Chapter 22
Twenty-Two
E sther smiled and waved at Rob and Leah as she left the house forty-five minutes later. Leah had breezed through the work Esther brought, and she figured since it was the girl’s birthday, there was no harm in ending a little early.
The door creaked as she exited. Still smiling, she glanced toward the curb. Her smile faded as she realized Asher’s car wasn’t there.
“Where the heck did he go?”
With a sigh, she dug her phone out of her bag and called him. It rang five times, then rolled to voicemail. She tried again and got the same result.
Hanging up, she propped a hand on her hip and stared at the street. She didn’t know whether to be angry or concerned. Why would he leave her here alone? He’d been adamant about following her here and sticking around while she was inside.
Maybe he’d decided to run a quick errand. She was early, after all.
Blowing out a soft breath, she stepped off the porch and wandered over to the corner of the house by the driveway, leaning against the dingy siding. She’d wait until it was officially time for her to be finished with her tutoring session. If he wasn’t back by then, she’d call again. She wasn’t sure what she’d do if he didn’t answer. Maybe call her dad for a ride?
Esther crossed her arms and ankles, settling in to wait.
Ten minutes later, he hadn’t returned. She waited five more, and when he still didn’t appear, she called him again.
Once more, the call rolled to voicemail.
She let out a huff as she ended the call. Where could he be? And why wasn’t he answering?
Not wanting to lurk outside the Tylers’ house any longer, she decided to call her dad. If Asher showed up before he arrived, great. If not, she’d text him and tell him she got a ride home. She was sure he had a good reason for leaving.
Dialing her dad’s number, she waited a few rings for him to pick up.
“Hey, sweetie. What’s up?”
“Can you come get me? Asher was my ride, but he’s disappeared.”
“Disappeared? Where did he go?”
“I don’t know. He was gone when I came outside, and he’s not answering his phone.”
“That’s odd. He’s not that type of person.”
“I know. Look, can you just head over here? We can talk more on the ride home. I’m not that comfortable standing out here alone.”
“Where are you?”
“My home tutor student’s house.” She gave him the address.
“Okay, I’m on my way. Ten minutes.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“Of course.” He hung up.
Esther dropped her phone back into her purse and settled in to wait.
Her gaze tracked from one end of the street to the other, looking for the man in the hoodie. She hadn’t seen him since the day he stood outside her house. Asher said he hadn’t been back since he chased the guy off. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t lurking somewhere. There were plenty of places for him to hide.
Behind cars. Behind trees and shrubs. Even in the shadows of the houses.
And she couldn’t see around any of it. She didn’t plan to go look, either. At least here, she had the house to her back so no one could sneak up on her. But that didn’t stop her heart from beating a little too quickly or keep awareness from pricking her skin.
Eleven nerve-wracking minutes later, her dad rolled up in his black truck. Esther shot off a quick text to Asher, telling him she was headed home, then scurried away from the house and down the drive, climbing into the passenger seat.
“Hi, sweetie. I was hoping he’d be here when I pulled up.”
“Me too. I don’t know where he is.” She snapped her seatbelt into place.
Conner pulled away from the curb. “He didn’t say anything about leaving?”
“No. He came inside and helped me celebrate Leah’s birthday for a few minutes, then went back out to sit in the car. He’s never left me here alone.”
Her dad’s eyebrows pulled together. “Wait. What? Why wouldn’t he leave you here alone?” His gaze sharpened. “Is something going on?”
Esther sighed, knowing she either needed to think of some quick lie or just spill the beans.
A lie would just trip her up later, so she went with the simple truth. “So, Asher and I weren’t really dating when he came up. We are now,” she was quick to add. “But when he first arrived, it was to put Edie’s mind at ease.”
“Edie?” He paused, frowning, then quickly continued. “What does she have to do with this?”
“There have been a few—strange things happening to me lately. Nothing crazy. Just odd. Like Rob Tyler making me uncomfortable. He hasn’t done or said anything. He’s just—creepy.” Esther shrugged the uncomfortable feeling away. “Anyway, I’ve seen a man in a hoodie lurking around. Both at the Tylers’ and at my house. Edie was worried, so Asher volunteered to come up and check things out. That’s why he was my ride. He takes me to the Tylers’, then just sits in the car and keeps an eye on things until I’m done. Today shouldn’t have been any different.”
“Maybe you should call Edie. See if something happened there that needed his attention. He’s their computer man, right?”
“Yes.” She unlocked her phone and went into her contacts. “I guess I could try.” She found her sister’s name and tapped it, then put the call on speaker. Edie picked up after a couple of rings.
“Hey.”
“Hey. Have you heard from Asher?”
A beat of silence passed. “Asher? No. Why?”
“Because he left me high and dry outside the Tylers’ house.”
“What? He didn’t say anything ? Not a text or a voicemail?”
“Nope.”
“That’s weird.”
“Right? I called Dad. We’re on our way back to my house.”
“Hi, Edie,” Conner said.
“Hi, Dad. Um, let me call Ford. See if he knows anything or can reach him. I doubt it, though. He and the others are out on a boat on a fishing trip. But I’ll ask. Hang tight. I’ll call you back.”
Before Esther could respond, Edie hung up.
Pressing her lips together, her jaw working, Esther set the phone down and leaned back against the seat. This was so weird. If Ford or one of the others didn’t call him away on something urgent, she couldn’t fathom what would make him leave without telling her.
