The Dynamic Duo, one in a hot-pink track suit and the other in faded jeans and a fitted sweater, rendezvoused at Bridget’s apartment.
“Stay here,” I said to Maddie when I opened the car door.
“I want to come though.”
“There’s just one thing I need to do. Stay here.”
Maddie stuck the bottom part of her lip out and folded her arms but remained seated.
I crossed the courtyard and entered the building. A female sat at the front desk this time. I smiled and held up my key card. She nodded.
I assumed Bridget wasn’t there, but gave a courtesy knock just in case. When no one answered, I went in. Everything looked the same, all except for one thing: the duffle bag was gone.
I exited the apartment and walked back to the parking lot. Right before I reached my car, I spotted a green Honda parked at the far end of the lot. It was the same make and model Tommy mentioned Bridget drove, and there was a person sitting in the driver’s side. The car idled, but didn’t move. I walked over but took my time; I didn’t want to alarm her. When I got close enough to confirm she was the girl in the photo with Tommy, she put the car into gear and glanced behind her. At twenty feet away, I wouldn’t reach her in time.
“Bridget Peters?” I yelled.
Her eyes widened.
“I’m a friend of Charlotte’s,” I said. “Can we talk?”
The look on her face was the perfect blend of confusion and panic.
“Please,” I said, “let me explain who I am. I can help you.”
Bridget’s driver’s side window started to lower, but before I could say anything more a glimmer of pink sprinted past me. By the time the word NO! formed on my lips, Bridget tore out of the parking lot like Vin Diesel in The Fast and the Furious. I looked over at Maddie, who wiggled her shoulders and said, “Oops.”
“Oops? You were supposed to stay in the car.”
“I wanted to help.”
“I had it under control,” I said.
“I’m sorry, I thought I could get to the car and––”
“And what?” I said. “She might be the one person who can tell me what I need to know, and now she’s gone.”
I put the key in the ignition and pulled out of the parking lot. A few minutes went by in silence. I focused on the road, and Maddie looked out the window.
“I really was trying to help,” Maddie said.
“Don’t worry about it. I’m sorry I lost my temper. Something tells me Bridget’s the key to all this, but she’s afraid. I could tell when I looked at her.”
“Maybe you’ll get another chance.”
“I hope so,” I said. “In the meantime, we still have Zoey.”