Chapter 28

Trevor finally fell asleeplast night, even though he only got a few hours of shuteye. He had too many things on his mind.

Before 6:00 a.m., he got up, showered, and changed. Then he ran down to the lobby to grab breakfast for everyone. By the time he got back to the room, Sadie was awake and dressed and had the turned the TV on.

A new weariness lingered in her gaze as she looked up at him.

Normal, probably. But it still concerned him. Had something changed since last night? Had she remembered something? Why else would she seem so melancholy?

“Morning.” He set a plastic tray with three cups of coffee and some pastries on a small table in the corner.

“Morning.” She turned the news off and rose from her reclined position on the bed.

Trevor glanced at Kai. “You want something to eat before you get some shuteye?”

His colleague shook his head. “I’ll worry about that later. If you’re good, I’m going to sleep for now. Try to get in two or three hours.”

“Absolutely.”

Kai disappeared into the other room and shut the door, leaving just Trevor and Sadie.

Trevor glanced at her again as she began to pick at a cream cheese pastry.

“I wasn’t sure what you liked,” he said.

That wasn’t the truth. He knew she liked cream cheese pastries. He just couldn’t let her know that.

“I’m not 100 percent sure what I like, other than that bacon cheeseburger I had last night.” A faint smile brushed across her lips. “But this looks good. I just don’t have much of an appetite.”

“Understood.” Trevor took another sip of his coffee. “How’s your head today?”

She touched the back of it where she’d hit the concrete. “It’s still sore.”

“I can imagine.”

She let out a long breath before abandoning the pastry and pushing it away. “I need to find answers today, but I’m not sure how.”

“Don’t forget that you have a follow-up appointment with Dr. Conroy,” Trevor reminded her.

“I had forgotten. Thanks.” She paused. “Any updates on the office? Was the building a total loss?”

“As a matter of fact, they think part of the building can be salvaged. The fire mainly stayed at the back.”

“That’s good news.”

“Yes, it is. As far as today is concerned, I had an idea.” Trevor had been thinking everything through last night and this morning. “I think we should go back to your place and talk to some of your neighbors. I know the police have already done that. But maybe we’ll catch someone else. Maybe they can fill you in on some details.”

She nodded. “That sounds like a good idea. Let’s do that.”

“As soon as you finish eating, we will.”

Sadie picked up her pastry and tossed it in the trash. “I’m ready to go now.”

* * *

That familiar sense of dread filled Sadie as she and Trevor headed to her house.

That sense of wanting to know answers and also fearing what those answers might mean clashed inside her.

She and Trevor pulled up to her house after a mostly quiet drive. She told herself she just needed to drink more coffee. But the truth was that she needed more time to think things through, especially after overhearing that conversation between Trevor and Kai last night.

“I think she remembered something,” Trevor said. “On the beach.”

“What reason would she have for not telling you?”

“I’m not sure . . . unless it’s something involving me.”

“You ready for this?” Trevor turned to her.

She shoved those thoughts aside, reminding herself not to trust Trevor too much, and shrugged. “I’m ready to find some answers.”

She climbed out and turned to Trevor as he met her on the sidewalk. She glanced at her house. Saw the Bronco parked there.

Neither were familiar. She only knew it was her house and vehicle because she’d been told.

Had she had a happy life inside that house?

She swallowed hard and shifted her thoughts. “Where should we start?”

“What about over there?” He pointed to the house to the left of hers. “At least there’s a car in the driveway.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

They headed toward the house, and Trevor knocked on the door.

Sadie didn’t know exactly what she would say if someone answered. But she hoped it would make sense.

A few minutes later, a woman in her mid-sixties answered. She had blonde hair to her chin, a thin build, and wore neat capris with a white top.

Her eyes instantly lit with recognition. “Sadie . . . I heard what happened to you. I’m so sorry.”

Sadie swallowed hard. “Thanks. I don’t know if you heard that I lost my memory.”

“What?” Her voice turned wispy with surprise.

“It’s true. I’m still trying to put together a few things, and I hoped you might be able to help.”

“I can imagine.” The woman pressed a hand against her chest. “I’m Victoria, by the way.”

“Hi, Victoria. This is my . . . friend, Trevor. He’s helping me through some of this. Do you mind if we ask you a few questions about . . . well, about me?”

“Not at all.” She opened the door wider. “Why don’t you come inside and sit down?”

They walked into her small living room and took seats on a cream-colored couch.

Sadie wasted no time diving into her questions. “What can you tell me about having me as a neighbor?”

Victoria’s eyebrows slowly rose as she seemed to think through her words. “You’ve always been very pleasant. Kind of quiet, and you keep to yourself for the most part. But you’re always friendly when I see you. You always ask how I’m doing, and you’ve helped me bring in my groceries a couple of times.”

At least Sadie liked that image of herself.

“Anything else you can think of?” she asked.

“Not really.” Victoria shrugged. “I mean, I personally found your late-night meetings to be strange.”

“My late-night meetings?”

“I’m a bit of an insomniac. But, yes, quite often you have someone stop by at random hours of the night, almost like it’s a normal thing. Then you leave in the morning for work as if nothing happened.”

Sadie blinked. “How many nights a week do I have these meetings?”

“It varies. Probably a couple of times.”

“The same person each time?” she asked.

“I’m pretty sure it’s the same car. I haven’t really seen who gets out, though. It’s always dark, and whoever you meet with wears dark colors.”

“How long does this person usually stay?” Trevor asked.

Victoria blew out a breath. “Not long. Maybe ten or fifteen minutes. That makes it seem even stranger.”

“You can say that again . . .” Sadie muttered.