Unless he didn’t go willingly.
The thought hit her like a bolt of lightning. Her breath seized in her lungs, trapping the air as they refused to work.
No.
Was Hoodie Man more of a threat than they’d realized? But why would he go after Asher? He’d been watching her. It would make more sense for him to take her.
Except he couldn’t get to her because Asher was always around.
A ball formed in her stomach. Maybe the guy took Asher with the intent to kill him, so he could get to her.
She shoved that thought away and slammed a heavy door on it.
No.
She couldn’t think like that.
He was fine.
He had to be.
Esther stared out the window the rest of the way to her house, her mind busy with all the reasons why he could have left. Some of the thoughts were utterly absurd, Like, he’d gotten his pants caught in the costume’s zipper and ripped them and had to go home to change. She tried not to think about the more ominous reasons why he hadn’t returned.
Her phone rang as her dad turned onto her street. She fumbled with it, her heart in her throat, praying it was Asher.
It wasn’t.
Her sister’s smiling face graced the screen.
Quickly, Esther answered, hoping Edie had good news. “Hello?”
“Ford said he didn’t call him. Neither did any of the guys. He asked if they should head back. I told him I wasn’t sure. What do you think? Do they need to come in?”
Conner turned into the driveway—the empty driveway—and put the truck in park.
“Maybe. We just pulled up to the house. His car isn’t here.”
“If you can’t get a hold of him or he doesn’t show up in the next couple of hours, you need to call the police. He can be impulsive, and he can also get stuck in his head when he’s working. It’s possible he got a lead on the case there. But it’s odd he wouldn’t at least text you or arrange a ride to get you home.”
“Maybe he did text, and I didn’t get it. Service around here can be spotty.” She’d missed calls and texts from her parents in the last month because of a lack of coverage. Sometimes it was the weather, other times it was just crummy cell coverage.
“True. All right, give him a couple of hours. If he’s still MIA, call the cops and report him missing. Then call me. I’ll get the guys to come back, and they can do what they do best. Was he in his car?”
“Yes.”
“The car rental agency might be able to help you out. They put trackers in their vehicles. The cops can get a warrant to access the data.”
“Okay.” She made a mental note to mention that if she had to call the police.
“I wouldn’t worry too much yet. I know that sounds crazy from the woman who’s been worrying about everything lately, but there are many reasons he could be out of contact. Keep me posted, though, all right?”
“I will. Thanks, Edie.”
“You’re welcome. Talk to you soon.”
“Yep. Love you.”
“Love you too. Bye.”
“Bye.” Esther hung up.
“What did she say?” Conner asked.
“That he might be working and not paying attention to anything else, and to give him some time.”
Conner’s head bobbed. “Sounds like a good plan. Do you want me to stay?”
Esther inhaled a breath, then let it out, glancing at her front door. “No. I’ll be fine. If I need you, I’ll call.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes. Thanks for picking me up.” She gathered the handles of her tote and opened the door.
“Okay. Let me know later how everything turns out. Your mother and I can come over and lend some moral support if you need to call the police.”
“I will. Thanks, Dad.” She slid out of the truck seat.
“You’re welcome.” Conner lifted a hand in farewell.
Esther gave him a strained smile and shut the door, then headed up the path and inside.
Silence echoed in her ears as she shut the front door behind her. She hadn’t realized how much of a difference his presence made before. It was amazing how quickly she’d grown accustomed to the noise a second person brought to a house. Without Asher, her house felt like a tomb.
Locking the door, she moved into the kitchen and set her tote on the counter. She cast a quick glance around, unsure what to do.
Do what you always do , her inner voice prompted.
Right. Of course. It was just like any other day after work. She needed to change clothes, then figure out dinner. She’d make something elaborate tonight. It would help take her mind off Asher.
Heading upstairs, she quickly shed her school clothes and donned a pair of lavender leggings and a light sage green cropped sweater. In just her socks, she went back downstairs to the kitchen and opened the fridge, eyeing its contents. She had a bunch of Roma tomatoes to use, so she decided to make her own pasta sauce. And her own pasta. That would eat up a good hour.
Pushing up her sleeves, Esther got to work. After taking all the vegetables she needed for the sauce from the fridge and washing them, she set them on the island, then grabbed an onion from the bowl on the counter. She dug out her cutting board and a bowl, then removed a knife from the block, the blade making a metallic shink sound as she withdrew it from the wood. It wavered in her hand, and she clutched it until her knuckles turned white, trying to still the tremor. Playing with sharp objects when she was upset probably wasn’t the best idea, but she needed to do something to calm her racing mind.
With the first cut through the green pepper, her loud thoughts dimmed the slightest bit. By the time she got through the tomatoes, she felt less scattered and more in control. Whatever the reason Asher had disappeared, she’d handle it in stride. There really wasn’t another option.
But when she got to the onion, tears welled in her eyes.
Esther sniffed and swiped her face on her sleeve.
It’s the onion. That’s all .
She was scared to admit anything else. Didn’t want to acknowledge the loud voice in the back of her mind screaming at her that he hadn’t left willingly. That he wouldn’t do that to her. Not without communicating his plans.
Just because she would handle that scenario with grace, too, didn’t mean she wasn’t also terrified of what it meant.