Where Are You
I had a deep night of sleep, given how fatigued my body was. No matter how hard I tried to start my mornings without technology, curiosity always seemed to get the best of me. Instinctively, I reached for the cell on my nightstand first, my fingers brushing the device before my eyes had fully opened. The blue light felt harsh, just another reminder to adopt healthier habits.
“Honey, is Sophie at your place?” Elisabeth, Sophie’s mom, had texted around 6 AM.
I rubbed my eyes because they felt dry, even itchy, possibly from some type of contact dermatitis. Could it be my night cream? At least my angular cheilitis had finally healed up. My bet was that Sophie had forgotten to tell her mom that she and Mark would be together, and now, maybe she was asleep not reading her messages.
“I am sorry, but she is not here. But I am sure she’s with Mark.” I contemplated in my response immediately. I wouldn’t leave her mom hanging as she was a constant worrier. Having a daughter with such a serious medical condition was tough enough on her.
“Mark doesn’t know where she is,” her mom texted instantly. “She didn’t come home yesterday.”
I frowned because it was unusual for Sophie to go off the grid. Where would she have gone?
“I’ll text a few of our mutual friends,” I let her know immediately, as my phone began to ring. It was Mark himself. The moment I saw his name, the gravity of the situation hit me.
“Hey Lucie,” he blurted out in an anxious tone. “When was the last time you saw Sophie?” He didn’t even wait for me to say hi.
Upon hearing his desperation, I responded immediately. “Yesterday,” the last time I heard from her was when I was at Planned Parenthood. “We texted in the morning.”
“She’s missing,” he wailed. “I went everywhere, including her brokerage. Do you know if she has any places where she’d be hiding?”
Even if Sophie had such a place, I doubted that she’d vanish from the people she loved.
“I don’t know Mark, but disappearing on everyone doesn’t seem like her. When was the last time you spoke with her?”
“She had a showing with a client at 6 PM. She called me right before.”
“Have you tried asking her brokerage, to see if they can contact them? Also, do you know what house she went to?”
“Yeah, they have no idea.” It sounded like he was in immense pain. “Lucie, I think something bad had to happen to her. We obtained her Sentrilock record but it looks like she never made it to any property to show.”
“Her car is gone too?”
“She took the Bentley, and it’s not back either. We’re already talking to the police but they aren’t taking it as seriously as they should.”
“Did you two have a fight?” Part of me wondered if Sophie just needed some time for herself, and all this was unfortunate, but at least not tragic. There was always the possibility that she had a side to her that I didn’t know yet. We all needed space at times.
“No, she was supposed to come home for dinner,” he retorted. “Lucie, I just know something is wrong. Please help me.” Mark’s voice cracked. This was the man who had sold $150 million worth of real estate, calm and composed in every situation. To hear him break down like this was a shock.
A shiver ran down my spine as Sophie’s dad was now calling me on the other line. “Oliver, I’ll call Oliver. He’s going to get on this right away, Mark, and we’ll find her,” I assured him despite the rising fear for Sophie’s whereabouts. Julian’s staff had the resources to do way more than the police could.
Did this all have something to do with me? Was it possible that Sophie’s relationship with me had somehow put her in danger? I let her dad’s call go to voicemail, as first I needed to alert Oliver who would begin the search.
Sophie, if you are reading this, everyone is looking for you. We are so worried, please let me know you are okay , I messaged, simultaneously dialing Oliver’s number. Julian’s top-notch security guard picked up almost instantly. “Lucie, great to hear from you,” he opened the conversation.
“Oliver, I am sorry to bother you so early, but my best friend Sophie is missing. Her whole family, including her boyfriend, are looking for her, with the police thinking that she just needs space. Can you help? We believe she may be in harm’s way.” I didn’t think it was possible to speak at a faster speed how quickly I summarized it all.
It didn’t take Oliver long to catch up. “Can you and her entire family meet me in 30 minutes? I’ll come to their house in Coronado.”
“Yes, I’ll let everyone know” I replied quickly, already on my feet. After killing the call, I called back Mr. Dickens and asked him to get everyone ready for the meeting.
“I tried to get a hold of Julian, but he’s been unavailable for weeks,” Mr. Dickens explained. “I assume you know why this is, Lucie. It’s made some of his business partners insecure.”
To that I didn’t have much to say. “Yes, we’re sorting some private matters. But I am ready to help in his place,” I assured him. “We still have all this security staff available.”
But I couldn’t ignore how abandoned he sounded, as if not only had he lost his daughter, but his close friend had disappeared too, making everything worse. I’d been planning to call Julian soon anyway, and maybe now it was time to ask him to come back to San Diego
I rushed to make myself a coffee, then scrambled to find an outfit to wear. Work—today, it just wasn’t going to happen. I’d have to explain to Amanda, who I was sure, would also want to be part of the people looking for Sophie. The girl had left a mark on so many of our hearts, and when something was wrong, we all felt it deeply. Sophie wasn’t just someone we worked with; she was family in our own way. And now, with her missing, none of us could ignore the pull to find her, in whatever situation she was in. Was it possible that she’d fainted somewhere? Could her heart have decided to give up? I trembled at the thought of losing her, and refused to admit that this was the ending that fate had in store for her.
The meeting with Oliver took about an hour. With diligence, he collected everyone’s account of the events, asking questions while Sophie’s mom sobbed uncontrollably in the background. Her dad, pale and visibly shaken, sat stiffly by her side, his hands clenched in his lap. The two family dogs, oblivious to the gravity of the situation, played around in the living room, their happy barks feeling out of place in an atmosphere of despair. And I was sicker than ever, to the point when I had to go to the bathroom and wash the back of my neck with cold water several times.
I’d meant to call the rehab but now my personal problems seemed small in comparison to Sophie’s disappearance. I briefly called Amanda, and she listened carefully before acknowledging what I’d said. “I’ll speak with Oliver later,” she promised, her voice resolute. “I’ll also ask around the office to see if anyone knows anything.” Her reassurance was of some comfort, but I could tell she was just as worried. Then she also reminded me that I was supposed to have a day off anyway.
Right, I suddenly remembered. The articles about me and James had probably started circulating on the internet. The fact that I hadn’t received a message from Sophie about them was just another harsh reminder of how serious her disappearance was. I postponed reading them, knowing well they’d only infuriate me, but soon enough, it became clear that Oliver had already found out about them.
While he remained focused on the task at hand, his occasional curious glances toward me didn’t go unnoticed. I could feel the weight of his unspoken questions, but I didn’t have the courage to address any of his glances. Instead, I resolved to wage a war on the tabloids by utterly ignoring them. I couldn’t afford to let that distraction derail everything else—Sophie’s situation became my only priority.
Will and I spent the rest of the day visiting all the places that Sophie frequented. I stopped by her favorite restaurants, spoke with a few of her closest friends, and even went to her Keller Williams brokerage in Del Mar, hoping someone there might have more information. But it was as if she’d vanished. We’d come home drained, fearful, yet perhaps still hopeful that a resolution would come soon.
Then the news came. Oliver had successfully tracked Sophie’s phone. It was found in a dumpster near a highway, its entire contents smashed beyond recognition.