“He’s missing and I think he might be here.”
“Oh.” He paused, then asked gently, “Our John Doe?”
“Yes. Can I see him?”
She followed the doctor down the hall toward an examination room where he stopped outside the curtained area. “He came in this morning and he’s in pretty bad shape. If he’s your husband, the police will want to talk to you.” He hesitated. “Do you want to call someone to be with you?”
“No, no.” She was just anxious to see if it was Eric.
The doctor looked at her with uncertainty. “Okay. If you’re sure.”
Abby inhaled sharply as he pulled back the curtain. The man on the bed had several wires attached to him and an oxygen mask on his face, and it was hard to make out his features with all the swelling. Walking softly to the bedside, she gazed down at the unconscious man.
“It’s not him,” she said with a mixture of relief and frustration.
The doctor nodded as Abby turned and left the room.
Chapter Five
Eric dumped his meager belongings onto the motel bed in his search for the key to his safe-deposit box. Beads of sweat broke out on his upper lip as he felt around the sides of the now-empty duffel bag.
Where is it?
His head throbbed as he yanked at the fabric-covered cardboard that lined the bottom of the bag, pulled it all the way out, and tossed it aside. A sick feeling swelled within his gut as his hand frantically felt the corners of the bag.
There.
The relief was so strong he nearly gagged. He lifted the small, shiny key and held it in front of him. Closing his eyes, he gripped it in his hand. The root of all his troubles lay in that safe-deposit box, and he wanted to go to the bank and make sure the contents were the way he’d left them, just to reassure himself.
It would be helpful if I had my Jeep.
Eric shook his head. He would have to rent a vehicle, which worried him. He didn’t like the idea of leaving a paper trail.
Though frustrated to be away from his family, he knew it was the only solution. He had a plan, but it would take time. He needed to do some investigating and he needed to make sure those involved weren’t watching. And now that he’d had a day away from the turmoil, he’d been able to think things through.
The previous day he’d worked on his disguise and mapped out his plan. Now, as he gazed in the mirror at his new look, he pulled the baseball cap low on his black-dyed hair and scratched at the mustache he’d applied. To himself he looked odd, but his only concern was that he would no longer be recognizable to those who knew him.
Would Abby know me?
He shook his head, despair washing over him as he considered the consequences if he didn’t do this right.
He shoved the key into his pocket and left the room.
Abby didn’t know where to direct her attention when it turned out that Eric wasn’t at the hospital. Knowing she needed to keep up her strength, she went into the kitchen to fix herself a snack of crackers and milk while she thought about what to do. If Eric hadn’t been in an accident, she could only assume he’d left on purpose.
As she lifted the first cracker to her lips, the phone rang. She dropped the cracker onto the plate and snatched the phone off the hook, half-terrified and half-hoping it would be one of the hospitals calling to say that they did have someone there fitting Eric’s description.
She checked the Caller ID, but it said Unavailable.
“Hello?”
The voice on the other end was brusque. “I’d like to speak to Eric Breuner.”
She didn’t recognize the man’s voice. “Who is this?”
Silence.
“Hello?” she said.
“Never mind,” he said.
“Wait. Please, what is this in regards to?”
The caller had hung up.
Abby drifted over to the family photo. “Where are you, Eric?” she whispered.
What is going on? Was that someone from his past? Someone who used drugs with him? Someone who dealt drugs with him? Is that why he left? To reestablish his drug-dealing contacts?
The thought terrified her, but instead of dwelling on that horrifying scenario, she tried to think of all the people Eric was currently involved with. He didn’t have a lot going on in his life—pretty much his family and his job. Sometimes he played community softball, but it had been a while and she doubted the call was related to that.
It could have been work-related.
Eric had worked as an accountant at Central Valley Construction for three years, and he seemed to like the people there, especially Tim Meher. Eric had invited him over for dinner once, although he hadn’t come. Abby only saw Tim once a year, at the Christmas party Central Valley Construction threw for their employees.
She decided to talk to Tim again, to see if he had any idea where Eric could be.
“Abby,” he said after she told him it was her. “I was going to call you today. Have you heard from Eric?”
“No, I haven’t. Do you have any idea what’s going on?”
“I’m really sorry, Abby. Eric hasn’t been in touch with me either. But would you be able to stop by here today?”
“I guess so, but I can’t stay long. I have to get to work.”
“That’s fine,” he said. “I just need to talk to you for a minute.”
“All right. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” Abby hung up, wondering what it was Tim wanted to talk to her about, and hoping he could tell her something that might help her understand where Eric was.
A few minutes later she headed to the minivan. Though she feared Eric was off using drugs, she decided she should file a missing-persons report with the police.
The sound of several people talking at once battered her as she opened the door to the local police precinct. She walked up to the desk sergeant, but he gave her a bored look as she told him she wanted to file a missing-persons report.
“You’ll have to talk to the Missing Persons Bureau.”
Her boldness faded as she followed the directions the desk sergeant had given her and found herself sitting across a desk from the Missing-Persons officer.
Officer Holland smiled grimly as he asked his questions. “What’s the name of the missing person?”
