Page 20 of She Didn't See It Coming
“Paige.” He knows Paige isn’t Lizzie’s favorite person. The two of them are competitive about Clara’s affections. Paige spends a lot of time at the condo and is Clara’s favorite babysitter. But Paige should be here. She’s practically family, and she’s Clara’s godmother. Lizzie doesn’t seem to want to talk to him; instead she’s scrolling intently on her phone.
Before long, Paige arrives. She doesn’t look anything like herself, Sam thinks. She hugs him tightly at the door and then steps back, searching his face with concern. “Oh God, Sam. What could have happened to her? Are you okay?”
At the sight of Paige’s familiar face, Sam feels something inside him collapse. He lets it happen and starts to sob. She puts her arms around him again and holds him tight. Finally, he pulls away and wipes his eyes with his hands.
“Sorry,” he says automatically.
When they join Lizzie in the living room, Sam brings her up-to-date on everything. His voice is bleak.
Paige looks him in the eye and says, “It hasn’t been that long. You can’t lose hope, Sam. Bryden is out there somewhere, and they’re going to find her.”
•••
Paige chews the sideof her lip. Bryden is missing, and there are detectives talking to her parents in the next room. Poor Donna and Jim, how hard this must be for them too. It all feels rather surreal. She can feel her anxiety mounting. She doesn’t know what’s going to happen next. But she knows that she must talk to the detectives, and it worries her.
Donna and Jim emerge from the den looking shell-shocked, followed by a man and a woman, both wearing dark suits. Paige greetsBryden’s parents, whom she’s known for years, hugging them both in turn. Then Sam introduces her to the detectives. “This is Paige Mason. She’s Bryden’s best friend—and Clara’s godmother.”
“Can we speak to you for a few minutes?” Detective Salter asks.
“Of course.”
She feels Sam’s eyes following her down the hall.
•••
Jayne studies the womansitting in the den across from her. Paige Mason is a beautiful woman, and it strikes Jayne that she is well aware of it, even in circumstances like these. Something about the way she holds herself and tosses her hair out of her eyes. She’s not wearing a wedding ring. Jayne wonders if Paige will know anything more about Bryden’s life than her neighbor Angela and her sister, Lizzie. Bryden’s parents hadn’t been that helpful; they’ve been living in Florida for the last couple of years. Jayne feels the clock ticking.
“How long have you known Bryden?” Jayne asks.
“We met at college—we both went to NYU. Funnily enough we are both from Albany but didn’t meet until we were at college.”
“And are you close?” Detective Salter asks.
“We were roommates, and we’ve been close ever since. We both returned here after graduating. So I guess I’ve known her for about sixteen years.”
“What do you do?”
“I’m communications director at a firm in Albany. Bennett Communications Group.”
“From what I hear, apart from Sam and Lizzie, you probably know Bryden better than anyone. Is there anything you can think of that might have a bearing on her disappearance?”
Paige looks back at her and shakes her head.
Kilgour interjects. “When was the last time you saw her?”
Paige appears to think. “Sunday night. I came over for dinner.”
“And how did she seem then?” Kilgour asks.
“Completely normal. The same as always.”
“No tension between her and her husband?”
“No.”
Jayne leans in a little closer and asks, “Did she have any secrets?”
Paige’s eyes narrow. “Bryden wasn’t the type to keep secrets,” she says.
