Chapter 8

ChapterEight

SAWYER

The speaker phone in my car is loud as it rings, but eventually Katherine picks up. “Hey, Sawyer.”

“Listen, don’t hang up,” I hurry to say because she’s done it a few times already. “It’s been two days. You’ve got to tell me where she is.”

She doesn’t say anything, and there’s a long silence that follows. My eyes ache from lack of sleep, but I don’t care. Rubbing them with the heel of my hand, I catch a glimpse of myself in the rearview mirror. I haven’t slept or showered or eaten since Chloe ran off. I tried going home, but I can’t be there without her. I’m starting to go crazy, and I know Katherine has information on her. Maybe she talked to her and Chloe told her where she was going.

There was one charge to our joint card yesterday, but it was to a pharmacy. I called the credit card company and got the address of the store, but there are several places in the area where she could be. Or it could have been a stop on her way out of town. The possibilities are endless, and I have no idea where to start.

Since the charge, I’ve been driving around this part of town hoping to see her. It’s an endless loop, but I keep telling myself that eventually she’ll come home. She has to. Right?

“Sawyer—”

“Please, Katherine. Please. She means everything to me.” I’m not above begging. I’m not above selling my soul to the devil himself if that’s what it takes to find my wife.

“I think she needs space.” There’s softness in her voice, but she’s not giving in. “Go home, Sawyer. Give her a couple of days.”

“I can’t.” How am I supposed to go home when I know she’s out here hurting? The thought of Chloe in pain is a nightmare, and knowing I caused it is worse. “I want to make this right.”

“Then give her the time she needs,” Katherine says, and then I hear her cover the phone and mumble something to someone else. A moment later, Bruce gets on the line.

“How are you holding up?” He’s gentle when he asks, and I have the feeling of being a wild animal and people approaching me cautiously.

“Not so good,” I say honestly as I make another turn around the block and pull over. “I’m driving in circles.”

I can hear his footsteps, so he must be walking away from Katherine. “Everything will be okay. We know how much Chloe loves you.”

“She left her ring on the nightstand.” Seeing it there was like an arrow through the heart. “I’m not so sure.”

“Listen, Sawyer.” He hesitates and then lowers his voice. “Try Tenth Street.”

“What?” I’m not sure I heard that right.

“Yeah, she just needs some space. Another night or two will do the trick. Yes, I think you’re right, a hot shower would be good too. Just give me a call.” Bruce is talking like we’re having an entire conversation and then it dawns on me that he’s told me where Chloe is. Katherine must have walked in on him or followed after, but he’s told me to try Tenth Street.

Looking up, I check the street sign and see that I’m in the right area. This is close to the pharmacy, so she’s definitely staying nearby.

“Thank you, Bruce. Thank you so much.”

“I’d feel the exact same way,” he says and then ends the call.

Fueled like I haven’t been in days, I make my way over to Tenth Street and start scanning the buildings. There are two possible hotels she could be staying at, so I pull over and try the first.

The guy at the counter tells me that they’ve been renovating and only have limited availability with advance booking. It’s still early in the morning, so I can see construction crews walking around so I decide to take my chances and go to the second one.

When I go inside, I see an older woman behind the counter and try to be as calm and polite as I can. Never mind that it’s been a couple of days since I’ve slept or showered so I’m sure I look like a mess even if I feel like I could run a marathon. The thought of being so close to Chloe right now is killing.

“Hi, my name is Sawyer Ingram, and I’m supposed to be staying here with my wife, but she’s not answering her phone.” Glancing down, I see her name tag. “Do you think you could look up the room number for me, Judy?”

Her eyes narrow ever so slightly as she goes to the keyboard. “What’s your wife’s name, Mr. Ingram?”

“Chloe.” Then I spell it for her for good measure and keep my smile polite and calm. Breathe, Sawyer, breathe. This could be it.

“I don’t see that name, but the system could be updating.” She looks at the screen and then quickly back at me. “Maybe you should try calling her again.”

“Are you sure? Could you check again?” I’ve got a feeling that she’s not telling me for a reason. Maybe because I look like I’ve been living out of my car? “I’m happy to show you my identification.” I slide my driver’s license in front of her, but she barely glances at it.

“That won’t be necessary. She’s not a guest at our hotel.”

“Wait, you said you didn’t see the name, and now you’re saying she’s not a guest. Which is it?” I narrow my eyes, and the older woman takes a slight step back.

“Sir, I’m going to need you to please leave the premises or I’ll have to call the authorities.”

“Okay,” I say before grabbing my license and backing up. I’m not here to terrorize an old lady who is just doing her job. “I’m sorry, my mistake. I’ll try calling her again.”

From the way Judy reacted to my questions, Chloe is definitely here. Now all I have to do is wait for her to make an appearance.

After that, I have no fucking clue.