“My husband, Eric Breuner.” When Officer Holland glanced at her before typing in the information, Abby blushed.
He looked at her. “The age of the missing person?”
“He’s thirty-three.”
He typed that in, then he asked her several more questions about when she had last seen Eric and what he looked like. At the last question she pulled out a picture and handed it to him.
He glanced at it before setting it aside. “Now, you say someone called to speak to your husband earlier but wouldn’t tell you who they were?”
She nodded, not sure if she should feel humiliated or upset by this experience. It was as if her life was being looked at under a magnifying glass. “Yes. And then he hung up.”
Holland scowled as he typed that in. “Has your husband ever taken off before?”
“No.”
“And you say his car is also missing?”
Abby nodded.
He asked her for the license plate number, which she gave him, and then asked, “Was there any indication that something was wrong? Any reason you can think of that he would leave?” He hesitated. “Another woman, perhaps?”
Shocked at the suggestion, she didn’t know how to reply at first. “It couldn’t have been another woman. I know that for sure.”
Officer Holland looked doubtful. “Okay. Anything else?”
“Well, he did leave a message yesterday morning saying he was sorry.”
“Sorry for what exactly?”
“Nothing in particular. He just said he loved me and he was sorry.”
Clearly surprised by this bit of information, Holland gazed at Abby for a moment. “It sounds to me like your husband left of his own accord. You realize we ca
n’t do anything if an adult chooses to leave on his own.”
Abby closed her eyes briefly, fighting back the gathering tears. “So you’re saying you’ll do nothing?”
Holland smiled with a look of empathy. “I’m really sorry, ma’am. We just don’t have the manpower to look for missing people unless there’s some sign of foul play.”
She sighed as her shoulders slumped. Thoroughly embarrassed at this point, she thanked him and left the building. A short time later she pulled into a parking space at Central Valley Construction and turned off the engine, then sat in the minivan and thought about Eric and what he could be hiding from her.
I thought we weren’t keeping secrets from each other anymore. She sighed. At least, I wasn’t keeping any secrets.
On her way to Tim’s office she walked past Eric’s office. The door was tightly closed. Suppressing the urge to open the door, she walked toward Carly, the secretary shared by the accountants.
“Go right in, Mrs. Breuner. He’s expecting you.”
“Thank you,” Abby replied softly, already feeling intimidated and wondering why Tim had asked her to come. She gently opened the door and stepped into the unfamiliar office.
Because he was the senior accountant, Tim’s office was larger than Eric’s. He was on the phone, his back to her, and as she stood by the door, she noticed his full head of hair. When he turned in her direction, she saw that his body was trim and his bearing confident.
When he saw her, he quickly ended his conversation and came around to where she stood. He held out his hand and she shook it with more confidence than she was feeling.
“Good to see you, Abby. Please sit down.” He motioned toward one of two chairs facing his desk. Abby was surprised to see him sit on the chair adjacent to hers rather than in the one behind his desk. “So, Abby, how are you doing?”
“I would be doing better if I knew where Eric was.”
“Yes.” He shifted in his seat. “I hate to ask at a time like this, but by any chance did Eric leave anything for me at your house?”
“Like what?”
“It’s a file for a client. It might be in an envelope or even a box.”
Abby thought about it. “I don’t think so. I’d have to look around his office at home, but I don’t remember seeing anything addressed to you.”
They both turned at the sound of a knock on Tim’s open door.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were with someone,” the man said.
Tim stood and walked to the door. “Brock, you know Abby Breuner, I believe.”
Abby watched as Brock Mendez, Tim and Eric’s manager, turned to her.
“Oh, yes, of course. How is Eric? Is he sick? He’s been gone since yesterday.”
Abby stood and faced Brock, her thoughts whirling as she tried to come up with an explanation for Eric’s absence in hopes of saving his job, but before she could get the words out, Tim said, “He’ll be gone a few days, but I’m sure everything’s under control with his workload.”
Abby closed her mouth, not sure what to say.
“Okay, then,” Brock said to Tim. “Let me know when you have a free minute.” With that, he walked away.
“Thanks for covering for Eric,” Abby said, a relieved smile on her face.
“Not a problem.” He sat behind his desk and motioned for Abby to sit as well. “Eric’s a good guy. I enjoy working with him and I’d hate to lose him, but if he doesn’t show up in the next day or so I’ll have to tell Brock that he’s missing.” He smiled. “But at least I can soften the news by making my confidence in Eric clear.”
Abby nodded. “On my way here I stopped by the police station and filed a missing-persons report.”
Concern seemed to flicker across Tim’s face, but then he smiled. “Good. What did they say?”
“They aren’t going to do anything.” Abby sighed in frustration. “They basically said they don’t waste time on adults unless they have evidence of foul play.”
“Is that right?” He stared beyond Abby for a moment before looking at her. “I’m sure everything will turn out all right. It’s probably just a premature midlife crisis or something.” Tim smiled reassuringly as he stood. “Keep in touch, won’t you? And if you find anything for me, let me know.”
