It’s been a long and grueling day at the office and I’m glad to be on my way home. Renee came in first thing and dropped a new case on my desk and I spent hours going over documents to determine if we could take it on or not.
I love my job, but I wonder sometimes if I work too much. Although it’s not like I have much else going on. Maybe I should get a dog? I immediately throw that thought away because I’m never home and even though I own our office building, I remember all my international travel. It’s usually not planned and sometimes I don’t know how long I’ll be gone. Maybe I could get a fish?
I wonder if Erin has any pets. The thought irritates me as soon as I have it and I stare out the window. Why is she always the thing I keep going back to? Ever since I got back to my place and read the note Betty left for me, I’ve been silently obsessed with her. Betty told me that her granddaughter Erin had a migraine and needed a quiet place to sleep while her guest room was being renovated. She said in the note it was an unexpected visit and I started wondering when it would happen again.
That explained the scent on the sheets that drove me crazy and the toilet seat being down. It also explained the orange hair tie that I now keep on my wrist. It still has the faint scent of her, and I told myself I was only wearing it so that I wouldn’t forget to give it to Betty. But I’ve seen her enough times now that I’m clearly keeping it because I’ve got an unhealthy obsession. I’m more agitated by the fact that my sheets don’t smell like her anymore. I went to the market and smelled about a hundred detergents and none of them were quite right. I haven’t slept soundly since that first night, so part of my irritation could stem from that.
I don’t even know this woman and yet I can’t stop thinking about her.
The driver pulls up to the building and I get out of the car. I’m starving and I’m trying to remember if I’ve got any actual edible food in my refrigerator. I wonder if Erin is eating dinner with her boyfriend, and I grumble a hello to my doorman as I get on the elevator. I actually don't know if she has a boyfriend, but in my mind I’ve created this whole life for her that doesn’t include me. I wonder if that makes me a masochist.
When I get to the top floor, I go to put my key in the door and I hear Betty’s open up behind me. I turn around to say hello, but the words die in my mouth when I see her.
“Are you okay?”
She’s frazzled and drops her keys as she tries to lock her door. “Hello Devin, I’m okay, just a little shook up. Erin called me and I’m going to meet her. She couldn’t fly this time and had a friend drive her part of the way.”
My blood pressure spikes and I go over to help steady her. “What happened?” My words are more of an order than a question, but if she notices she doesn’t show it.
“I don’t know, really. She said someone broke into her apartment and she’s safe but she’s on her way to me. Oh goodness, this is all a mess. Those guys still aren’t done with my guest room and I know she’s probably all shaken up. Maybe I’ll get us a hotel room and we can both make a weekend of it.” I think she’s mostly talking to herself at this point, but I have to do something to help.
“First, take a deep breath,” I say, and she finally looks in my eyes. “I’m going to handle this.” Betty nods and she goes from trying to figure this out to letting me take charge. “I’ve got my driver downstairs and he will take you straight to Erin. Then you bring Erin back here and she can stay in my place again. I’m leaving tonight for a trip anyway.”
I’m not leaving for a trip, but I don’t want Betty to worry about having to take care of Erin while at a hotel. If she’s upset, she’s going to need at least something familiar and comforting. I know I’d want to be close to Renee if she was shaken up.
“Okay,” Betty says, a little more firm this time. “Thank you, Devin, I can’t thank—”
I shake my head, cutting her off. “Just go get her and bring her back. We’ll make sure she’s safe.”
The elevator opens and I text my driver that Betty is on the way down. Then I place an order with my delivery service to bring in food and some extra stuff I think she might like. After that I text my sister and tell her I’m going to be staying at her place for a few days. When she asks me why, I tell her I’ll explain later.
I pack quickly even though I have no idea how long it will take Betty to pick her up. How far is halfway? If she usually flies, is it several hours? I’ve flown short trips plenty of times when I could have driven instead, but I wonder why this time is different than before? She said she was okay, but what if she was injured?
Every horrible thought I can come up with plays out as a possibility and all it does is ratchet up my anxiety. I end up calling one of our detectives and giving him all the information I have on Erin and Betty, and I ask him to check in on things for me. I don’t know what else I can do, but I want to make sure the police are doing what they can and if they aren’t, to have someone else on top of it.
After I’ve packed a few things, I look around and see a case file on my dining room table. It’s a simple case that I brought home only to sign off on, but when I walk over to take it, I end up leaving it instead.
Maybe I’ll come back for that later and check on Erin.