Chapter 9
Matt
“Fuck my life.” I’ve been here alone with her one fucking night, and I’ve already lost her. Grabbing for my phone, I quickly call Harry.
“Hell─”
“She’s gone. I woke up and went to her room, and she’s gone.” I hear shuffling on the other end of the line momentarily before Harry’s voice comes back across the receiver.
“What the hell, Matt?”
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it was this bad. That she’d just wander off… I thought us staying the night was more to make sure she was safe in the house. Like to make sure she ate and didn’t fall in the shower.”
“No. It is this bad. I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in ages.” His exasperated exhale floats heavily through the line, and I feel like a sack of shit.
“I’m going to head through the neighborhood on foot. I’ll call the police and see if they can help. Just finish up your meeting.”
“No. I’m coming home to help look.”
“Well, look who was waiting for me at the curb,” Joyce croons as she walks in the front door with Mom on her arm. My mother is wearing the same floral night dress she wore when she went to bed last night. Her hair is matted, but otherwise, she looks no worse for wear.
“Oh, thank God,” I blurt, dropping onto the couch in relief.
“What?” Harry yells.
“Joyce walked in for duty, and Mom is with her. I’m so sorry, Harry.” The guilt and shame I feel are overwhelming. “I’ll come up with something to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
“Jesus. I nearly had a heart attack.”
God, I’m still trembling, unsettled by what just occurred. What if something had happened to her? How has he managed this by himself for so long? “Fuck.” I wince when I remember Joyce and my mother are listening to this.
“It’s okay. I should’ve been more upfront about how bad things have been. I guess I didn’t want to scare you.”
That’s my big brother. I’m sure he waited as long as humanly possible to call me and ask for help. “I’m going to get a quick shower, make sure Mom and Joyce are good, and then head to the site. We can talk more later about trying to keep her safe.”
“Okay, Matt. Talk later.”
Driving to the construction site, I’m a bundle of nerves. I can’t seem to shake the magnitude of what happened. As I cross under an illuminated highway sign that notes roadway construction ahead, I picture the sign instead reading:
Silver Alert. Elderly female with Alzheimer’s missing.
The thought nearly makes me hurl. I’ve got to come up with something. I’ll never live with myself if she disappears again.
It’s then I recall the hardware store I passed the other day. I’ll quickly pop in and grab what I need to put a deadbolt on the front door. I’ll come up with a safer option later. Maybe contact one of the in-home alarm companies to set up something that will trigger when the door opens. It might scare the shit out of her, but at least it will let everyone know if she’s on the move.
As I near the store parking lot, it dawns on me that Salty Jo’s is only a few blocks away. That’s where I was headed when I passed this yesterday. I never did get my cup of coffee this morning. Maybe I’ll stop by for a much-needed java and some vitamin E.