’s leash, and hurried to put her shoes on. Jillian debated feeding Sam a light meal since there was no telling when she would return. Sam would be far more content with a full belly.
As soon as the kibble hit Sam’s stainless-steel bowl, the Lab was wolfing it down, tail swinging happily at her unexpected fortune.
Jillian patted the dog’s rump affectionately. “Having your schedule disrupted isn’t that bad, is it?” Jillian laughed and ducked into the bathroom to brush her teeth and tie her hair into a loose bun. By the time she came out, Sam was at the water dish again.
Taking Sam outside on her leash, Jillian was careful not to let the apartment door slam. The walls in the Kline family’s luxury apartment building weren’t as thin as the apartment building Jillian had lived in before, but she liked her new neighbors and didn’t want to disturb anyone. Five minutes later, after Sam finished her routine in record time, she was dozing on her large dog bed in the living room.
Jillian headed to her car with her bag slung over her shoulder, her eyes darting from side to side. Nearby, Ellie’s parking space was empty, and she didn’t like it. Until she called, Jillian would have no way of knowing if everything was okay.
Or if her best friend was being held captive somewhere, alone and scared.
Jillian shivered, breaking stride and easing into a jog. Her footsteps echoed off the concrete, and for a moment, she felt completely and utterly alone as she got into her car and locked the doors. Hurriedly pulling onto the dark Charleston street, she hoped her mission would rid her of the eerie mood that engulfed her like thick fog creeping in from the ocean.
State Street was empty, every light between her and the turn onto Broad Street green. What should’ve filled her with joy brought more dread. Focusing on the soft glow of lights on inside the old stately homes, Jillian glanced longingly at her favorite donut shop as she drove past. A coffee and doughnut would hit the spot, but they didn’t open until four a.m. She’d have to settle for breakroom coffee, and whatever day-old pastry was left at Charleston PD. Her stomach rumbled in protest.
There were only two cars at the far end of the lined parking spaces when she turned into the CPD lot. They were the same two cars that were always leaving when she normally arrived before six, and she knew they belonged to two longtime janitors with friendly smiles that masked their exhaustion. How they cleaned the entire building in just eight hours was anyone’s guess, but every morning Jillian was welcomed to work by the scent of lemon cleaner and the squeak of clean tile. She was glad they were still there. She didn’t want to be in the building alone.
Bright headlights appeared at the entrance of the precinct parking lot as she slid into her space. She froze and held her breath, but the car turned in, Carl’s familiar face visible in the driver’s window. She grabbed her things and waited for him on the sidewalk, flashing him a bright smile when he got out of his car.
“Thank you for coming in after hours. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you. I’m sorry I interrupted your evening.”
He shrugged as they walked to the precinct doors. “No worries. I wasn’t doing anything important, anyway. Just watching ESPN. So, what’s so
