Chapter 13
THIRTEEN
As soon as Max was on the sofa, comfortably wedged between Alex and Mia, and his attention fixed on the TV, Quinn escaped to the study.
She phoned Logan one more time, then sent another text, which also remained unread.
She then sent him messages through Facebook, Instagram, and X, and emailed him for good measure, before she called the London Hospital, where he worked as a nurse.
After she got transferred to various departments and put on hold for nearly a quarter of an hour, she was finally connected to one of Logan’s coworkers, who told her that Logan’s shift had ended at five o’clock.
Quinn called his friend Pamela, but she hadn’t heard from him since the previous weekend and didn’t know where Logan might have gone or with whom.
Quinn even called Rafe, but he brusquely told her he was no longer in contact with his ex and had no idea what Logan got up to.
Frightened and at a loss, Quinn did the one thing she had promised herself she wouldn’t do.
She rang Jude. She hated to alarm him, especially when he was in another country and couldn’t possibly help, but she needed to speak to someone who loved Logan and Max, and who might at least offer her some advice and emotional support.
“Hey, Quinny.” Jude sounded happy and relaxed when he answered the call, and she could hear Tamzin’s voice in the background as she talked to the children. “How are things?”
“Have you heard from Logan today?” Quinn asked. She couldn’t bring herself to engage in several minutes of small talk before getting to the point.
“Yeah. He sent me a meme.”
“But you did not speak with him?”
“No. Why?”
Quinn filled Jude in, and his tone instantly changed to one of concern. “That’s not like him at all. Max is his world.”
“I’m really getting scared now, Jude.”
“Don’t panic. There must be a reasonable explanation.”
Quinn inhaled sharply. “What sort of reasonable explanation would account for Logan suddenly not replying to anyone?”
“I don’t know,” Jude admitted. “Even if Logan lost his wallet and his phone, he’d find a way to get to the nursery. It’s not that far from the hospital. He would have walked.”
“Unless he couldn’t,” Quinn said, her voice hitching.
“Logan has you listed as his emergency contact in his phone. Someone would have phoned if something had happened to him.”
“But what if he didn’t have his phone on him?”
“He would tell them.”
“Unless he couldn’t,” Quinn said again. “What if he was hit by a car? Or attacked?”
“Quinn, you’re letting fear get the better of you.”
“That’s because I don’t know what to do,” Quinn exclaimed. “Where do I go? Whom do I call?”
“What about that friend of yours, the writer?” Jude suggested. “Nicole?”
“What about her?”
“Isn’t her father-in-law the chief constable?”
“He retired.”
“OK, but he was a policeman for decades, right? Maybe he can offer some advice. Or better yet, make a few calls.”
“That’s a good idea,” Quinn conceded. “I’ll ring her.”
“Do you need me to come?” Jude asked. “I can be on the next flight to London.”
“No. I’m still hoping Logan will turn up, apologize, explain, and take the bollocking I intend to give him with good grace.”
“I hope so too. Because I’m not prepared to consider the alternative. Is Max OK?”
“He’s watching Haunted Mansion with Alex and Mia. He’s anxious, though. He keeps looking at the door, as if he expects Logan to walk in at any moment.”
“Not having their parent come for them is one of the most frightening things to happen to a child, and Max already has crippling separation anxiety, thanks to Rafe. That wanker,” Jude added under his breath.
Quinn agreed with Jude’s assessment of Rafe’s betrayal, but now was not the time to bash Logan’s ex.
And she could admit—though not to Logan or Jude—that the situation hadn’t been entirely Rafe’s fault.
When Logan and Rafe had announced they were having a baby, Quinn had seen hundreds of red flags snapping in the wind, but it hadn’t been her place to tell her brother that his new partner was still a child himself and that, from her vantage point, the relationship was clearly never going to last.
Logan had wanted a child with an intensity that bordered on desperation, and it was this nonnegotiable desire to become a father that had led to the breakup with Colin, with whom Logan had happily cohabited for years.
Colin had loved their life as it was and hadn’t wanted to complicate it by bringing a baby into the mix.
Now Colin was in a loving relationship with Adam, and Logan was alone, embittered, and too afraid to expose Max to another partner who might not stay.
“Should I keep Max at home tomorrow if I don’t hear from Logan?” Quinn asked.
“I think you should take him to school. Any disruption to his routine will only make him more anxious. At school, he will be surrounded by other children and kept busy. At home, he will be watching you for any sign of trouble. You know how observant he is.”
“That’s true. Thanks, Jude.”
“Please, keep me posted. I will leave immediately, day or night, if you need me to come.”
“I’ll ring you tomorrow. Say hello to Tamzin and the girls.”
“Will do.”
Quinn ended the call and selected Nicole’s number. Her friend picked up on the second ring.
“Hi. I’m so glad you called,” Nicole said eagerly. “How did it go? Was Colin able to determine the cause of death?”
Like Gabe, Nicole was fascinated by Quinn’s gift and eager to vicariously experience her forays into the past. Quinn had helped Nicole several times with her own research and had even been able to offer reassurance when Nicole’s husband’s younger sister, Edie, had disappeared on her way to work several months ago.
Edie had narrowly avoided a terrible fate, but although she had been rescued, and just in time, the young woman hadn’t been the same since and had relocated to the States, where she wasn’t assaulted by memories of her ordeal every time she left her flat.
And now Quinn hoped Nicole might return the favor.
“I’m actually calling for a different reason,” she said and quickly explained what was happening.
“Oh, God,” Nicole said softly, and Quinn knew that she was thinking of Edie. “I’ll ring Sean straight away.” She paused. “Maybe it would be better if you spoke to him directly. He knows you, and I’m sure he’ll be happy to help. I’ll send you his mobile number.”
“Thank you,” Quinn said. “I appreciate that.”
“Anything Kyle and I can do, you only have to ask.”
Quinn wished Nicole a good night and opened the text containing Sean’s number. She made the call and waited with trepidation for Sean Cadogan to answer the phone.