Page 80 of Endurance

Sloan

Just after three o’clock, I returned to Kallie’s house. I’d stopped at a local florist along the way and tried to do my best to duplicate the same arrangement of flowers I’d sent her a couple of months back—sunflowers mixed with vibrant roses, lilies, and snapdragons—rainbow colors for my Rainbow Brite.

Flowers in hand, I walked up to her front door and raised my fist to knock. However, I paused right before my knuckles connected with the door. The suitcases in the front hall were gone. Spinning around, I looked at the driveway. Her car was gone too.

Panic gripped my chest as I tried to remember when she said she would be flying home. I was sure she’d said the day after tomorrow. Instinctively, I pulled my cell from my pocket and tapped Kallie’s name in my contact list, but my call was immediately sent to voicemail.

“Shit!” hissed.

I was pacing back and forth on the front walkway, trying to decide my next course of action, when a white van pulled into the driveaway. The words Tidy Maids were painted across the side in bright blue lettering. My brow furrowed in confusion when the female driver exited the vehicle and slid open the side door to allow two other women to file out.

“Can I help you?” I asked.

The driver looked up in surprise as if seeing me for the first time.

“Oh! I’m sorry, sir. We were told nobody would be home. We’re here to clean.”

“Obviously,” I said, gesturing to the logo on the van. “But why are you here to clean?”

She looked past me at the house with a confused expression, then looked down at a notebook she was holding.

“This is the right address, right? Number eighty-seven?” she asked.

“Yes, that’s the right house number,” I confirmed. “Who told you nobody would be home?”

“It was the nice lady who contacted us from Quinn & Wilkshire. She said a tenant recently vacated the property, and it needed to be cleaned top to bottom. She gave us a code to get in through the side door. Is that okay?”

Vacated the property? Had Kallie left the house for good? Did she go to a hotel?

My eyes widened, suddenly realizing how I might be able to find out where Kallie was.

“I’m sure everything is fine. You can go on ahead and do what you need to do. Thank you for your help,” I said and rushed past the cleaning crew toward my car. Once inside, I pulled up my email on my phone and searched for the contract from Quinn & Wilkshire that Milo had forwarded to me three months earlier. After locating the PDF file, I found the logo, address, and telephone number for the PR firm typed across the top. Dialing the phone number, I impatiently tapped my thumb on the steering wheel as I waited for someone to pick up. After the third ring, a pleasant voice greeted me.

“Thank you for calling Quinn & Wilkshire. How may I direct your call?” she asked.

“Hello. My name is Sloan Atwood. I’m trying to reach Kalliope Benton Riley.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Atwood. Ms. Riley is currently out of the office on assignment. Would you like her voicemail?”

“I know she’s on an assignment—Iamthe assignment. Unfortunately, I’m unable to get in touch with her at the moment.”

“Oh, I see. Please hold for one moment.” It seemed like I’d caught her off guard, so I waited patiently and listened to what sounded like clicking on a keyboard. A moment later, she returned. “Mr. Fitzgerald Quinn, the owner and senior partner, is available to speak with you. If you’d like, I can put you through to him.”

Kallie’s father. Fuck.

I had hoped to get some low-level employee to tell me where Kallie was. I didn’t plan on having to talk to her father of all people. He didn’t know me from Adam, and I didn’t know how to explain what I wanted without sounding like a psychopath.

“That’s fine. Put me through,” I told the receptionist. I was placed on hold for only a few seconds before Kallie’s father’s voice came through the line.

“Mr. Atwood. Fitz Quinn here. How can I help you?”

“Hello, Mr. Quinn,” I replied as respectfully as possible, then dove right in. No sense in beating around the bush. “I’m actually trying to locate Kallie. Have you heard from her by any chance?”

“Kallie? Um, yes. I’d heard there was a little problem regarding your compatibility. I can assure you, Mr. Atwood. My partner, Devon, and I are on it. We’ll have a replacement agent out to you within a few days.”

“No, sir. I don’t want a replacement. I’m perfectly fine with Kallie representing me. That’s why I’m trying to reach her. I need to tell her that I want her to stay,” I said, hoping beyond hope that I was able to keep any signs of pleading out of my voice.

“I’m not sure what the confusion is. I haven’t spoken to Kallie directly. I just received a message stating that she would be on a plane to return today. I believe her flight leaves at five.”

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