The Perfect Couple (Last Stand #4)(46)
Author: Brenda Novak

"Then I’ll simply say thank-you," she said with a laugh.

"And now for the ‘worried’ part. I ran into Anton when I got in my car to come to work and he said you’d moved out."

"I have."

"I hope it didn’t have anything to do with me."

Echoes of last night made her ill at ease. "Why would it have to do with you?"

"It happened so fast. I was afraid he might’ve made more of our being together at Kinko’s than he should have."

At this she let her breath go in relief. "No, it wasn’t that. It was…a combination of a lot of things." Blind hope. Stupidity. Grasping for a personality type that didn’t fit her own. Fortunately, there was no need to go into detail, so she blamed the catalyst. "I guess our relationship couldn’t withstand the strain of having Samantha go missing."

"He wasn’t good enough for you, anyway, Zoe. An old guy like that…I never could understand what you saw in him."

She saw safety, security. But she doubted someone as young and successful as Colin could relate. He’d never had to fight for survival.

In any case, what she’d believed Anton could provide had been an illusion. He’d let her down as much as the men who’d come before him.

Maybe more.

But she couldn’t blame it all on him. They probably would’ve broken up months ago if she’d allowed herself to see him for what he really was.

He’d given her a nice home to live in, went to work each day, and avoided drugs and alcohol, but he didn’t fulfill her.

She thought of Jonathan and the desire she’d experienced when he’d brushed his lips against her neck. That had brought about a reawakening, had shown her that she’d closed off her sexual self too soon. "I guess we weren’t as well-suited as I thought."

"He didn’t leave you high and dry, did he? You’ve got money?

Because if you don’t, I can lend you some."

Any trace of the bad feelings she’d had toward her neighbor disappeared. She didn’t want to borrow from him any more than she wanted to borrow from Anton. They didn’t know each other well enough, and she couldn’t imagine Tiffany would be happy about it.

Still, it was very nice of him to offer. "I’m okay for now. Thanks for checking."

"Where are you staying?"

"At a motel." The Lexus Motel.

"Which one?"

She smoothed the wrinkles from her clothes. "Just a little twelve-room motel downtown." She’d seen a couple of those last night, and even before that, back in the days when she’d had a meal or two at Loaves and Fishes.

"You mean that one off Sixteenth Street?"

"I didn’t pay attention. I just pulled in."

"Oh." There was a pause. "What’s the latest on Sam?"

"No change."

"Really? The police can’t tell you anything?"

She started the car and cringed when the gas gauge stopped at half a tank. "Just that they’re doing all they can."

"It’s not enough."

"I feel the same way." But maybe there was nothing more they could do. Even Jonathan couldn’t figure out what’d happened, what’d gone wrong.

"I’ve put together a small search party with some of the attorneys and secretaries here in the office. I thought we’d visit the neighborhoods surrounding ours tomorrow morning and pass out Sam’s picture, then comb the vacant land next to our development."

Just when she’d decided she didn’t like Colin, he made another grand gesture. What was the matter with her? She needed friends. And she couldn’t afford to be too selective. Especially with people who were willing to help.

"The police are supposed to be out there looking today, but…it can’t hurt to go over the same ground."

"My thoughts exactly."

"I really appreciate the help."

"No gratitude necessary. But can you come over for dinner tonight so we can create the routes?" he asked. "I’ll pick up some maps over lunch."

If he was taking the time to do this, how could she refuse? "Sure.

When would you like me there?"

"We’re seeing some old friends at nine, so…why don’t we do it at six?"

It was an early appointment, and he wasn’t planning on making a night of it. That meant the meeting couldn’t be construed as anything but business, which wiped out the last of her misgivings. "Six works for me."

"Great. See you then," he said and hung up.

Zoe sighed as she pressed the End button. Anton was history; the neighbor she hadn’t liked very much, except for a few unexpected moments, was friendlier than ever. Her daughter was still missing. She had little money, no home and no job. And she couldn’t forget her hotel stay with Skye’s investigator. She was so lost, and he seemed like the only person she could cling to.

How could so much have changed in a few short days?

Instead of calling Skye again, Zoe decided to drive over to The Last Stand. She put the car in gear and bounced along as her tires encountered the deep ruts she’d traversed last night. But her phone rang before she reached the highway, so she stopped to answer it. "Hello?"

"Zoe? It’s Jonathan."

"I know." She’d recognized his voice instantly. "How are you?"

"Hopeful," he said. "It’s a long shot, but I think we might have a lead."

Chapter 19

"What do you mean you invited Zoe over for dinner?"

Tiffany was supposed to be starting her ten o’clock rounds, doing a room check to make sure none of the old folks had wandered off. But Colin’s call had caught her staring longingly at the candy bars inside the vending machine. Occasionally, she broke down and bought one. She’d sneak it into a bathroom stall, eat it fast, then flush the evidence because she didn’t need any of her coworkers teasing her about cheating on her diet or, worse, mentioning the breach to Colin.

"Exactly what I said," he replied. "Have it ready by six."

She lowered her voice so that anyone who might come upon her wouldn’t hear. "We can’t have Zoe over."

"Why not?"

She rattled the keys in the pocket of her smock, which went to the door that locked the Alzheimer’s wing. Although she wasn’t assigned to that section, she had to keep the keys with her at all times to accommodate guests. Most days it seemed pointless to tote them around. The Alzheimer’s residents received few visitors. But everyone who worked at the home had access–to make it appear less prisonlike to those who did happen to come.

"What if she goes upstairs, Colin?"

"She’s too polite for that. And we’ll be with her the whole time. She won’t go anywhere."

"This is unnecessary." In her mind, inviting Zoe into their home went beyond reckless to foolhardy. But Colin seemed to be getting more and more foolhardy. These days he had a constant thirst for stimulation and seemed to feel invincible. That combination was going to get them both in trouble.