Chapter 11
Toby
The click of the exterior door has me bolting upright. I thought she was just making herself at home.
Something tells me to let her go. Maybe it was my grandpa's old saying… If you love something, set it free. Only I fully plan on following her.
"Wake the fuck up." I shake Dylan's shoulder hard then rush to the front window. Sure enough a car is pulling up. I see her rushing around the side of the house toward it.
Dylan groans. "What?"
"She left." I grab my clothes and get dressed.
He's a little less groggy but grabs his clothes. "Are you fucking with me?"
"You called her Nikita. She waited for us to fall asleep then snuck out." I look out the window one more time. A Honda Odyssey. The color's hard to tell, dark gray maybe.
He rubs his face. "Fuck! Let's chase her down. She can't get far without a vehicle."
"She lives here now, Toby. She has friends, a rideshare app." I have my keys in hand.
"I'll meet you in the car."
The engine roars to life as Dylan slides into the passenger seat. I ease onto the road, speeding so they don’t get too far away. The good news is that our road is pretty long and straight so I get them in my sights. And at this hour, there aren't many cars.
"I'll keep my distance so they don't spot us. You help keep track of where they turn off." I make sure he's clear which car she's in.
"Yeah, I've got her. Sorry man, didn't realize I used her name. You think that's why she left?"
"Either that or she got nervous. Seeing us could have sparked a memory."
We hit the highway and blend into the smattering of cars.
Reaching into my pocket, I hand him her note. "She left this on my desk."
"It's the same loopy handwriting from her diary."
"Yeah, who else would it be from?"
"I just mean that we can show her the two writing styles; Prove that we know her."
The Honda exits the highway. The area looks familiar. They veer into the Aubergine Affair parking lot and I pull into a lot across the street.
"What are you doing?" Dylan asks.
"We have to find out where she lives. We don't have any other way to contact her."
Dylan mumbles agreement.
She hops out and beelines for her car. Letting her get a couple blocks from the sex club, I pull onto the street.
"Keep an eye on her."
"I am."
The rest of the drive is in silence as I risk losing her at every turn. My legs are restless, my foot begging to press harder on the accelerator.
After a while she turns into an apartment complex.
"Fuck. You're going to have to get closer or we won't see which unit she’s in."
I close the gap and turn into the complex. The gate at the entry hangs askew. "Doesn't look like that's worked in a while."
"She lives here?"
"I don't fucking know. She could be going to a friend's house if she doesn't feel safe."
"I hope she doesn't live here. Look at the weeds, and what do you suppose they’re up to at this hour?"
"Eyes on her, Dylan." I share his worry though. A group of guys sits on the porch of one of the apartments. Is she safe here?
"Just thinking out loud. I want to save her from this."
"Not everyone's loaded like us. Just be glad she has a roof over her head." I grip the wheel tighter.
The apartments are clustered in multiple buildings. I stay one back from hers. She turns into a parking spot, but given that almost all of the spots are taken and there are no markings, she could live in any of the nearby buildings.
Her car stays on.
"Pull in there." Dylan points to an open spot. "That van can give me cover while I can hop out and watch where she goes."
I pull in but leave the engine running. "Don't get out until she does."
"Good idea. So what's the rest of the plan?" The uncertainty in his voice is uncanny.
"Lay low overnight, talk to her in the morning."
He slams a fist against the door. "Are you a fucking idiot? What if she sneaks away? What if we fall asleep and she doesn't even have to sneak? What if we get busted for loitering?"
"I really doubt anyone would turn us in for loitering."
"Fair point, but the longer we wait—"
"You're right." I can't handle losing her again. "As soon as we know which apartment she lives in, assuming she’s not just meeting someone, we talk to her. Grab the box from the trunk."
I pop the trunk and Dylan hops out. Perfect timing since she gets out of her car and heads to an upstairs apartment, entering quickly as if she had her key ready. No stopping to knock. It's probably her place, not a friend's.
He gets back in with the box of her stuff. "I saw which one she went to. Let's make a plan, fast."
"First of all, let's see if she remembered who we are."
"Good. And if she doesn't, we can show her pictures." Dylan selects a few from the box.
"Okay. Watch her door. I need to find something." I grab my phone and scroll through the group chat where Dylan and I were trying to get hold of her, apologizing, and ultimately getting more worried as she didn't respond. "This will match the date she went missing. It should count for something."
"Got it. Let's move."
We step out of the car. A dog barks in a nearby unit. Highway noise comes and goes. We approach her building. Up close, the chipped paint and broken shutters beg for repair. The bones look good, but the place could use a carpenter and a fresh coat of paint.
My pulse ticks a beat faster with each step we climb.
"You suppose she'll call the cops on us?"
"What the fuck, Dylan?"
"If she's freaked out…"
"We have a boxful of proof that we're just trying to find our sister."
Stopping on her landing, I take a deep breath, preparing what I'll say first.
Dylan goes straight to knocking on her door.