Chapter 45
THEO
I know you’re in Vegas for a court appearance. Call me.
I’d texted Mallory, but she hadn’t responded. Not once.
I paced across the office, which wasn’t far, then turned around. I was between patients, checking messages like a high schooler.
The phone out in the lobby rang and I heard Verna answer.
Mallory wasn’t calling back. Why the fuck wasn’t she calling? Oh yeah, she was mad because I bought her a house. Why wouldn’t she be happy with a fucking house? Her dream house at that. Well, I was mad at her for not telling me she had a court appearance in fucking Las Vegas.
What the fuck?
I turned, stared at my cell sitting on my desk. Still nothing.
Fuck!
Bridget hadn’t been any fucking help earlier, going so far as to kick me out of her classroom. I couldn’t believe it!
Mallory could be on the side of the road in the middle of Utah, car broken down. I’d seen her car. Not the newest model, but it wasn’t on its last legs either. Still. Alone on the side of the highway? All kinds of shit could happen. No. She’d have called Bridget if there was a problem. Right?
Why had she gone alone in Vegas anyway? Bridget was supposed to be her best friend.
WHAT HAD MALLORY DONE?
I ran a hand over my beard.
“What is going on with you?” Verna asked. “Did you drink the killer, death inducing coffee that Steaming Hotties has? That stuff has triple the caffeine. Next, you’re going to be climbing the walls or having a heart attack.”
I spun around and glared at Verna in the doorway.
“Why would someone have a court appearance?” I asked, running my hand through my hair, then setting it on my hips.
Her eyes widened, but she remained as calm as ever. “Okay, so I’ll call Eve at Steaming Hotties and be sure you’re on the Do Not Serve list for that stuff.”
“Verna,” I said. “You’re wise to all things. Help.”
“Wow. Um… okay.” She tapped her chin in sync with me tapping my toe on the floor.
“Reasons for a court appearance. Hmm. Getting divorced.”
Mallory was not getting divorced. I shook my head.
“Child custody hearing?”
“Definitely not.”
She shrugged. “The only other thing I can think of is getting arrested.”
“That’s–” Arrested? Mallory? There was no way she’d be that impulsive or reckless or crazy to do something that had her thrown in jail.
No, she totally was.
“Holy fuck.”
“Um…”
I took the stethoscope from around my neck and set it on my desk. I went over to Verna, set a hand on her arm. “There’s no one dying, right?”
She frowned. “Um… no.”
“Good. I have to go.”