“Uh, yeah, okay.” Taking that as her cue to leave, Abby stood too. “Thanks again for covering for him. I really appreciate it.” Even as she said it, she wondered why Tim had asked her to stop by and talk to him. Surely he could’ve asked about that file over the phone.
He smiled briefly before escorting her to his office door.
Chapter Six
A short time later Abby pulled into the parking lot at the library, her mind full of questions. Topping them all was whether she should go to work that day. What if Eric tried to call and she wasn’t home?
Yes, but what if he never comes home and you don’t have a job to support your family? That thought frightened her enough to get her out of the minivan and inside the library.
My shift is only a few hours today. I can do it.
With that assurance in mind, she was able to face the books that had been deposited overnight.
Forty-five minutes after arriving, as she alphabetized the books on the cart in front of her in preparation for shelving, Nadine walked in. Abby cringed, waiting to be reprimanded for leaving early the day before. Instead, Nadine greeted her, picked up a pile of books, and left the room. Abby exhaled in relief, her pounding heart slowing to a normal rate. Yesterday the idea of getting fired hadn’t seemed like a big deal. Today it would be devastating.
She thought about Tim and his willingness to cover for Eric. That was nice of him. I hope he’s not taking too much of a risk by doing that. Again, she wondered why he’d asked her to drop by. Perhaps he was really concerned about Eric, or at least about that file he’d mentioned. For the rest of the morning Abby kept a low profile, trying to keep out of Nadine’s way. No one seemed to notice her strange behavior. No one except Mary.
“What’s the matter?” Mary asked when she found Abby hunkered down in the biography section.
Abby had been deep in thought, wondering where Eric could be and what he might be doing, so she was startled to find Mary standing there and wondered how long she’d been watching her. Standing slowly, she forced a smile. “Hi, Mary. How are you?”
Mary’s brows pulled together. “I’m fine. But it’s you I’m worried about. You’ve been acting strange all morning. Is something wrong?”
“No, not at all.” Abby shook her head as her mouth formed a fake smile. “I’m just tired. What’s up? Do you have more biographies for me?”
Mary’s face relaxed. “No. I wanted to know if you’d had lunch yet. I thought we could eat together.”
“Oh.” Abby realized she was starving, but she was worried about being around other people—what if she lost it in front of someone? When she thought about the difficult situation her husband had put her in, her body tensed with anger.
If anyone thinks my husband’s left me for another woman or is involved in something illegal, I’ll be mortified. But even if people don’t think that, they’ll be talking about it constantly and asking for updates . . .
“Abby?”
She looked at Mary, realizing she hadn’t answered her request to go to lunch, and pushed the smile onto her lips. “Thanks, but I’ve already eaten.” Her stomach grumbled in response to the lie.
“Okay.” Mary turned to go. “I’m going to grab something to eat. I’ll see you in a little while.”
“Bye.” Now that her thoughts were on food, she felt famished. She briefly considered skipping lunch, but her kicking baby reminded her that would be a mistake. As she thought about the sack lunch waiting in the refrigerator in the break room, she knew she would have to be stealthy in eating it. If Mary found out she had lied about already having eaten . . .
Quickly completing shelving the biographies on her cart, she hurried to the break room to have her lunch befor
e Mary returned. As she pushed the door open, she was surprised to see Nadine on her phone, her back to the door. “Okay, Mom,” she was saying. “I’ll see what I can do. Make sure to take your medicine. I’ll be home later this afternoon.”
Abby hesitated before entering, then walked to the refrigerator and took her lunch from the shelf before setting the sandwich, fruit, and chips on the table in front of her.
Nadine turned around at the noise. “I’ll see you later, Mom. Good-bye.”
“Is everything all right?” Abby asked, knowing Nadine took care of her sick mother.
“Yes, thank you. But I’d rather not discuss my private life at work. I like to keep that separate.” She gave Abby a meaningful glance.
“I understand.” Abby knew Nadine wouldn’t want to hear about Eric, even if she was willing to tell her.
Nadine smiled briefly before leaving the room, and Abby turned back to her lunch. As she finished eating her sandwich, the door opened.
Abby’s appetite vanished as Mary walked in.
“What’s going on here?” Mary demanded playfully, a fast-food bag in her hand.
“What do you mean?” Guilt now mixed with the worry she had been feeling earlier.
Mary strode over to the table and pulled out a chair, setting her food down as she spoke. “I invite you to lunch, you claim you’ve already eaten, then here you are eating all by yourself. Don’t you find that strange?”
Abby looked down at the proof of Mary’s argument laid out in front of her, and didn’t know what to say. “I’m sorry?” she tried, looking back at Mary.
“Something’s wrong. I can tell. Now, are you going to tell me what it is or do I have to badger you for a while?”
She couldn’t help but smile at her friend’s persistence. She knew Mary cared about her, even if she didn’t know when to leave things alone. “I’m sorry, but I don’t want to talk about it.” She began gathering up the remains of her lunch.
“Oh no. You’re not getting away that easily.” Mary grabbed Abby’s arm, forcing her to stop what she was doing and look Mary in the eye.
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