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She waited, her pulse racing as she hoped he’d pull the door open. She tried again. “Kyle? If you’re in there, open up. Please.”

The last word came out more pleading than she’d intended, but she didn’t care.

“Well, either he’s not here, or he doesn’t want to talk to you.”

Julia frowned at the door, wondering which it was. She hoped it was the latter. And she was determined to find out.

“I don’t think he’s going to answer.”

Julia shook her head as she typed in the key code on his electronic lock and pushed into the apartment.

“Seriously?” Alicia said. “You know his lock code?”

“Yes. I’ve been here a few times.” She raised her voice, calling out, but the darkened apartment didn’t give her much hope. “Kyle?”

She flicked on the lights, checking the living room and kitchen before she crossed to the bedroom. “Kyle?”

The bed hadn’t been slept in, and the place looked unused. She checked the bathroom in one last ditch effort, but he wasn’t there. Her heart sank as she sucked in a breath, planning her next move.

Alicia studied her. “It’s a little disturbing that you know his code and his apartment so well.”

“I’ve been here a few times. He’s not here.”

“Obviously. So–”

“Let’s check the hospital. Maybe he’s in the on-call room.”

“Okay,” Alicia answered.

“Wow, really? No argument?” Julia asked as they left the apartment behind.

“Nope. I’m actually kind of impressed. Look at you like a little junior cop.”

Julia pressed the button for the elevator. “Ha! This is nothing. You should have seen me tracking clues when Grant got charged with murder.”

“Please do not remind me of the time you got your head bashed by a baseball bat, sis.”

“Bashed is too strong a word,” she said as they exited into the cool parking garage and crossed to the car. Within minutes, they were at the hospital.

Julia slipped into the back of the emergency room as the doors opened for someone else. She approached the nurses’ station and offered a nervous smile to the woman there. “Hi, I’m looking for Dr. Kyle Carter.”

“He’s not here,” she answered.

“Are you sure? Can you page him?”

“He didn’t show,” a frazzled doctor told her. “Never called off. We’re swamped. I hope whatever he’s doing is important.”

The words stung her. Kyle hadn’t shown up for his shift? That in and of itself was odd behavior. Despite the difficult family relationship, Kyle was a good doctor.

She twisted, her features scrunching as she tried to come up with the next step.

Alicia pushed past her. “Is it typical of Dr. Carter to do this?”

“You a cop?”

Alicia flipped open her badge and nodded. “I am. Has Dr. Carter ever missed a shift before?”

The doctor shook her head. “No. Kyle’s usually here. He’s one of our best doctors. Once he had a family emergency, but he told us. He’s never not shown up. Is something wrong?”