CHAPTER THIRTY
Even under the circumstances, Hannah was bored.
Yes, a man with a history of trespassing and assault was stalking their client. And admittedly, she had agreed to spend the day in Wren Rivera’s office, schooling her on techniques to stay alert and keep herself safe. But all that had been taken care of hours ago.
In the time since, Wren had been on a series of phone calls, stepped in and out of meetings, and typed away furiously at her keyboard. It seemed that helping veterans find decent home health care was a job free of relaxation. Hannah wasn’t envious of her.
After first spending some time in a spare chair next to Wren’s desk, then in a tiny conference room with a view of the desk, followed by a stretch in the unimpressive break room, Hannah moved out to the small reception area.
At least there she couldn’t hear the constant chatter of the employees, which had given her a low-grade headache.
She readjusted herself in the barely cushioned chair and glanced over at the receptionist, who was primarily focused on scrolling through her phone. Hannah was tempted to do the same, then chastised herself.
She should really use this downtime to call Finn again and see how he's been doing since they last spoke.
She kept avoiding following up, and the awkwardness would only get worse the longer she waited.
In a little over a month, she would—and she assumed he would too—be back at school.
It would be nice if they had returned to something approximating normal by then.
Then again, she wasn’t sure what ‘normal’ was when Finn had been stabbed repeatedly by someone he’d confronted, after repeatedly warning her she shouldn’t trust the guy.
Moreover, if Finn were able to return to school, he’d probably need some assistance after the stabbing and having been in a coma for two months.
Carrying his backpack around on occasion seemed like the least she could do.
Of course, for her to do any of that, she needed to get more comfortable out in the world.
Sure, she’d driven around with Kat, sat at lunch in Grand Central Market, followed Wren down the crowded street, and was now camped out in the woman’s office.
But all those outings were always with someone else.
At school, she would often be on her own, and she needed to get more comfortable with it.
She had excuses not to. An incel had manipulated her for months, eventually taking her on a camping trip where he planned to kill her.
And a hitwoman with a vendetta against her was currently on the loose.
Anyone would be traumatized by those twin horrors.
And truth be told, if Ash Pierce was still walking free by the time sophomore year started, there was no way that Jessie was going to let her attend in-person classes or live on campus. But she had to plan as if she were still going, in case it did happen.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Wren, who opened the door from the main office to reception.
“Bathroom break,” she said. “Any updates from Kat?”
“Nothing in the last little bit,” Hannah told her. “But I’ll check with her. Hopefully, I’ll have info for you when you get back.”
Thanks,” Wren said as she left.
Hannah put in her earbuds and called Kat. The P.I. picked up on the first ring.
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah,” Hannah assured her. “Wren just went to the restroom and wanted to know if you had anything new to share.”
“Not really,” Kat admitted. “Quaid has been bouncing around down here for hours. He’ll go into a store or café for a short stretch, but never for more than a few minutes.
It’s clear he doesn’t want to lose sight of Wren’s building’s entrance.
I could tell he got agitated when she didn’t come down during her lunch break.
That’s two days in a row now, and I get the sense that he lives for those sightings. ”
“What’s he doing now?”
“He went into that convenience store next to her building a few minutes ago. He seems to use that place whenever he needs to use the restroom. It's his third time in there today. In fact, it’s been longer than usual. Normally, he likes to pop in and out quickly so he doesn’t miss her.”
“Maybe all that snack food and stalking is giving him digestive issues,” Hannah suggested with a chuckle.
“Maybe,” Kat said. “I’m actually heading over there now to poke my head in.”
“Aren’t you worried he’ll spot you?” Hannah asked.
“No. I’ve been in my car most of the time, and he’s never even looked my way. But I’m wearing a wig and sunglasses just in case. I’m about to walk in, so I’m going quiet for a minute.
While Hannah waited for news, she noted that the receptionist had stopped scrolling on her phone and was giving her a look of disdain.
“What’s wrong?” Hannah asked.
“Just wondering how much longer you’ll be with us?” the woman said.
“Why?”
“Because you’re loud.”
Hannah was debating whether to be polite or put the gal in her place when Kat came back on the line.
“Hannah?”
Yeah?” She could tell something was off.
“He’s not here.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s not in the store,” Kat repeated. “I showed the cashier his photo, and he said he’s not in the bathroom either. You have to get a key for that, and he didn’t take one.”
“Could he have snuck out the back?”
“Excuse me, sir,” she heard Kat say, “does this place have a back exit?’
“Yes,” the man answered. “It leads to the alley.”
“Thanks,” Kat said before speaking more quietly to Hannah. “I’m going out back to check.”
“Be careful,” Hannah warned.
“I will.”
Hannah stood up, too full of anxious energy to remain on the lumpy seat. A few seconds later, Kat came back on the line.
“He’s not out here either,” she said. “But I’m noticing that there’s a back entrance to Wren’s building here. There’s no guard.”
“Is it locked?”
“Yes, but there’s key card access, so theoretically, he could follow someone in if they were entering.”
Hannah’s nervous anxiety had jumped up an extra level.
“I’m going to check on Wren.”