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The phone rang almost the same instant they stepped outside of Providence Hospital. “Oh.” Willow reached into her purse. “I forgot. I’ve been carrying around your cell all morning.” She handed it to Kennedy. “Here you go.”
Kennedy didn’t recognize the number. “Hello?”
“This is Adell. Are you free to talk?”
Actually, her professor’s timing couldn’t be worse, but Kennedy didn’t say so. “Yeah, this is great.” She put her hand over the receiver and whispered to Willow, “It’s my chemistry professor.”
Adell had never been the type to squander words. “I’m calling to confirm you got my previous message. The one about not coming into lab today.”
“Yes.” Kennedy wasn’t sure how her voice was supposed to sound right now. Hurt? Stoic? Disappointed?
“Well ...” Adell let out a small cough. “I don’t mind going on record stating that I’m in complete disagreement with Dr. Faber on this one.”
Kennedy wondered what to say. Did Adell want to vent about her colleague? Did she expect Kennedy to join in her complaints against the department head who’d barred Kennedy from her lab?
“Regardless,” Adell went on, “it’s not to be helped. He’s made up his mind, at least for today. I can’t promise you your position back, but I did manage to get him to agree to a meeting.”
“Meeting?”
Kennedy could almost taste the impatience in her professor’s voice. “Yes. A meeting. My office, this afternoon at three. You’ll be there.” It was far more of a statement than a question.
Kennedy checked the time. It was only a few minutes after noon. “Yeah, I can make it.”
“See that you do.” Adell ended the call before saying anything else.
Kennedy slipped her phone into her pocket, aware of Willow’s quizzical eyes on her. “Problems again with the professor?”
Kennedy shrugged. She didn’t want to get into any details. What she really needed was a nap. Who would have thought a prayer meeting could be so exhausting?
Willow unlocked her car, but Kennedy stopped when her phone rang again. Had Adell forgotten to tell her something? She glanced at the screen.
“Hi, Sandy.” Kennedy paused with her hand on the car door. Willow stopped too and stared openly.
“Kennedy, thank God I got hold of you.” Sandy was breathless. Fear iced over Kennedy’s heart when Sandy asked, “Is Woong with you by any chance?”
“No.” Kennedy looked around the parking lot as if he were about to jump out from behind one of the cars and shout surprise. “No,” she repeated. “I haven’t seen him all morning.”
“Oh, dear. I was afraid of that.”
Kennedy had already started walking back toward the hospital. Willow was right behind her.
Sandy mumbled something, but Kennedy couldn’t make it out. “What’s that?”
“I’m sorry, sweetie,” Sandy answered. “I’m here with the detective. You’ve probably already left the hospital by now, haven’t you?”
“No. We’re in the parking garage, but we’re on our way back in. We’ll help you look around for Woong.” Kennedy was nearly jogging now, platform shoes or not. “Do you think he wandered or something?”
Sandy sighed on the other line. “I wish it were that simple.”